UST, UE retain UAAP judo titles

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 85 Collegiate Judo final standings

Men
UST 47 pts (5-3-3)
UP 26 (2-2-6)
DLSU 15 (1-1-5)
Ateneo 8 (0-2-2)

Women
UE 37 (3-5-4)
UST 34 (3-1-7)
UP 19 (2-1-2)
Ateneo 5 (0-1-2)
DLSU 1 (0-0-1)

Both the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the East retained their respective collegiate titles at the conclusion of the UAAP judo tournament on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym, doing so in contrasting fashion.

The Tiger Judokas secured their fifth straight title with 47 points built on five gold medals, three silver medals, and three bronze medals.

UST head coach Steven Esteban says about their title run this season, "Feeling thankful and feeling grateful kasi pinayagan na uli ng school, ng board ng UAAP na maglaro uli at mag-training. Congratulations sa mga bata, they deserved (the championship) naman. Happy, I feel joyful, I feel thankful sa mga supporters, sa school namin, at sa mga officials namin."

To seal the title, UST banked on their 1-2 finish in the men's lightweight (under-73 kg) division, with John Mari Quilang defeating Maekhael Sasi in the final, with Xavier Bustamante of UP and Angelo Saria of DLSU securing bronze medals.

Setting things up was Ryan Christian Benavidez's exploits in the half-lightweight (under-66 kg) division, where he defeated Mark Jeremiah Bangui in the final, with Paolo Cruz of UP and Troy Estrella of DLSU claiming the bronze medals.

The Fighting Maroons ensured their second place finish with a second gold medal, as Hyejun Lee topped the featherweight (under-55 kg) class, outlasting Ron Novino in the final. The bronze medals went to Nick Ligero and Janry Pamor, both from UST.

La Salle did manage a gold medal, thanks to Eiyan Donaire in the extra-lightweight (under-60 kg) class. Donaire defeated Ralph Suarez of UST in the final, with Benedict Macale of UP and Elijah Claravall of Ateneo completing the podium. That would be enough to put DLSU ahead of Ateneo in third place.

c/o UAAP

In contrast, the Lady Warriors fended off UST for the title, securing the successful title defense with a three-point victory, 37-34.

Remianne Pangilinan was the lone gold medal winner for UE in Day 2, securing the middleweight (under-70 kg) title over UST's Casey Tolosa in the final. Casey's teammate Jeanmae Lobo and Andrea Villena of DLSU nabbed the bronze medals.

The Tiger Judokas made it close with their gold medals in the half-middleweight (under-63 kg) and heavyweight (over-78 kg) divisions.

Levie Espuerta took the former by dispatching Veneza Dayao of UE in the final, while Sydney Sy secured the latter by defeating Jubelle Vergara in the final.

Sharing the bronze medals are Krizza Amisola of UST and Aescie Ramos of UE in the half-middleweight, with Kathleen Ferriols of UST and Stephanie Fetalver of UP in the heavyweight.

The University of the Philippines snapped up the remaining gold in play, with Pag-ibig De Villa claiming the half-heavyweight (under-78 kg) class over Nicole Habierto of UE, as Dianne Aquino of UE and Lea Quimba of UST secured the bronze medals.

When asked about their title defense, UE head coach Rodimple Rodriguez shares, "Actually, overwhelming yung pakiramdam, since nanggaling nga sa pandemic. Feeling naman gahol talaga yung preparation kasi nag-start kami mag-training mga second week ng August. Pero nag-step up naman yung mga players at nakuha namin yung back-to-back championship."

In the individual awards, half-heavyweight (under-100 kg) champion Chino Sy was named as the Most Valuable Player with Sasi named as the Rookie of the Year. As for the women, Joemari-Heart Rafael was adjudged as both the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player, adding to her impressive feats after being named as a two-time MVP in the high school ranks the previous two seasons.

