THE ATENEO Track and Field Team (ATF) capped off their preseason campaign with two gold, one silver, and three bronze medals in the 2025 Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) Relay Series. The final round of the tournament concluded earlier today, October 4, at the PhilSports Athletics Stadium in the City of Pasig.
Across Schedules A and B, 17 Blue Eagles took their mark in six track events and entered the pit in four field events.
100m Sprint
Kicking off the finals for the Blue Eagles were Krisha Aguillon, Sophia Dela Vega, and Jonalyn Halasan in the under-20 category. Aguillon set the tone for her unit and tallied a final time of 12.53 seconds in the first heat, enough to secure the overall bronze.
Meanwhile, Dela Vega finished ninth overall with a time of 12.90 seconds. Lastly, Halasan chose not to compete in the finals despite a 13.07 second time, enough for a 10th place finish in the qualifying round.
200m Sprint
Despite a respectable finish in the 100m sprint, Dela Vega did not start in the under-20 200m finals. The sprinter tallied a final time of 26.78 seconds for seventh place in the qualifying round.
Meanwhile, in the Men’s under-20 category, Matthew Angeles also did not start for the Blue Eagles. The rookie finished his preseason campaign with a 22.74 second finish, enough for 11th place in the previous round.
Veteran sprinter Nash Candelario was also absent from the Men’s Senior Category finals, after placing 13th in the previous round with a time of 22.82 seconds.
400m Sprint
Bannering the Blue and White in the Men’s under-20 400m race were Thomas Riedel and Matthew Angeles. Riedel finished with a time of 49.49 seconds in the second heat, just missing the podium in fourth place.
Alongside him, Angeles tallied a commendable 51.33 seconds, which secured him eighth place overall. Despite clocking 51.87 seconds to qualify for the finals, Carlos Nacario did not start in this category.
400m Hurdles
After a 10th-place finish in the qualifying rounds, Er Yake Mengorio represented the Blue Eagles in the Men’s Senior division. The veteran managed to secure a bronze medal with a time of 55.13 seconds.
4×100 Relay
In the Women’s under-20 category, Rhea Lego, Aguillon, Dela Vega, and Halasan competed in the finals after a second place finish in the qualifying rounds with a 49.96 seconds performance. Despite a valiant effort, the Blue Eagles ended their campaign in a disqualification.
5000m Race Walk
Veteran racewalker Luis Antonio Licas opted out of the Men’s Senior 5000m Race Walk finals. The Blue Eagle placed ninth in the qualifying rounds with a time of 37:37.08.
Long Jump
Eager to improve on their qualifying round performance, Halasan and Lego represented the Katipunan-based unit in the Women’s under-20 division. After placing first in the qualifying round, Halasan carried her momentum into the finals. The rookie captured the gold medal with a mark of 5.61 meters.
Meanwhile, Lego improved on her fourth place finish in the previous round, as the Blue and White representative captured the bronze medal with a 5.43-meter performance in the finals.
Discus Throw
Denver Tacay bannered the Blue and White in the Men’s under-20 Discus Throw event. Initially placing third in the qualifying round with a 41.68-meter clearance, the Blue Eagle threw a distance of 43.59 meters in the final round to rank fourth overall.
In the senior division, Airex Villanueva represented Ateneo after recording 37.48 meters down the field in the qualifiers. The Blue Eagle improved his throw following a 39.95-meter mark, enough to earn fourth place in the standings.
On the other hand, Philippine national record holder Russel Ricaforte opted out of the competition in spite of a 54.14-meter clear and first-place finish in the qualifying phase.
Shot Put
Having participated in the Discus Throw event, Villanueva turned over to the Shot Put pit for a chance at a podium finish. From a 12.89-meter qualifying record, the Blue Eagle landed the shot at the 13.33-meter mark, leading to Ateneo’s third bronze finish in the finals.
Blue Eagles Yden Candelario and Ricaforte, who took part in the Women’s under-20 and Men’s senior events, respectively, did not participate in the final round. Regardless, Candelario cleared an 8.51-meter distance, while Ricaforte recorded 13.61 meters in the qualifying round.
Hammer Throw
In the Men’s seniors category, Jose Costelo and Villanueva set foot in the field for the Hammer Throw event. Costelo threw a 35.04-meter distance to settle for fourth in the standings, while Villanueva recorded 32.39 meters to rank seventh overall.
Candelario returned to the pit as the lone Blue Eagle in the women’s under-20 division after tallying a 27.07-meter clear and seventh-place standing in the qualifiers. However, the Atenean athlete was absent during the final round.
For the Men’s event of the same age group, Tacay, Mantosh Hansra, and Alessandro Nieto each attempted to throw the furthest distance. Hansra recorded 38.58 meters to settle in fourth place, while Nieto landed the hammer 37.09 meters away from the throwing circle to attain fifth in the overall standings.
To wrap up Ateneo’s preseason participation, Tacay copped the longest throw among all competitors in the final round. After ranking first with a clearance of 43.72 meters in the qualifying phase, the Blue Eagle beat his previous record after measuring a 44.97-meter distance throw to ultimately be awarded gold.
With six metal hardware in their collection, the ATF looks to replicate these results in preparation for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 88 Track and Field Tournament this November.
