UST successfully retains UAAP poomsae crown

c/o UAAP

The University of Santo Tomas banked on its strong showings in the team events and mixed pair to annex a second consecutive title in the UAAP Season 87 Poomsae Championships on Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Reasserting their status as the most successful program, the Tiger Jins won three golds, one more than their haul last season for a record sixth crown.

"I don’t want to say that it’s difficult but it’s a good kind of challenge because of every is getting better every year. The intensity and skill gets higher and higher," said UST head coach Rani Ortega.

"And it’s a healthy competition because everyone here knows each other. Some of them are even teammates in the national team. Us coaches, we are really close. This competition shows the beauty and grace of poomsae and how we can transform it into something nice for the audience."

NU opened the competition by winning the individual golds courtesy of Antonette Medallada (women) and Ian Corton (men).

UST then later turned the tide when the mixed pair of Paul Rodriguez and Chelsea Tacay won, and swept the team golds courtesy of Tacay, Maria Nicole Labayne, and Stella Nicole Yape (women) and Rodriguez, King Nash Alcario, and Dane Subaste (men).

Even with the departure of Vincent Rodriguez, who paired with Tacay in last season's successful mixed pair bid, Aidaine Laxa and Kobe Macario, the Tiger Jins remain the gold standard in poomsae.

Tacay and Rodriguez logged 8.910 points to beat the Bulldogs' Ceanne Rosquillo and Season 85 MVP Laeia Soria (8.770). UP's Joshua Cachero and Alyssa Caabay complete the podium finishers in mixed pair with 8.720.

Tacay, Labayne, and Yape recorded 8.950 points, besting NU's Soria, Sophia Estelloso and Antonette Medallada (8.680), and De La Salle's Sofia Sarmiento, Khia Mae Cortez and Sofia Ignacio (8.670) for UST's second gold.

Tacay, who was named the Most Valuable Player for the second straight season shared, "Same pa din yung mga training namin from last year but the eagerness this year to get the championship again… We focused more on the mental because may pressure because we haven’t gotten the back-to-back for UST.

"Mas na-hone yung leadership ko from the last year. This year as a senior and as a captain, mas nag-focus ako kung paano ko aangat yung team ko," added the 23-year-old native of Baguio City.

With the gold medal count knotted at 2-all, Ortega made sure to remind her Tigers to enjoy the moment.

"I told everyone in the finals to reset, start again. Think that you are not doing this for yourself, you are doing for UST. It’s for a higher calling so that they won’t feel alone on the mat and that everybody is here for them," Ortega shared.

"I’m happy with how they performed and I’m so proud of them."

The Tiger Jins then clinched the title with a scintillating performance from the trio of Alcario, Rodriguez and Subaste, who logged 9.210 to fend off the Bulldogs' Corton, Rosquillo, and Juan Marco Medallada (9.030) and the Green Jins' Nathanael Managbanag, Carl Villorda and Jesseyrey Frantilla (8.780).

With 8.970 points, Antonette Medallada emerged triumphant over UST's Labayne (8.870) and De La Salle's Sarmiento (8.660), and NU completed a sweep of individual golds after Corton turned in 9.030 points to prevail over UST's Alcario (8.830) and De La Salle's Managbanag (8.740).

It was a big improvement for the Bulldogs, the Season 85 winners who placed third with a 1-1-3 tally last year.

The Green Jins, who lost Patrick Perez to graduation, bagged four bronzes to reach the podium for the second straight year.

UST's Rodriguez was adjudged the Rookie of the Year.

The Fighting Maroons placed fourth.

Ateneo, which had a finalist in the individual women event, and Far Eastern University, round out the six-team field.