CARRYING THEIR momentum from the first two days, the Ateneo Swimming Teams bagged a total of 14 medals on the third day of their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 campaign, which was held earlier today, November 8, at the New Clark City Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac.
Freestyle
The Men’s Swimming Team swept the podium in the Men’s 200m Freestyle event. Miguel Barreto led the charge, clinching the gold medal with a time of 1:52.48, followed closely by TJ Amaro, who earned the silver at 1:54.40. Marco Daos completed the Blue Eagle sweep with a bronze finish at 1:56.53. Charles Ticbaen rounded out the finals in seventh place with a time of 2:00.43.
Meanwhile, the Women’s Team was led by Mishka Sy, sprinting with power and poise for a golden finish in the 200m Freestyle. The veteran eagle clocked in at 2:10.67, surging ahead of the current to claim first place in one of the meet’s most competitive events.
The Men’s 1500m Freestyle saw strong performances across the board. Daos led the Blue Eagles with a silver medal finish, clocking in at 16:56.91, while Paolo Labanon followed closely behind in fourth place with 16:59.91, narrowly missing the podium. Joshua Del Rio and Joaquin Custodio also delivered commendable swims, finishing eighth and tenth, respectively, with times of 17:28.63 and 17:30.54.
Breaststroke
In the Men’s 100m Breastroke, Francis Greg Espiritu (1:05.76) led the Blue Eagles to a podium finish, winning the bronze. He was followed by Rafael Isip (1:06.87), who placed seventh, and rookie Morie Pabalan (1:07.14), who rounded up the finals in eighth place.
Maica Garcia also made waves in the 100m Breaststroke, narrowly missing a podium finish with a time of 1:16.32, just behind University of the Philippines’ CY delos Santos in a tight battle for third.
Butterfly
Standout rookie Amaro captured the silver medal in the Men’s 50m Butterfly with an impressive time of 25.03. Close behind was Rafael Barreto, who earned a shared bronze medal after clocking 25.24, tying with Renielle Trinidad of UST.
In the 50m butterfly event, Ateneo’s lone finalist Maiki Gonzaga flew to a fourth-place finish at 29.95—a testament to her consistency and speed under pressure.
Backstroke
In the Men’s 100m Backstroke, Ivo Enot reaffirmed his dominance by clinching the gold medal with a time of 58.18, matching his own UAAP record originally set in Season 87. Rune Tan also delivered a commendable performance for the Blue and White, landing just outside the podium with a time of 1:00.15.
Individual Medley (IM)
The Men’s 400m IM saw incredible performances from the Men’s Team, as Miguel Barreto captured the gold medal with a commanding time of 4:45.67. Del Rio followed with a strong fourth-place finish at 4:52.56, while Juan Alessandro Suarez (4:58.10) and Espiritu (5:07.08) placed ninth and thirteenth, respectively.
From the Women’s side, Sy continued to dominate in the double-length, clocking in at 5:10.71 for a first-place finish at the 400m IM event. Teammate Marga Amoguis added another streak of blue to the tide with a time of 5:26.42, clinching bronze.
Relay
The Ateneo Men’s Swimming Team added another podium finish in the Men’s 4x50m Freestyle Relay, where Ticbaen, Isip, Jared Magnus Cheng, and Rafael Barreto combined for a bronze medal performance with a time of 1:37.76.
Capping off the day, the 200m Women’s sprint relay quartet of Gonzaga, Chelo Neri, Karylle Duquez, and Kimi Manuel powered through the lanes for a silver medal, finishing in 1:53.14 just seconds behind UP.
With only one day left, the Blue Eagles aim to defend their titles and bring home the championships once again on the final day of the Season 88 competition tomorrow, November 9, at 8:00 AM in the same venue.
Men’s Standings – Points
- ATENEO Blue Eagles – 363
- DLSU Green Tankers – 234
- UP Fighting Maroons – 177
- UST Tigersharks – 152
Women’s Standings – Points
- UP Fighting Maroons – 351
- ATENEO Blue Eagles – 203
- DLSU Lady Tankers – 188
- UST Lady Tigersharks – 134
