THE ATENEO Fencing Team ended day two of their University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 87 campaign with varied results. Adding to their medal haul, Kaikaku Dela Serna brought home another bronze medal to Katipunan. Today’s round of matches was held earlier today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in the City of Manila.

Dela Serna bagged the Women’s Team’s first medal of the season via a third-place finish in the Women’s Sabre Individual event.

Women’s Épée Individual

Kicking off festivities for the Blue and White were épéeists AJ Palo and Francesca Bernabe. Palo struggled in the pool play, absorbing four-straight losses and bowing out of contention for the event. Meanwhile, Team Captain Bernabe scraped through the pool stages with a 2-2 record, good enough for the seventh seed on the tableau.

In the quarterfinals bout, Bernabe faced second-seeded Andrea Matias from the University of the East (UE). Despite a spirited fight from Bernabe that saw her lead on multiple occasions, she was eventually overpowered at the backend of the contest, ultimately succumbing to Matias, 7-15.

Women’s Sabre Individual

With the hopes of securing a medal for the Blue Eagles, Dela Serna and Maiev Tyrande Boy stepped onto the piste with unwavering determination. The opening pool play saw a highly contested competition, as both Dela Serna and Boy achieved matching 2-2 records, securing the fifth and seventh seed, respectively, advancing to the next round.

Opening the quarterfinals, Boy struggled to find her footing against UE’s second-seeded Queen Denise Dalmacio, losing her matchup, 3-15, and falling out of the event. Dela Serna, on the other hand, continued where she left off in the open pool play, defeating UE’s Shareen Angel Beltran in a nail-biting contest that went the distance, 15-14. This secured the Blue Eagles a guaranteed bronze medal finish.

However, Dela Serna’s run was eventually cut short after a heartbreaking loss to the first-seeded Krystal Ritz Tuy from the University of Santo Tomas, 14-15, capping off Dela Serna’s run in the event.

Men’s Foil Individual

Looking to end the day on a high note for Ateneo were Jaime Torres and Andre Agatep. However, Torres faltered against the competition in the pool stage, ending with a 0-4 slate and falling short of the bracket. Meanwhile, yesterday’s bronze medalist Agatep picked up where he left off, finishing with a 1-3 pool play record that narrowly secured another quarterfinals berth as the eighth seed.

Coming off a tightly-contested pool matchup between the two, Agatep was set to face UE’s Shawn Felipe. However, Agatep’s run screeched to a grinding halt after absorbing a 5-15 drubbing at the hands of his opponent, resulting in his elimination from the event.

The Blue Eagles’ search for more medals continues on the third day of the competition tomorrow, April 24, 9:00 AM, at the same venue.

Medal Tally (Gold-Silver-Bronze Medals):

Men’s:

1. UE Red Warriors (1-2-1)
2. UP Fighting Maroons (1-0-2)
3. DLSU Green Fencers (1-0-1)
4. UST Tiger Fencers (0-1-1)
5. ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-0-1)

Women’s:

1. UST Lady Fencers (2-1-1)
2. UE Red Warriors (1-1-1)
3. UP Fighting Maroons (0-1-2)
4. ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-0-1)
5. DLSU Lady Fencers (0-0-1)