CONCLUDING AFTER three months of action, the Ateneo Track and Field Teams collected one gold and two bronze medals in the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) Weekly Relay Series Finals. The meet was held from October 28 to 29 and November 4 to 5. With ten qualified athletes, the Blue Eagles were well-represented in the two-week event held at the PhilSports Athletic Stadium in the City of Pasig.
Before the finals, the Blue and White had to go through weekly qualifying events from July 9 to October 1, where several events were contested in the under-20 and Elite/Open divisions. Over the last two weeks, the Katipunan-based tracksters showcased their wares on the oval as the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Athletics Tournament inches closer.
Elite/Open division events
Women’s Team Captain Jia Kawachi would deliver the first piece of hardware for the Blue Eagles, copping the gold medal in the Women’s Pole Vault event. Clearing a new personal best of 3.60 meters, the UAAP Season 85 silver medalist placed atop the standings out of 13 participants. Moreover, her new record ranked higher than both her qualifying mark of 3.40 meters and her best performance in the previous UAAP season at 3.10.
Meanwhile, John Gotladera notched a bronze-medal finish in the Men’s 60m special event, clocking in a time of 7.16 seconds. John Paul Araneta of the University of Santo Tomas and Jiriel John Aytona of the De La Salle University secured the gold and silver medals, respectively.
U20 events
In the U20 division, rookie Nash Candelario collected Ateneo’s third medal of the finals, winning the bronze in the Men’s 400 meters with a time of 51.89 seconds. Meanwhile, Candelario’s fellow first-year teammate Basti Dela Cruz finished in the top five in the Men’s Shot Put and Hammer Throw events. The newest Blue Eagle barely missed the podium for the Shot Put, placing 4th with a clearance of 11.77 meters. Moreover, he finished in 5th position for the Hammer Throw, throwing a distance of 26.41 meters.
Dela Cruz’s fellow rookie Quino Ampeloquio also competed in the Hammer Throw event, throwing 21.21 meters, good for 6th place.
Sophomore Louise Cabrera did not start in the Women’s 200m event but qualified during the final qualifying event held on October 15 with a time of 29.30 seconds, placing 7th out of 10 participants.
With the PATAFA Weekly Relay Series in the books, the Ateneo Track and Field Teams will now shift to their UAAP Season 86 campaign. The Blue Eagles begin their quest for track glory on November 22 at the same venue.