UST secures HS Judo titles

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 85 high school judo final standings:
Boys
UST 54 pts (5-5-4)
DLSZ 22 (2-2-2)
Ateneo 9 (0-1-6)
UE 7 (1-0-0)

Girls
UST 54 pts (5-5-4)
DLSZ 18 (2-1-1)
UE 15 (1-2-2)
Ateneo 0 (0-0-0)

University of the Santo Tomas completed its domination in the high school portion of the UAAP Season 85 Judo tournament on Sunday morning at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Tiger Judokas extended their reign in the boys division for a sixth straight season, while also reclaiming the girls title by ending the University of the East's three-season reign.

UST's head coach Paul de Vera shares, "Sobrang hirap kasi marami kaming adjustments na ginawa from scratch talaga. Kasi mentally and physically dapat mai-ayos mo muna yung sarili nila. Determinado lang naman sila talagang i-maintain at saka urge na makuha talaga 'yung championship. Kumbaga, maibalik ang korona sa Espana."

To clinch their seventh-ever title, UST rode on Fierre Afan and Paolo Oliquino's achievements, as they finished 1-2 in the half-middleweight (under-81 kg) category. Elijah Manuel of La Salle-Zobel and Antonio Violago of Ateneo claimed the bronze medals.

In addition, Jeordan Caguicla claimed the middleweight (under-90 kg) title over Alphonso Academia of Ateneo, with Alphonso's teammate Reynar Legaspi securing the bronze medal.

Capping off UST's championship is Jay-Ar Suplic defeating fellow Tiger Judoka Adrian Mamuric in their best-of-three matchup for the heavyweight (over-100 kg) title.

La Salle-Zobel claimed the only gold that did not belong to UST, with Sian Guevarra topping the half-heavyweight (under-100 kg) class, defeating Vaughn Pijuan of UST in the final. Vaughn's teammate Kyan Ballecer shares the bronze medal with Kian Matienzo of Ateneo.

UST would finish with 54 points, while DLS-Z ending up at 22. The aggregate effort of Ateneo with their silver and six bronze medals proved to be enough to move past the solo gold of the University of the East to end up as second runners-up, nine points to seven.

In the distaff side, UST held on to their lead to claim their third title.

Oonah Benavidez took home the Tiger Judokas' lone gold in Day 2, as she defeated Jhen Rose Obena in the final of the lightweight (under-57 kg) class. Oonah's teammate Ysabel Cunanan and Bevely Compra of DLS-Z secured the bronze medals.

La Salle-Zobel copped a couple of gold medals to move past the University of the East and finish in second place 18-15.

Tala Tadeo topped Mikaela Palma of UE in the final of the extra-lightweight (under-48kg) division, while Zoey Itliong defeated Abigail Morales in the final of the half-lightweight (under-52 kg) class.

Armilene Cortez of UST and Alexza Gatdula finished as bronze medalists in the under-48 kg division, while April Shawn of UST took the under-52 kg bronze.

The lone gold for the Junior Lady Warriors came from Dennice Tan in the featherweight (under-44 kg) division, as she defeated Ianna Caviteno of UST in the final. Bronze medals were awarded to UST's Elyssa Cao and UE's Quency Alcala.

For the individual awardees, John Patrick de Tomas of UST was named as the Most Valuable Player after topping the boys' half-lightweight (under-66kg) division, while Janika Quizon was named as the MVP in the girls' division after claiming the half-heavyweight (under-78 kg) title.

Cortez was named as the Rookie of the Year in the girls' division, with Yngo Ramos of La Salle-Zobel being the boys' counterpart, after a silver medal finish in the featherweight (under-55 kg) class.

UE women at cusp of Judo title retention

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 85 Collegiate Judo Standings after Day 1
School - points - g-s-b

Women's
UE 22 2-2-2
UST 13 1-1-3
UP 8 1-0-1
Ateneo 5 0-1-2
DLSU 0 0-0-0

The University of the East has a slim lead over the University of Santo Tomas in the women's division of collegiate portion in the UAAP Season 85 judo tournament after the first day of action at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Lady Warriors have two each of gold, silver, and bronze to secure a 22-point total at the halfway point, with a nine-point margin against the Tiger Judokas.

