THE ATENEO Taekwondo Teams capped off their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Poomsae tournament endeavor by advancing to the final round one event. The tournament opening was held earlier today at the Marikina Sports Complex in the City of Marikina.
In their quest for success, the Blue Eagles bagged one fourth, two fifths, and one sixth-spot finish in their stint this morning.
Individual Female Category
In a first round that consisted of Keumgang and Taegeuk 6 forms, Elaine Borres initiated the Blue and White’s campaign with a final round berth, placing third with her 7.750 mean score. However, she was not able to maintain hold of the podium place, as her 7.833 Pyongwon and 7.767 Taegeuk 8 marks slipped the junior to fourth place overall in a valiant effort.
Individual Male Category
John Daniel Valencerina was next to take on the mats for the Blue Eagles, performing a 7.700-marked Pyongwon and a 7.834 Koryo routine. In a great show of fight, the jin averaged a rating of 7.767, placing fifth among the contenders, placing him out of the running to reach the final round.
Mixed Pair Category
Meanwhile, the pairing of Valencerina and Jared Hilario fell short of another shot at the podium, as they finished outside of the final round qualification, ranking sixth after recording a 7.550 average in their Pyongwon (7.567) and Sipjin (7.533) showcases.
Team Female Category
The Blue Eagles’ run concluded with the trio of Borres, Martina Ventura, and Mariea Komicho garnering a 7.733 mark for Pyongwon and 7.567 for Keumgang. With their 7.650 average score, Ateneo was not able to proceed to the final round as they settled for fifth place in the category.
Ateneo did not send any delegation for the Team Male category.
Despite the medal-less campaign, the team retained their optimism for their next runs. “The performance today was great, we really gave [it] our all,” Komicho expressed.
Borres added that the team will need to set specific goals in order to maintain their momentum for the upcoming days, as well as next season.
The team will attempt to bring home medals once more in Season 87, but their campaign does not end there. The Blue Eagles also look to march on to the Kyorugi bouts happening on November 28 and 29, at the same venue.
