THE ATENEO Taekwondo Teams commenced their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 campaign with a series of impressive showings in the Poomsae tournament. The opening day of the competition was held yesterday, April 21, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in the City of Manila.
Team Captain Joaquin Tuzon and rookie Elizabeth Borres led the opening day charge, claiming bronze in their respective Individual Poomsae events. Elaine Borres also added to the medal tally after clinching bronze in the newly introduced Individual Freestyle Poomsae category.
Individual Male Poomsae
Tuzon set the tone for Ateneo’s Poomsae campaign as he scored a remarkable 8.76 and 8.74 in his Sipjin and Pyongwon routines, respectively. With his flawless execution, the Blue Eagle immediately punched his ticket to the finals.
The jin carried his stellar form into the next round, earning an 8.78 and an 8.80 in the Keumgang and Taebaek forms, respectively. Showcasing a polished routine, Tuzon ranked third out of the four finalists to bring home the bronze medal.
Individual Female Poomsae
Following suit, rookie Elizabeth Borres immediately made her mark as she delivered a commendable 8.46 across her Taebaek and Keumgang forms. Both her performances were enough to send the jin to the finals.
Showing poise in the finale, Borres then turned her game up a notch and recorded an 8.79 and an 8.61 in the Jitae and Pyongwon routine. With her standout performance, the rookie took home Ateneo’s second bronze for the day.
Mixed Pair Poomsae
The tandem of Satin Benito and Jerome Castro continued the Blue Eagles’ hunt for another podium finish in the Mixed Poomsae event. However, the Katipunan-based jins’ 8.36 and 8.22 output in the Koryo and Jitae routines ultimately fell short for a spot in the finals.
Team Female Poomsae
The trio of Elaine Borres, Elizabeth Borres, and Maja Komicho entered the mats for the Team Female Poomsae event. Despite a stable run through the Taegeuk 7 and Taegeuk 8 routines, the Katipunan-based jins barely missed out on a podium finish.
Team Male Poomsae
Determined to replicate his earlier brilliance, Team Captain Tuzon teamed up with Castro and JD Valencerina in the Team Poomsae event. Despite their best efforts, the trio’s score of 8.76 across Jitae and Koryo did not make the cut for the next round.
Individual Male Freestyle
Eager to make an impact, Valencerina welcomed his season campaign with a 6.74 in the Individual Freestyle category. However, the Blue Eagle’s score just fell short of the cutoff needed for a medal finish.
Individual Female Freestyle
On the other end of the mats, Elaine Borres ended the day on a high note as she scored a strong 6.93 in the newly introduced demonstration event. With her steady execution, the Team Captain secured another bronze medal finish to bring Ateneo’s medal haul to three.
Aiming to build on their promising start, the Ateneo Taekwondo Teams returns to action today, at 8:00 AM in the same venue for the Kyorugi bouts.
