THE ATENEO Men’s Swimming Team relived their championship glory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 Swimming Tournament after snagging six medals and setting a new record on the fourth day of the competition. The events took place earlier today at the New Clark City Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac.
Veteran Blue Eagle Miguel Barreto bagged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors after solidifying the title retention with five medals, all hauled from November 6 to November 9. Anchoring the same confidence, TJ Amaro was hailed as Rookie of the Year (ROTY) after his memorable collegiate league debut.
Supplementing Barreto and Amaro’s extensive efforts were Ivo Enot, Francis Espiritu, Rafael Barreto, and Charles Ticbaen, who capped off the season with a 4x100m Medley Relay gold.
Bidding for the title retention, Jared Cheng, Rune Tan, and Tyler Andin opened the fourth day of the competition with ecstatic energy in the first heat of the Men’s 50m Backstroke event. Tan ultimately finished first, clocking 28.10 ticks upon tapping. Tailing behind him were Cheng (30.54) and Andin (31.01) who finished fifth and sixth place, respectively. Following his dominant bout, veteran Blue Eagle Enot clinched a gold medal in the second heat of the same event with a registered time of 26:94.
The 200m Breaststroke event saw Rafael Isip in the first heat, chalking in a fourth-place finish with a registered time of 2:38. Following his lead, Juan Alessandro Suarez (2:27.07), Greg Espiritu (2:27.88), and Morie Pabalan (2:32.27) emerged in the second heat of the event, finishing fifth, sixth, and tenth, respectively.
Solidifying the waves, Marco Daos clinched another gold medal for the Blue Eagles after securing the first spot with a time of 1:33 in the 200m Butterfly event. Securing the silver, Paolo Labanon anchored at 2nd place in the same event, with a clocking of 2:10. Tailing behind Daos and Labanon were Miguel Barreto (2:15.48) and Suarez (2:21.29), who finished fifth and ninth, respectively.
The first heat of the 50m Freestyle event further extended the score advantages as co-captain Ticbaen took fourth place overall, with a registered time of 24.22. The second heat saw TJ Amaro continue to collect his merits as he powered through waves to earn the overall first place with 25.59 ticks in the event.
The Blue Eagles continued their run with a stellar performance in the Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay, where Ivo Enot, Francis Greg Espiritu, Rafael Barreto, and Ticbaen won gold with a time of 3:54.47.
Capping off an extraordinary campaign, the Ateneo Men’s Swimming Team emerged as the UAAP Season 88 champions, marking their tenth consecutive title—the longest winning streak in the team’s history. Dominating from the start of the competition, the Blue Eagles amassed a total of 471 points to secure their historic triumph. As the waves settle on another unforgettable season, the Blue and White continue to set the gold standard for greatness in the UAAP.
Men’s Swimming Standing
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (471 points)
- DLSU Green Tankers (294 points)
- UST Tigersharks (224 points)
- UP Fighting Maroons (214 points)