The Recto-based squad can thank Leah Jhane Lopez and Joemari-Heart Rafael for their gold medal efforts, with the former dispatching Mary Joy Baldos of UST in the final of the featherweight (under-44 kg) division and the latter outlasting Yzabelle Claravall in the final of the extra-lightweight (under-48 kg) division.

The featherweight bronze medals went to Princess Lintac of UE and Vlessie Hisula of UST, while the extra-lightweight ones were awarded to Jhanen Mae Marcos of UP and Danica Barela of UST.

The lone gold for UST came in the lightweight (under-57 kg) division, where Princes Cortez dispatched Mylene Matias of UE in the final. Rosanna Nolido of Ateneo and Kyrstanna Resente of UE bagged the bronze medals.

The University of the Philippines managed to move past Ateneo in the standings thanks to Ayessa Baloy's gold medal in the half-lightweight (under-52 kg) division, as she stunned Jewel Rafael of UE in the final with a waza-ari. The bronze medals were awarded to Faiza Asilum of UST and Roni Lapuz of Ateneo.

Day 2 action is set to take place on Sunday afternoon at the same venue.

UST men at cusp of Judo title retention

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 85 Collegiate Judo Standings after Day 1
School - points - g-s-b

Men's
UST 25 3-1-1
UP 16 1-2-3
Ateneo 4 0-1-1
DLSU 3 0-0-3

University of Santo Tomas is halfway to a successful title defense, at the close of the first day of collegiate action in the UAAP Season 85 judo tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Tiger Judokas claimed three gold medals on their way to 25 points. a nine-point lead against the University of the Philippines, which has a gold in their main tally.

Aaron Reyes was one of the UST gold medalists, surviving an accidental headbutt in the quarterfinals from Karl Tenorio of UP to eventually claim the middleweight (under-90 kg) title.

The senior would secure the gold after a quick victory over Arhann Rodil of Ateneo. He shares about his road to the gold, "Yung sa 'kin naman, sa performance ko, binuhos ko talaga lahat kasi last playing year ko na. Para sa 'kin kahit anong mangyari basta manalo."

Another gold for UST came from Chino Sy in the half-heavyweight (under-100 kg) class, making quick work out of Carlos Sandoval of the University of the Philippines in the final.

The third gold came from Rael Abujos, who assured a 1-2 finish for the Tiger Judokas by defeating teammate Tristan Reyes in the final of the heavyweight (over-100kg) division. UP's Zarchie Garay and Ateneo's Yvan Ayalin secured the bronze medals.

The lone gold that did not go to UST's way went to Jayvee Ferrer. The SEA Games silver medalist defeated fellow UP judoka Ollzhen Dionisio to claim the half-middleweight (under-81 kg) crown, with Junel Porlaje of UST and John Hernandez of DLSU securing the bronze medals.

When asked about UST's performance, Reyes acknowledges, "Para sa 'kin, OK naman po performance ng team. Sa heavyweights po nakuha namin yung mostly gold and silver."

Day 2 of collegiate judo action resumes on Sunday afternoon.

UST asserts HS Judo Day 1 action

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 85 Day 1 High School Judo Standings
School - points - g-s-b

Boys'
UST 23 2-2-3
DLSZ 14 1-2-1
UE 7 1-0-0
Ateneo 3 0-0-3

Girls'
UST 37 4-3-0
DLSZ 3 0-1-0
Ateneo 0 0-0-0
UE 0 0-0-0

The University of Santo Tomas asserted itself as a powerhouse in the UAAP Season 85 Judo championships, taking control of both the boys and girls division on the first day of action on Saturday morning at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Falling short of the title back in 2020, the Junior Tiger Judokas secured all but one medal in the four divisions in play.

