THE ATENEO Rowing Team (ART), the only university-based crew in the country, joined members of the national team in the 2023 World Rowing Indoor Championships (WRICH) to showcase their skills on the boat. The races were held from February 26 to 27 (Philippine Time) and were hosted in Mississauga, Canada.
The National Team rowers collected one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals at the end of the two-day tournament. This was the first time the competition offered a hybrid setup, giving competitors the choice of competing digitally from home or physically at the Paramount Fine Foods Center in Canada where the event was held. Meanwhile, the Blue and White was well-represented in their third appearance at the tournament, with 16 members of the ART qualifying for the events and participating online.
Clocking in at a time of 07:30.3, Philippine Team member Kristine Paraon bagged the team’s only gold medal in the 19-20 Women’s 2000m event. The Zamboanga City native also won silver in the 19-20 Women’s 500m with a time of 01:40.2. Meanwhile, Olympian Cris Nievarez (06:21.4) and Athens Greece Tolentino (01:29.3) also secured the bronze medal in the 21-22 Men’s 2000m and 21-22 Lightweight Men’s 500m events, respectively.
Christian Joseph Jasmin (06:45.8) and Rynjie Peñaredondo (01:29.2) barely missed out on a podium spot in their events. Both placed 4th in the 19-20 Lightweight Men’s 2000m and 19-20 Lightweight Men’s 500m, respectively.
With stellar performances in various categories, the Blue Eagles were able to make a name for themselves during the tournament. Ateneo Women’s Rowing Team member Allyn Camille Pagayatan led the Blue and White with her 3rd place finish in the 21-22 Lightweight Women’s 500m event, recording 02:02.1. As of writing, her status as a bronze medalist has yet to be confirmed by World Rowing, as there were only three competitors in her race.
Emilia Jill Abalos and Rupert Christian Custodio clinched fifth-place finishes in their individual events. Abalos registered a time of 01.45.9 in the 21-22 Women’s 500m category while Custodio finished the 21-22 Men’s 500m event at 01:23.8.
Custodio’s teammates in the Ateneo Men’s Rowing Team–Lorenzo Caballa and Gian Largo–also competed in the latter category, finishing in sixth and eighth places with times of 01:26.7 and 01:3i8.1, respectively. Meanwhile, Justina Estuar also took part in Abalos’ race, recording a time of 01:53.6, which tied for 8th place with Hong Kong’s Esmaeilzadeh Melli Natasha.
In the 21-22 Lightweight Women’s 2000m event, Blue Eagle Mariana Josefa Hermoso finished with a time of 09:35.4, which was good for 6th place. Nico Duque punched in 07:34.8 for an eighth-place finish in the 21-22 Lightweight Men’s 2000m race.
Ateneo Rowing Team Men’s Captain JC Berdin placed 12th in the same category as Nievarez, recording a time of 07:00.5. His teammate Joseph Andaya clocked in 07:45.9 in the 19-20 Lightweight Men’s 2000m event, placing 10th, while Shaun Tan’s 07:44.3 record was good for 19th in the 19-20 Men’s 2000m division.
Carmela Mariangela Miranda competed in Heat 2 of the 17-18 Women’s 2000m category, placing 49th with a time of 08:43.3.
With their third participation in the WRICH in the books, the ART set their sights on the tournament’s next edition, which will take place in Prague, Czech Republic in 2024.
