EXTENDING THEIR medal collecting haul, the FAST Ateneo Swimming Team (FAST) accumulated 13 podium finishes to wrap up day two of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86’s Swimming Tournament.
The Blue Eagles concluded the day with eight medals for the Men’s squad and five merits for the Women’s roster, yesterday at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Pool, City of Manila.
Freestyle
Starting the final heat were veterans Joshua Del Rio, Juan Marco Daos, and Ianiko Limfilipino in the Men’s category of the 400m Freestyle event. Del Rio and Daos traded the top spot throughout the first half of the tidal swim off, until De La Salle University’s (DLSU) Ted Laminta came from behind and nabbed pole position. As a result, the two Atenean tankers chalked up the silver and bronze medals at 4:12.58 and 4:13.00 minutes respectively. On the other hand, Limfilipino tapped the wall at 4:35.94 minutes to claim last place.
Following this was the Women’s counterpart of the event wherein Ricielle Melencio narrowly missed the podium on a 4:50.45 minute record, finishing in fourth. Not far behind was Sam Doragos (4:50.47) at the fifth spot, noting a .02 discrepancy between both finalists.
Breaststroke
Men’s Team Captain Rian Marco Tirol and Rafael Isip (29.83) contested the current for the 50m Breaststroke event with masterful strokes against the tide. The two Atenean swimmers vied for the top two spots, with Tirol particularly standing out by setting a new UAAP record at 29.10 seconds.
On the Women’s side, Sofia Isip (34.90) stood tall on a silver finish in the 50m Breaststroke event, a day after clinching her first gold during the commencement of the swimming meet. Meanwhile, Charllyn Romanos (35.56) settled at fifth place while Kirsten “Kimi” Manuel (35.94) mounted at seventh.
Butterfly
Looking to add on to the medal tally, Daos returned to the pool with Rafael Barreto for the Men’s 100m Butterfly contest. Both Ateneans raced for the wall with steadfast will and sharp movement but ultimately fell short of a golden finish. Clocking in at 56.01 and 56.80 seconds respectively, Barreto and Daos secured the silver and bronze medals, adding to the haul of the Men’s squad.
Turning the tide to the Women’s iteration of the encounter, relentless rookie Mishka Sy (1:05.23) drifted out of the waters with a bronze medal finish, while Doragos followed suit at 1:06.44 minutes. Consequently, Women’s Team Captain Marjorie Manguiat (1:07.59) tapped in a second later, capping off the clash at seventh place.
Backstroke
The Men’s 200m Backstroke contest had reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Phillip Joaquin “Wacky” Santos enter the waves, attesting his dominance with a gold medal after clocking in at 2:09.70 minutes. Del Rio (2:21.96) also surfaced out of the waters in the valiant swim off, obtaining the eighth spot.
Trailing the exact distance, Sy and Melencio both re-entered the pool along with Samantha Therese Coronel for the Women’s event. In the running for Rookie of the Year, Sy bagged a silver medal in the event after smooth sailing strokes on a 2:25.87 minute finish. Shortly after was Coronel who tapped at 2:27.86 minutes to achieve the third podium spot. Admiringly, Melencio finished fourth after notching a time of 2:30.92 minutes.
Relay
To close the second day of the meet, the only group event saw Charles Ticbaen for the first time, Isip, Tirol, and Barreto in the Men’s 400m Freestyle Relay. The Blue Eagles’ coordinated chemistry between transitions allowed an early lead. However, the Blue and White fell into last place with one swimmer to go on the final stretch, but Barreto hustled through the tides to conquer the gold medal with a 3:38.46 minute record.
Finally, a comeback victory from Isip, Manguiat, Romanos, and Manuel for the Women’s category registered a time of 4:13.00 minutes. The Blue and White got better as each lap got on, gradually sneaking past their opponents with each successive turn. As the final swimmer in the relay group, Manuel brought home the silver medal with powerful strokes, bringing more honor to the Women’s squad.
Now having accumulated 22 medals under their belt, the FAST Ateneo Men’s and Women’s Swimming Teams aim to establish a larger medal collection today, November 25, at 8:30 AM in the same venue.
UAAP Current Standings
Men’s Swimming Standing
- FAST Ateneo Men’s Swimming Team (205 points)
- DLSU Green Tankers (154 points)
- UP Fighting Maroons (110 points)
- UST Tigersharks (72 points)
Women’s Swimming Standing
- UP Fighting Maroons (198 points)
- FAST Ateneo Women’s Swimming Team (161 points)
- DLSU Lady Tankers (92 points)
- UST Tigersharks (82 points)
