SUSTAINING THEIR glory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 Swimming tournament, the Ateneo Swimming Team boasted a titanic medal haul after clinching a total of ten medals and setting five new records on the third day of the competition. The events took place earlier today at the New Clark City Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac.
Freestyle
Kickstarting the events with towering confidence, veterans Miguel Barreto and Marco Daos displayed their athletic prowess in the 200m Freestyle race to bag the first and third place, respectively. Barreto finished with a record-breaking time of 1:52.06, earning him the top seed in the event. Following Barreto’s dominance, Daos recorded a 1:57.03 finish in the same event. The victories added gold and bronze medals to the Blue and White’s haul.
Following their accolades in the opening races, Mishka Sy reigned supreme in the Women’s Division as she finished in second to bag another silver medal for Ateneo.
Breaststroke
Continuing their stellar performance in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke preliminary event, standout rookie Ace Espiritu made waves with his astounding 1:05.46 record-setting finish—breaking the previous UAAP record of 1:05.56. Further solidifying the team’s impressive showing in the tournament, veteran Rian Tirol tallied another gold medal with a 1:04.12 finish in the same event.
In the Women’s Division, Annika Isip donned confidence up her sleeve with an outstanding display in the 100m event, clocking in at 1:14.41 to claim another gold medal for the Blue and White. Tailing closely behind Isip, veteran Charllyn Romanos secured a bronze medal finish after placing third in the same event, recording a time of 1:16.21..
Butterfly
Moving further in the competition, Team Captain Rafael Barreto proved decisive of the Blue and White’s mastery in the waters, as he dominated the 50m Butterfly event to land in first place and secure another record-breaking finish for Ateneo with a time of 24.75 seconds. Meanwhile, Sam Doragos also flaunted her expertise after her bronze medal finish (29.76) in the Women’s Division of the same event.
Backstroke
Closing the individual events, Ivo Enot maintained his super rookie performance with yet another record-breaking moment, clocking in at 58.18 seconds in the 100m Backstroke to claim the top spot in the event.
Determined to match the pace, Sam Coronel and Lora Amoguis registered 1:08.36 and 1:09.63 finishes, respectively, to assert their headstrong demeanor in the Women’s Division and earn silver and bronze medals for the Katipunan-based squad.
Individual Medley
Extending Ateneo’s advantage in the pool was Miguel Barreto, where his masterful momentum brought him a first place finish (4:40.13) in the Individual Medley event. Sy further bolstered Ateneo’s surge in the podium after delivering another gold for the Women’s Team in the same event (5:13.43).
Freestyle Relay
With an intent to end the third day of the tournament on an even stronger note, Nathan Sason, Jared Cheng, Tirol, and Rafael Isip team conquered the final waves of the series of events in the Men’s Freestyle relays. Their collective synergy powered through the waves to garner a fourth place finish with 1:40.13 clocking.
In the Women’s Division, Maiki Gonzaga, Romanos, Coronel, and Kimi Manuel sent shockwaves to claim top seed in the race, with a record-breaking finish of 1:50.99 seconds.
With a chance at a double crown for the first time since Season 82, the Blue Eagles look to finish out strong tomorrow, November 19, at 8:30 AM in the same venue.
Men’s Standings – Points (Gold-Silver-Bronze Medals):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles – 378 (14-6-3)
- DLSU Green Tankers – 216 (1-8-4)
- UP Fighting Maroons – 165 (0-0-6)
- UST Tigersharks – 117 (1-2-3)
Women’s Standings – Points (Gold-Silver-Bronze Medals):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles – 268 (5-7-5)
- UP Fighting Maroons – 241 (5-3-3)
- DLSU Lady Tankers – 219 (4-3-4)
- UST Lady Tigersharks – 138 (2-3-4)
