THE ATENEO Fencing Team (AFeT) started off their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 campaign with mixed showings across the board. The tournament’s opening day was held earlier today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in the City of Manila.
Third-year fencer Andre Agatep brought home today’s lone medal for the Blue Eagles courtesy of his third-place finish.
Men’s Sabre Individual
Kicking off the AFeT’s first category of the day were Enrico Suplico and Andre Agatep in the Men’s Sabre Individual. Suplico came out strong, achieving a 3-1 record to earn the third seed heading into the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Agatep achieved a .500 record with a 2-2 record in the pool stages, enough for the sixth seed.
Their seedings placed them head-to-head in the first match of the quarter, where Agatep narrowly edged out his Atenean counterpart, winning with a score of 15-13.
In the semifinals bout, Agatep faced off against University of Santo Tomas (UST)’s Eunice Villanueva. Despite a valiant effort, the Blue Eagle’s sabre run was cut short as his adversary got the best of him in a 10-15 defeat. With this result, Agatep finished with bronze alongside the University of the East’s Charles Babatio, giving crucial points to the Blue and White.
Women’s Foil Individual
Stepping onto the piste for the second category of the day were Ateneo’s Yelena Martinez and Beatrice Ursolino. Martinez achieved a 1-4 record during the pool stages, which gave her the seventh seed. Meanwhile, Ursolino also achieved an identical 1-4 record, but a lower IND score compared to Martinez gave her the last seed.
Ursolino then challenged UST’s Janna Cantantan, trying to put up a fight against the heavy favorite. However, she struggled to break through, ultimately conceding in a 15-0 shutout. On the other side of the bracket, Yelena Martinez battled Marina Carbonell from the University of the Philippines but faced the same fate as her Blue Eagle counterpart with a 15-2 defeat.
Men’s Épée Individual
Eager to end Ateneo’s day on a high note, Jotham Thai and Ramon Nuñez took on the competition in the Men’s Épée category. Despite his resolve, Thai had difficulty finding his rhythm, finishing with a 1-4 record for the ninth seed. Nuñez also stumbled against tough competition, ending with a 0-4 slate for the 10th seed. As a result, both Blue Eagles fell short of qualifying for the quarterfinals.
The Blue Eagles will attempt to bolster their medal count on the second day of the competition tomorrow, 9:00 AM, at the same venue.
Medal Tally (Gold-Silver-Bronze Medals):
Men’s:
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-0-1)
- DLSU Green Fencers (1-0-0)
- UE Red Warriors (0-1-1)
- UST Tiger Fencers (0-1-1)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-0-1)
Women’s:
- UST Lady Fencers (1-0-0)
- UP Fighting Maroons (0-1-1)
- UE Red Warriors (0-0-1)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-0-0)
- DLSU Lady Fencers (0-0-0)
