THE ATENEO Judo Teams (AJT) commenced their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 campaign with a total of five medals on the first day of the tournament. The matches were held earlier today, April 11, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in the City of Manila.

In four weight divisions, the Blue Eagles claimed one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals courtesy of Aldwyn Thor, Robynne Gonzales, Elyssa Cao, Stefan Fabre, and Kian Matienzo, respectively.

Men’s -81kg division

Last year’s podium finisher Thor asserted his dominance in the Battle of Katipunan, dispatching UP’s Miro Viernes in just eight seconds with an emphatic ippon to secure a semifinal berth.

A similar story unfolded for Blue Eagle Matienzo, who faced Fighting Maroon Carl Almeyda. The tightly contested bout saw both judokas go toe-to-toe, but Matienzo ultimately outlasted his opponent with a decisive takedown, earning a spot in the next round.

In the semifinals, Thor squared off against DLSU’s Elijah Manuel, who disrupted the Blue Eagle’s offensive rhythm early on. After a series of exchanges and scoring attempts, Thor broke through with a 20-second submission to book his place in the finals.

On the other mat, Matienzo suffered a setback against UST’s John Aniciete after incurring a red card triggered by three consecutive yellow cards, resulting in immediate disqualification. Despite the loss, the Katipunan-based judoka remained in contention for bronze through the repechage.

Determined to bounce back, a focused Matienzo showcased his prowess against UP’s Viernes, wasting no time in executing a crafty leg sweep that resulted in an ippon and secured him the bronze medal.

With gold in sight, Thor went head-to-head with UST’s Carlos Aniciete in the finals. Both judokas displayed relentless aggression with multiple submission attempts, but Thor ultimately prevailed, sealing the victory with a crucial 20-second pin to bring home the gold for Katipunan.

Men’s -90kg division

Blue Eagle Ethan Sarte fell to UST’s Kyan Ballecer after a grappling exchange, sending him to the repechage for another shot at a bronze medal finish. Eager to make the most of the second chance, Sarte bounced back with a gritty win over UP’s Jacob Torres, inching closer to the podium. Combining a well-timed waza-ari with a shift in strategy, he held his ground until the final buzzer to seal the victory.

Meanwhile, last season’s bronze medalist Fabre dispatched DLSU’s Cochise King in just 12 seconds with a decisive ippon, securing a spot in the semifinals. Despite his dominant opening bout, Fabre suffered a setback in the play-offs , falling to UST’s Dwyne Peregrino and dropping the repechage round. The Blue Eagle ultimately ran out of steam as Peregrino secured the decisive score to close the match.

Sarte and Fabre met on the same mat in the -90kg bronze medal match. Despite entering the bout with a limp, Fabre refused to be denied, executing a crafty ippon that secured a back-to-back podium finish.

Men’s -100kg division

Despite Blue Eagle Jiro Barrientos’ aggressive approach against DLSU’s Quintin Berdera, he was relegated to the repechage after conceding two crucial waza-aris.

In the repechage round, Barrientos faced neighboring rival Jay-Ar Suplig of UP. Though he gave everything into the pressure-packed bout, his podium hopes were ultimately dashed after yielding a waza-ari, followed by a 10-second pin.

Men’s +100kg division

The lone Blue Eagle in the Men’s +100 kg division, Limuel Realda, endured a hard-fought opening bout against Taft-based rival Alec De Guzman. With neither judoka willing to give an inch, Realda found his breakthrough, scoring back-to-back waza-aris to secure a spot in the semifinals.

However, the momentum quickly shifted in his next outing, as UST’s Tristan Reyes sent him to the repechage with a swift ippon just 15 seconds into the match.

In his bid for bronze, Realda came out more determined against UP’s Miguel Javier. Both judokas exchanged leg sweep attempts in a tightly contested battle, with neither side backing down. Despite his efforts, Realda’s campaign unraveled after receiving two consecutive penalties, ending his podium hopes.

Women’s -48kg division

In the women’s events, Mikaella Luna immediately fell before UST Lady Judoka Amber Arcilla’s prowess, achieving an ippon in a 12-second quarterfinal contest. In the repechage match, the Atenean confronted AdU’s Angela Dimaculangan, who received a full point in only 26 seconds of play.

Hoping to avenge her teammate and to reach semifinals, Cao represented the Blue and White against UST Lady Judoka Arielle Alcoran. Both athletes performed numerous throws and sweeps, yet defended each attempt successfully. Over time, Alcoran incurred yellow cards that summated into a red card, leading Cao to advance to the semifinals.

In Cao’s faceoff against DLSU Lady Judoka Tala Tadeo, the Blue Eagle’s offensive strategy failed to give her a point, as the Lasallian attained victory. Cao then challenged Dimaculangan, Luna’s previous foe, in a battle for the bronze medal. With vengeance fueling the judoka, the Atenean garnered consecutive waza-aris that awarded Cao a full point, handing her as well a bronze medal.

Women’s -52kg division

Atenean Janelle Panes challenged UST’s Angelique Cortez in a quarterfinal bout, charging towards her opponent in hopes of an immediate point. Although Panes attempted to sweep her opponent  the Blue Eagle incurred three yellow cards, ultimately resulting in a red card and putting her in the repechage bracket.

Contesting against Red Warrior Jewel Rafael, Panes resorted to a more cautious approach that prolonged the faceoff and saw no judoka gaining a point. However, Rafael anticipated the Atenean judoka’s movement, leading to an ippon in UE’s favor.

Women’s -57kg division

Blue and White judoka Rica Escalada went up against Lady Warrior Joemari Rafael in a quarterfinal showdown. Within 13 seconds of play, Rafael was awarded a full point, thus placing the Blue Eagle in a repechage match. Battling UP judoka Denis Regoso, Escalada faltered before the Fighting Maroon on an ippon gained within one minute.

On the other hand, Season 87 silver medalist Gonzales grounded her offensive approach while confronting UE’s Dinzy Flores. The judokas approached each other aggressively, though the Blue Eagle ended the match in 38 seconds following a masterful ippon. In the semifinals, Gonzales carried over the same intensity after a 20-second pin down on Maroon and Green judoka Maxine Bautista.

With the gold medal match at stake, Gonzales collided against Rafael, Escalada’s first opponent. In the opening minutes of the match, both judokas executed clean throws that were equally deflected. The Blue Eagle later incurred a yellow card, followed by Rafael’s waza-ari after a productive throw attempt. In spite of efforts to redeem herself, the Lady Warrior utilized an armbar submission, eliciting Gonzales to tap out and hence settle for a silver medal finish.

As the Men’s Team holds three medals while the Women’s Team owns two medals, the AJT will look to add to this collection tomorrow, April 12, at 1:30 PM in the same venue.