THE ATENEO Judo Teams (AJT) capped off their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 campaign in a resounding fashion after garnering three more medals. The competition took place earlier today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in the City of Manila.

Eric Rodriguez and Keoni Dylim collected one bronze each on day two to put the  Men’s team’s final medal tally at four, good enough for a fourth-place finish.

Meanwhile, in the Women’s division, Maxine Mababangloob rose above the competition, winning a UAAP gold medal in the -78kg division for the second year in a row. Julliana San Ramon’s bronze finish in the +78kg division sealed the Women’s team’s ranking at fourth, with the team accumulating a total of one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.

Women’s -63kg division

Alex Tendero’s explosive throws left Adamson University (AdU)’s Andrea Abapo with little room to maneuver in the opening match, marking a swift ippon victory. However, Tendero’s momentum came to a halt in her succeeding semifinals and repechage matches against the University of the East (UE), as the Blue Eagle suffered back-to-back losses despite valiant efforts.

Rica Escalada shared a similar fate against her foe from De La Salle University (DLSU). In a quick and decisive bout, the match ended with an ippon victory for her Taft-based opponent within eight seconds.

Women’s -78kg division

True to her form, Maxine Mababangloob imposed her championship-caliber talents early in her stint at the -78kg division. The veteran delivered an impressive performance in her semifinal matchup against the University of Santo Tomas (UST), winning with two consecutive waza-ari scores.

Shining in the finals for a well-deserved gold medal, the defending champion secured another two waza-ari points against UE’s Nicole Habierto, showing incredible control throughout the duration of the fight.

Women’s +78kg division 

Capping off the women’s events, San Ramon faced a setback in a semifinal match against DLSU’s Marisela Turro, suffering consecutive waza-ari falls to land in the repechage. However, the Blue Eagle’s determination materialized into results in the following match, as she outclassed another Taft-based foe to win bronze with a 20-second pin.

Men’s -55kg division

In the men’s competition, Jose Mamaril dropped his quarterfinal match against DLSU’s Patrick Enriquez. Mamaril’s hopes for a bronze medal were then thwarted by Golden judoka Mark Quirimit who won via ippon in the repechage match. 

Hoping to avenge his teammate, Rodriguez came out with aggression in his first match, overwhelming DLSU’s Jason Palmes with an ippon in 15 seconds. The Blue Eagle aimed to replicate his performance in the semifinals against UST’s Janry Pamor, but was halted by a red card that consequently denied him a victory. 

Still presented with the opportunity for a podium finish, Rodriguez made up for his error against Quirmit. Rodriguez secured a crucial waza-ari with 28 seconds remaining, which proved enough for a bronze medal.

Men’s -60kg division

Battling in the next division, Ateneo’s Ryan Dela Cruz and Peter Estacio struggled to find their footing in the -60kg category. Dela Cruz suffered defeats via ippon to UP’s Sean Panganiban and DLSU’s Royce Novino.

On the other hand, Estacio faltered to UP’s John Almeyda after succumbing to two waza-aris. Determined to continue his pursuit for a bronze medal, Estacio scored the first waza-ari in his repechage match against DLSU’s Terrence Samaniego. However, the Loyola Heights-based judoka suffered a similar fate to that of his earlier setback, conceding two consecutive waza-ari’s to Samaniego at the end of the match. 

Men’s -66kg division

Launching an attempt to improve on his bronze finish last season, Trev Apostol secured an ippon victory against AdU’s Alejandro Espadera to advance to the quarterfinals. 

The team captain then faced early woes against UP’s Nicholas Serrano after the Fighting Maroon was awarded with a waza-ari. Nevertheless, Apostol’s combined resilience and veteran experience persisted as he was able to find a submission opening, eventually gaining victory.

The semifinals saw the Ateneo skipper struggle as he was met with UST’s Jandrei Sotto’s flawless techniques. Following an ippon defeat, Apostol was relegated to the bronze medal match against UP’s Robert Maala. The veteran tried to execute throws throughout the match, but the Fighting Maroon remained strong on his feet. Utilizing his strength, Maala gained control on the ground, pinning Apostol with 20 seconds remaining for the victory.

Lorenz Mendoza also competed for the Blue and White, but ultimately fell victim to the locking technique of DLSU’s Christian Hernandez. Although showing grit in the repechage round despite being submitted in the previous match, Mendoza was unable to fully recover, conceding a quick ippon throw to UP’s Maala to bow out of the tournament.

Men’s -73kg division

Gianpaolo Flaminiano engaged in an intense grappling scramble with UST’s Maekhael Sasi. Despite showcasing a strong defensive front to prevent his opponent from completing any power throws, the Blue Eagle eventually tapped out to the submission attempt of the Golden judoka.

Meanwhile, Dylim made quick work of AdU’s Mark Doncillo, completing two waza-aris within 31 seconds. The Blue Eagle’s dominance booked him a semifinals spot against Fighting Maroon Christian Zuniga.

Boosted by confidence from his quarterfinal performance, Dylim came out aggressive against Zuniga. However, the Diliman-based judoka countered the Atenean’s offense, securing a dominant position en route to an ippon victory.

Hungry to obtain an individual podium placement, the Atenean stalwart did not let his previous loss deter him. Following two waza-aris over AdU’s Daniel Chou, Dylim completed an impressive turnaround—clinching a bronze after his medal-less campaign just a season ago.

Despite more performance-based adversity compared to last season, AJT Head Coach Ali Sulit commends his team’s efforts. “They fought their hearts out [and] that’s one thing I love about our team. That’s why we never give up on them—because when they’re on the mats, they just don’t give up,” he shared.