FOLLOWING THEIR electrifying start in the 2025 Philippine Athletics Championships, the Ateneo Track and Field (ATF) Team returned to the oval to conclude their final competition in the academic year.
The competition held athletics events from May 2 to 4 at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.
Day Two – May 2
Completing his two-day, ten-event decathlon, Chonel Okolo exhibited his versatility in six various events.
The Blue Eagle began his busy day by clocking in at 55.38 seconds in the 400m and 18.48 seconds in the 110m Hurdles to place fifth and sixth, respectively.
Bolstering his standing in the competition, Okolo claimed third in the Discus Throw after powering through a distance of 25.38 meters.
In a great display of athleticism, the rookie then leaped 2.90 meters to rank fifth in the Pole Vault. This was followed by another respectable seventh-place finish in the Javelin Throw competition with a total distance of 30.59 meters.
In his final event, Okolo finished in five minutes and 25 seconds to place sixth in the 1500-meter race. Following all the events, Okolo concluded the decathlon in fifth place. The overall result also placed Ateneo as the second-highest ranked team in the decathlon, following only behind Far Eastern University.
Meanwhile, Airex Villanueva and Denver Tacay bannered the Blue and White in the Shot Put competition. Villanueva placed 11th after covering 11.43 meters, while Tacay ranked 13th after tallying 11.18 meters.
Day Three – May 3
After a relatively subdued showing on the second day, the Blue Eagle dyad of Nash Candelario and Matthew Angeles entered the 400m competition dead set on reviving the team’s momentum. Sophomore Candelario finished in 18th place with a time of 50.79 seconds, while Angeles placed 21st overall at 51.05 seconds.
Day Four – May 4
On day four, the ATF regained traction, landing on a strong sixth-place finish in the Hammer Throw category, thanks to rookie Mantosh Hansra. On the other hand, Jose Costelo finished in 10th place, trailing behind Nimrod Malican by 1.51 meters. On the other hand, Ateneo’s Denver Tacay received no marks, one of only two athletes to do so in the event, alongside Malaysia University’s Muhammad Jamal.
Recovering from a recent injury, collegiate Rookie of the Year Hassan Loraña managed to blitz past five opponents in his heat for a second-place finish at the 800m event. His record of 1:55.89 minutes placed him ninth overall out of over 30 participants.
This performance marked the end of the ATF’s blistering campaign at the 2025 Philippine Athletics Championships. The team will now look to come back even stronger throughout the year, with sights set on lifting the collegiate crown.
