CONTINUING TO build momentum in preparation for the upcoming collegiate season, the Ateneo Track and Field Team (ATF) showed great promise in the 2024 Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) Weekly Relay Series.
The ninth iteration of the weekly tournament was held last Saturday at the PhilSports Athletics Stadium in Pasig City. The contest featured multiple Atenean athletes in this weekend’s events.
Discus throw
The under-20 (U20) category saw the Blue and White capture victory as rookie Airex Gabriel Villanueva set a new personal best, throwing a distance of 45.34 meters. Notably, Villanueva’s attempt was over five meters more than that of second-place holder Lander Josh Arban of the National University Bulldogs. Moreover, fellow rookie Mantosh Hansra produced a distance of 29.13 meters in the same event.
More good fortunes came for Ateneo, with Russel Je Ricaforte showing an impressive performance in the seniors category. Ricaforte’s showing led to a second-place finish of 43.63 meters, just behind the University of the Philippines’ Ed Deliña’s distance of 44.84 meters.
400m
Moving to the women’s senior 400m event, seasoned veteran Jasha Tan stepped onto the oval dead set on finishing strong for the Blue and White. Compelled by this resolve, Tan sprinted past most of her competition, swiftly securing fourth place at 1:06.38 seconds.
Meanwhile, in the U20 men’s division, Chonel Okolo completed the race with a time of 56.95 seconds. Determined to produce another stellar result in the succeeding heat, Nash Candelario crossed the finish line at 50.63 seconds to clinch third for the ATF, convincingly beating 43 other contestants.
1500m
Ateneo’s sole representative Hassan Loraña also gained another second-place finish for the Blue and White in the middle-distance event. Loraña was able to showcase his skills in the five-man field, finishing in a time of 3:59.91, only behind national team member Dhem AJ Monton’s time of 3:59.45.
Hammer throw
With aspirations to wrap up the 6kg hammer throw event on a high note, Blue Eagle Jose Andro Costelo swung his mightiest throw, drawing a whopping distance of 37.26 meters for a remarkable third-place finish.
On the other hand, Villanueva ranked right behind Costelo in fourth place with a throw of 28.77 meters. The freshmen’s impressive outing in Pasig awed nearby onlookers, cementing a bright future ahead for the Loyola Heights-based collective.
Looking to extend their streak of good results, the ATF seeks to finish the final qualifiers on a high note next Saturday, October 5, at the same venue.
