DESPITE A rocky start, the Ateneo Men’s and Women’s Taekwondo Teams notched three podium finishes in the last stretch of the Philippine Taekwondo Association’s (PTA) Smart MVP Sports Foundation Carlos Palanca Jr. Championships (MVP SF CPJ) on November 15 and 28.
On day one, Juno Reyes and Kristin Santos donned the Blue and White in the elimination round of the Senior Female Poomsae Division Group A. Stephanie Pagtaconan flew solo in Group B, while Patricia Rillio and Dana Rivera put up a fight in Group C. Despite their valiant efforts, the Lady Eagles failed to finish among the Top 10 and were relegated to the lower half of the bracket outside the championship round.
Unlike the opening day, day two of the tournament was more fruitful for Ateneo as they fared better in the Senior Free Kick and Kickpad events. Eirenne Lumasang’s stellar performance in the Free Kick Bantam-Feather event earned her a silver medal with 7.017 points, with University of Santo Tomas veteran Abigail Valdez claiming the top spot with 7.075 points. Apart from her second place finish, Lumasang also competed in the Female Kickpad event where she captured the gold with 7.100 points.
Meanwhile, rookie AJ Sucero was at the helm of the Blue Eagles’ prolific flight, seizing his first gold medal for Ateneo with 6.800 points in the Senior Male Kickpad event. With a gold medal under his belt, Sucero is grateful for his strong start at the collegiate level and hopes to continue his winning ways. “I want to show that even [if] I’m a rookie, I can keep up with my [veterans] in the team. To do that, I [aim] to get a gold medal in [my next] events,” Sucero said.
Under Head Coach Rafael Elmer’s mentorship, the Ateneo Taekwondo Teams continue to compete in online tournaments in an effort to enhance the team’s craft.“These tournaments [are] very beneficial [to] our face-to-face tournaments in the future. Speed is one of the greatest factors in the game,” he said.
With the team’s triumphs in recent competitions, Elmer also expressed his joy as his jins have been producing consistent performances and improving their rankings in every competition they join. “I am very happy. Who would have thought that our virtual trainings are paying off,” he shared.
See also: Ateneo Lady Jins nab two podium finishes in the Smart MVPF NCR Speed Kicking Championships
The Ateneo Taekwondo team is set to compete in the National Interschool Championships on December 5 and 6. Fans can stream the competition live on the PTA’s official website.
Official Results:
Senior Male Kickpad Championship
Rank 1 AJ Sucero – 6.800
Senior Male Free Kick Championship
Rank 9 AJ Sucero – 5.650
Rank 13 Harley Santos – 5.458
Senior Female Kickpad Championship
Rank 1 Eirenne Lumasang – 7.107
Senior Female Free Kick Bantam-Feather Championship
Rank 2 Eirenne Lumasang – 7.100
Senior Female Free Kick Light-Welter Championship
Rank 10 Summer Aquino – 5.542
Rank 13 Julienne Bermejo – 5.025
Senior Female Poomsae Elimination Round
Group A
Rank 11 Kristin Santos – 6.633
Rank 15 Juno Reyes – 6.267
Group B
Rank 11 Stephanie Pagtaconan – 6.700
Group C
Rank 14 Danna Rivera – 6.367
Rank 15 Patricia Rillio – 6.300
