IN THEIR final competition of the academic year, the Ateneo Track and Field Team (ATF) valiantly concluded their stint at the 2024 Philippine Athletics Championships by bagging multiple medals across various events. The week-long tilt was held from May 8 to 12, 2024 at the PhilSports Athletics Stadium in Pasig City.
Apart from podium finishes, the Blue and White also tallied impressive marks overall, showing improved performances from University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86.
Open Division
Veteran sprinter Jasha Tan opened up the meet for the Blue Eagles on day one in the Women’s 400m, finishing her heat with a time of 1:07.57. Meanwhile, male counterpart Joaquin Ipapo clocked in at a commendable 52.6 seconds to finish third place in his heat.
Meanwhile, in day two, Ipapo repped the Blue and White once more at the Men’s 200m event, finishing fourth in his heat at 23.01 seconds. Succeeding his heat in the same event was rookie Julian Ramirez who crossed the finish line at 23.62 seconds. Over on the Women’s side of the 200m, Tan ranked sixth in her heat with a time of 28.59 seconds.
On the third day of action, sprinter John Gotladera concluded his stint at the Men’s 100m with 11.77 seconds while former Atenean stalwart Matteo Crisostomo donned his jersey anew at the Men’s 400m Hurdles. Crisostomo clocked in at 59.99 seconds to finish third in his heat.
Later in the evening, Season 86 finalist Emilio Perez came away as the best UAAP athlete in the Men’s Javelin Throw with a mark of 53.44 meters, his new personal best, to clinch a seventh-place finish out of 23 competitors.
Closing out the competition for Ateneo, Team Captain Jia Kawachi showed out in her final flight for the Blue Eagles in the Women’s Pole Vault Finals. Bagging Ateneo’s first medal in the Open Division, Kawachi lept to a height of 3.40 meters to claim silver for the Loyola Heights-based tracksters.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Reyes
Under-20 Division
Kicking off the first day’s evening session, sophomore Louise Cabrera bolted to a time of 1:06.69, finishing third in her heat to qualify for the Finals. The sprinter then improved to 1:06.40, locking in her spot at sixth in the Women’s 400m Final.
Continuing the Blue Eagles’ podium pursuit on the second day was rookie sprinter Nash Candelario, who made the Men’s 200m Final with a qualifying time of 22.60 seconds. The freshman then brought home silver for Ateneo with a faster time of 22.39 for his last sprint, both times an improvement from his UAAP Season 86 output.
Additionally, up and coming recruits who represented the Katipunan-based squad also garnered hardware for the Blue Eagles. Batangas native Carlos Miguel Nacario copped the gold medal in the Men’s 400m Final while Bacolod-based Airex Villanueva added another gold for Ateneo in the Men’s Discus Throw Final.
Nacario clocked in at 50.19 seconds as Villanueva notched a mark of 42.96 meters, both en route to finishing first in their respective events.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Nieto, coming off his podium finish in the Season 86 boys’ tournament, bagged silver in the Men’s Shot Put event with a throw of 12.94 meters. In the same event, Villanueva completed his double-gold performance with a mark of 14.05 meters.
On the last day of competition, the Blue Eagles clinched the squad’s final medal in the Men’s 4x400m Relay. Along with Candelario and Nacario, John Masuhol and Matthew Angeles were called on to boost Ateneo’s relay team, with the quartet clocking in at 3:20.93 to secure the gold medal.
With their relay gold, the Men’s U-20 Team bagged the highest plum in the competition as they were crowned as overall champions.