Margaret Fajardo claimed the heavyweight (over-78 kg) gold medal against her two rivals, with teammate Mariah Lua fending off Rochelle Goitia of La Salle-Zobel for the silver.

Jennelyn Tunacao defeated teammate Krystelle Amisola in three matches to claim the middleweight (under-70 kg) title, while Janika Quizon claimed the half-heavyweight crown (under-78 kg) over Althea Lua with a two-match sweep.

Angelique Cortez completed the gold dash for the girls in claiming the half-middleweight (under-63 kg) title over Gabrielle Talaue of DLS-Z.

Talaue's silver medal would be the only medal secured by a non-UST judoka.

In the boys' division, Patrick de Tomas and Zeus Babanto claimed UST's two gold medals to help hold the lead for the Junior Tiger Judokas at 23 points.

The former did it in the half-lightweight division (under-66 kg), needing just 39 seconds to secure the gold over Nash Dabandan of DLS-Zobel. UST's John Paul Villanueva and DLS-Z's Anthony Cabanting claimed the bronze medals.

The latter defeated teammate Joermil Caguicla to claim the lightweight (under-73 kg) gold medal. In an all-Ateneo matchup, Aldwyn Thor defeated Primo Luciano for the bronze medal.

La Salle-Zobel snapped up a gold medal in the extra-lightweight (under-60 kg) division, as Mikee Trinidad defeated Justin Bagallon of UST in the final. Finishing as bronze medalists in this division are Raizelle Turla of UST and Eupurt Asayo of Ateneo.

The University of the East fielded just one participant in the boys division, and it paid off with Eric Rodriguez netting the gold in the featherweight (under-55 kg) category. The Junior Warrior battled Yngo Ramos of La Salle-Zobel to a draw in regulation with a waza-ari each, but Eric manages to secure the ippon after 43 seconds in the extension to secure the title. Jose Malaya of Ateneo and Bobby Eupena Jr of UST secure the bronze medals.

La Salle-Zobel is in second place, with fourteen points. Rodriguez's feat puts UE in third place with seven points.

Action continues Sunday morning with the remaining weight classes to be played.

UST, UE ready for Judo repeat

The final tournament for the first semester of the 85th season of the UAAP is set to commence this weekend, with the two-day judo competition at the Blue Eagle Gym, with the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the East seeking to retain their titles.

The Golden Judokas are seeking to extend their title run to five straight seasons including fending off the University of the Philippines in the last edition, whilst the Lady Warriors are seeking back-to-back titles after snapping UST's five-year reign for their maiden title back in March 2020.

Judo was one of the few events that got completed before the onset of the pandemic that forced the premature conclusion of 82nd season.

It was a similar situation for the high school ranks, with UST claiming its fourth straight boys' title, with UE retaining theirs for the third straight time in the girls' division.

"The technical meeting and draw were successfully done this afternoon and attended by the different coaches of these top universities," said UAAP Season 85 judo commissioner Dave Carter, who was joined by Philippine Judo Federation president and Ateneo coach Ali Sulit during the meeting.

"We wish everybody the best now that we are re-starting the face-to-face action! These are top athletes and everyone is excited."

Collegiate action commences at 130pm, with the High School edition gets a 9am start.

UST set to defend UAAP judo crown

The UAAP judo competition for Season 78 is set to take place starting at 830am today inside the La Salle-Greenhills gym.

UST, under the tutelage of their head coach Gege Arce, is set to defend their collegiate titles. The Tiger Judokas reclaimed the men's title by dethroning Ateneo, 45-43, behind MVP Al Rolan Llamas, while the Lady Judokas counted on MVP Annie Ramirez and Princess Lucman to fend off Ateneo, 42-32.

UST seems set to be able to continue their dominance in this sport, as they are the favorites to add to their championship tally of eleven men's and seven women's crowns.

In the high school ranks, Ateneo is set to fend off UST and La Salle-Zobel in defending their title. The Blue Eaglets relied on MVP Christian Clemente and Jose Ariel Querubin to claim the championship last year.