VYING FOR a spot in the finals, the Ateneo Track and Field Team competed in the final qualifying week of the 2024 Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) Weekly Relay Series. The final day of the qualifiers took place this morning at the PhilSports Athletics Stadium in Pasig City.

Prior to today’s events, Team Captain Joaquin Ipapo, Airex Villanueva, Jose Costelo, Russel Ricaforte, Mantosh Hansra, Hassan Loraña, Nash Candelario, Jasha Tan, and Krisha Aguilon were announced as finalists in their respective competitions in Schedule A.

With one more opportunity to reach the final round, the Atenean track stars were eager to make a mark in today’s Schedule B events and add to the growing roster of finalists from the Loyola Heights-based squad.

200m

The Ateneo Women’s 200m campaign kicked off with Jasha Tan lacing up her cleats and taking her place at the starting blocks. Competing in the seniors division, she finished her sprint at a solid 28.52 seconds, placing her fifth in the heat and twelfth in the overall rankings. Apart from her success in the 200m, Tan has already secured a spot in the 400m finals.

Following Tan’s performance, Francesca Cheng stepped up for the Women’s 200m under-20 division. She clocked in at 32.39 seconds, placing eighth in her heat.

Ateneo’s PATAFA campaign continued with sophomore stalwart Nash Candelario delivering a stellar performance in the under-20 division. In his last qualifying 200m race, Candelario finished first in his heat with a time of 22.33 seconds, landing him third place overall in his division. Additionally, Candelario will see action at the 100m and 400m finals after finishing fourth overall in both events.

To conclude the 200m events, rookie Chonel Okolo came in fourth in his heat with a time of 24.00 seconds, competing in the same division as Candelario.

Shot Put

Already qualifying as a finalist in the Discus Throw event, Ricaforte continued to showcase his herculean strength in another impressive performance. The former National Collegiate Athletic Association champion covered a distance of 12.38 meters, finishing in sixth place in the 7.26-kilogram category. 

Rookies Costelo and Hansra also gained valuable experiences ahead of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season, suiting up in the 6-kilogram qualifying round with high stakes. Costelo bagged a top-five finish with an impressive 11.90-meter throw, while Hansra placed 2oth after throwing 9.27 meters.

Holding their heads high, both Costelo and Hansra were already announced to have officially qualified for the Hammer Throw finals.

Javelin Throw

In the Men’s Javelin seniors division, UAAP Season 86 finalist Emilio Perez rose to the occasion for the Blue and White. In his debut appearance at PATAFA, Perez’s throw was measured at 40.73 meters. His valiant effort saw him place 17th in the overall rankings for the Blue Eagles.

5000m Race Walk

Determined to avenge his previous disqualification, Ateneo’s Luis Antonio Licas showcased renewed vigor in the competition’s longest event. Despite incurring one bent knee and one loss of contact violation, Licas remained composed, persisting to the finish line with a time of 36 minutes and 43.87 seconds.

His overall 14th-place finish was only two spots shy of qualifying for the finals, a stark improvement from 21st last year, a fitting ending to the veteran’s stint as the squad’s only men’s race walker since 2022.

“Noong last PATAFA ‘ko, na-disqualify ako. So this is the first time na nakapagtapos ako since October last year. Ang saya [sa] pakiramdam. [It] doesn’t matter kung ano rank ‘ko,” said the Blue Eagle after competing in his final race for the Blue and White in his collegiate career.

(During my last PATAFA, I got disqualified. So this is the first time I was able to finish a race since October last year. It feels good. [It] doesn’t matter what my rank was.)

Awaiting the official list of finalists for Schedule B, the Blue Eagles will return to the fabled Pasig oval on October 19, 20, 26, and 27 for the PATAFA Finals. The finals will serve as their final meet before the UAAP Athletics Championships in November.

Editor’s Note: Ateneo Track and Field Team member Luis Antonio Licas is currently one of the Sports Editors of The GUIDON.