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UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas (UST) topped the University
Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 71
men’s and women’s taekwondo competitions but lost the
juniors’ crown to University of the East (UE) Thursday
at the Far Eastern University Gym.
The
Tigers, led by the gold-medal performances of
featherweight Chester de la Cruz and welterweight Samuel
Morrison, beat De La Salle, 6-1, and FEU, 6-1, on
Thursday to sweep its five matches in the men’s
division. UST regained the title it lost last season to
FEU, which finished third this time, behind
second-placer Ateneo.
The
Tigresses, anchored by finweight Nicole Amarillo,
flyweight Caryn Pilongo and middle/heavyweight Camille
Manalo, also pulled off a five-game sweep via a close
4-3 win over University of the Philippines to take the
women’s crown for the sixth time. FEU was in second and
UP was third.
 “Even
though we lost some key players in the men’s and women’s
divisions, we came to the tournament well prepared,”
said UST coach Dindo Simpao.
But the
shocker came in the juniors division, where the Pages
stopped the Tiger Cubs’ bid for their sixth-straight
diadem.
The UE
team of Sean Rodriguez, John Resaba, Philip Pineda,
Enrico Lacap and Anthony Samia scored a four-game sweep
after a crucial 3-2 win over UST for its first taekwondo
title.
The
Pages also beat University of the Philippines Integrated
School (UPIS), 4-1, Ateneo, 4-1, and FEU-Nicanor Reyes
Educational Foundation (FEU-FERN), 4-1.
Ateneo
vs FEU in jrs hoops finals
ATENEO
battles FEU-FERN at the start of the best-of-three title
series for the juniors basketball crown on Saturday at
The Arena.
Ateneo
finished the eliminations with a 12-2 win-loss card and
entered the finals fresh from a lopsided 78-45 win over
Adamson. But FEU-FERN coach Horacio Lim is confident of
his boys’ chances.
“It is a
tall order to beat them but they are beatable,” said
Lim. “I don’t have any advantage against Ateneo. They
have all the positions. But we will play good defense.
We will give them a run for their money.”
Ateneo
coach Jamike Jarin, who is aiming for his sixth title,
is not taking the Baby Tamaraws lightly.
“They
have a [legendary] coach in Horacio Lim,” said Jarin.
“His experience has given a lot of winning tradition in
FEU.”
In
women’s play, last season’s runner-up UP faces FEU in
the first game at 1 p.m.
But UP
coach Eric Castro said that the Lady Maroons are the
underdogs against top-seeded Lady Tamaraws.
“We have
not [won against] FEU in the first and second rounds,”
said Castro. “We have to play team defense. They are
bigger and stronger.”
How
other coaches see Ateneo-La Salle series
THE
shorter the series is, the more it would favor Ateneo.
But if De La Salle manages to extend it to the full
route, the Green Archers might have a chance to repeat
this season.
This is
how other coaches see the coming best-of-three
championship series for the men’s basketball crown that
starts on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
“If
Ateneo wins Game One, it will be over in Game Two. But
if La Salle wins Game One, they’ll make it in three,”
FEU head coach Glen Capacio said yesterday.
University of the East mentor Dindo Pumaren, younger
brother of Archers coach Franz, admitted that the Blue
Eagles, who finished 13-1 after the double-round
eliminations, are the best team right now in the UAAP.
“Ateneo
is the favorite because they are the top seed, but La
Salle usually plays better during finals,” said Dindo
Pumaren, a La Salle alumnus.
But for
coaches Manny Dandan and Leo Austria, whatever the
direction of the most antipicated finals head to, the
Blue Eagles will still win the series over the defending
champions.
“I’ll
give it 60-40 for Ateneo,” said Falcons coach Austria,
whose son, Bacon, is one of the role players of Ateneo
mentor Norman Black in the squad.
Dandan,
head coach of National University, feel Ateneo’s depth
would be the key in the series. “[Chris] Tiu and and
Rabeh [Al-Husaini] are on top of their games, then
Ateneo has a solid second unit led by [Eric] Salamat,”
said Dandan.
“They
have also a hardworking coaching staff led by coach
Norman. La Salle has the experience but Ateneo has too
much talent,” Dandan added. “ I can’t tell how many
games but it will be Ateneo.”
Game One
is set this Sunday at 4 p.m. Game Two is on September 25
and Game Three, if necessary, is on September 28. (With
Joel Orellana) |
