THE FAST Ateneo Swimming Team (FAST) resumed their journey to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Swimming Tournament crown on November 9 at the Rizal Memorial Swimming Complex in Manila. The second day of the tournament saw the Blue and Lady Eagles maintain their positions on top of the standings after several outstanding individual and team performances in both the Men’s and Women’s divisions, garnering 12 medals in total through ten finals events.
After an outstanding performance on the first day, FAST once again exhibited their skill and prowess as they widened the gap at the top of the standings. The Blue Eagles more than doubled their tally to 221 points, far ahead of second place De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers at 166, while the Lady Eagles raced to 248 points as they ended the day comfortably ahead of rivals the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons with 174 points.
Rookie Ianiko Limfilipino placed third in the men’s 400m freestyle finals behind two-time Olympian Jessie Lacuna who topped the event. Limfilipino finished with an impressive time of (4:17.18) while Lacuna, the current record-holder, finished at (4:01.98) to beat the rest.
Longtime mainstays in the breaststroke events of the UAAP, Veterans Aldo Batungbacal and Giancarlo Silva competed in the men’s 50m breaststroke finals alongside FAST Rookie Drew Magbag. Silva clocked in at (30.79) to take the bronze while Batungbacal and Magbag finished fourth and seventh at (30.83) and (32.29) respectively.
Flying solo for the men’s 100m butterfly was three-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Lacuna who broke his own record by two hundredths of a second finishing at (55.77) to grab the gold.
More Eagles took to the podium in the men’s 200m backstroke finals as Veteran Aki Cariño recorded (2:11.85) to win gold while Team Captain Getty Reyes almost matched his time at (2:12.36) to take the silver. Blue Eagle Brandon Sing clocked in at (2:18.26) to place fifth in the event.
Miguel Barlisan, Drei Buhain, Brandon Sing, and Jethro Chua added to the day 2 medal haul as they beat the UAAP record in the men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay which was set by Ateneo back in 2016. The four finished (3:36.73) to take the gold in an impressive team showing.
The Ateneo lady tankers extended their dominance as early as the first event — the 400m freestyle finals. Season 80 MVP and Rookie of the Year (ROY) Chloe Daos bagged her third gold of the season, clocking in at (4:33.37), while Team Captain Raegan Gavino nabbed a Bronze at (4:49.09).
The duo added medals in the women’s 100m butterfly finals alongside teammates Kristine Santos and Suzanne Himor, conquering the collegiate podium. Daos added another gold to her collection as she swam her heart’s best at (1:04.60), followed by an impressive silver medal performance by Ateneo FAST rookie Himor (1:06.91). Santos completed the Blue and White sweep as she garnered the bronze at (1:08.16). Gavino clocked in at (1:10.09), concluding the event in sixth place.
New Recruits Dara Carreon and Sarah Alvina took the lanes in the women’s 50m breaststroke finals, competing in a neck-to-neck battle amongst the top eight swimmers of the event. Carreon snagged the gold with a time of (36.53), while Alvina managed to come in fourth (37.31) narrowly missing the bronze by a fraction of a second.
Women’s 200m backstroke finals Reigning Champion Courtney Gray topped the event again at (2:30.94) improving her Season 80 performance by a large seven-second margin, while Carreon and Julia Balanag finished fourth and sixth at (2:35.92) and (2:38.87) respectively.
Hannah Castaneda, Andrea Ngui, Kristine Santos, and Shaye Uy gave their all in the energy-charged 4x100m Freestyle Relay, concluding the day with yet another stellar performance, and the team’s fourteenth gold medal of the season.
The Blue and Lady Eagles will aim to add to their medal tallies with ten events on the penultimate day of the UAAP Swimming Tournament on Saturday, November 10 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
