Women's Swimming title up for grabs heading into final session

c/o UAAP

The New Clark City Aquatics Center here is set to host the final day of hostilities in the UAAP Season 87 Swimming Championship where a showdown looms in the women's division as defending champions University of the Philippines look to catch up to the leaders, Ateneo de Manila University, who hold a slim 25-point margin.

Both the Fighting Maroons and the Blue Eagles have placed the necessary pieces to win the championship as the former squad has 12 qualifiers across four events, while the latter has 10 after the morning preliminaries.

UP will rely on team captain Camille Buico (women's 200-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle) and reigning MVP Quendy Fernandez (women's 50-meter backstroke and 50-meter freestyle) to bring them to the top, while Ateneo has MVP race leader Mishka Sy (women's 200-meter butterfly) and Sofia Annika Isip (women's 200-meter breaststroke) to count on to bring home the championship.

In the men's division, rookie Miguel Barreto secured his seventh gold medal in as many events in the men's 1500-meter freestyle to all but seal the rookie-of-the-year and MVP awards for himself, and the championship for his team.

The Bulacan native won a close battle against last year's winner, Alexander Chu of DLSU (16:43.79), by clocking 16:43.35. Juan Marco Daos took the bronze in 16:58.10.

Ateneo enjoys a commanding lead with 412 points, ahead of DLSU (232 points) and UP (171 points).

Similarly, University of Santo Tomas is in complete control of the boys' and girls' divisions as they look set to claim their fourth straight double championship at the high school level.

UST's MVP favorite Aishel Evangelista comfortably collected his fifth gold medal in the boys' 1500-meter freestyle as he finished in 17:25.17, ahead of teammate Aldrich Balderas (18:14.30) and Ateneo's Karl Friedrich Cziomer (18:40.30).

Likewise, Junior Tigershark Pam Santor qualified in the girls' 200-meter breaststroke and 200-meter butterfly to make a case for MVP in the afternoon finals as her team looks to formalize their championship.

c/o UAAP

Over at the Athletics Stadium, Far Eastern University’s Ernie Calipay soared to a record-breaking feat in the men’s high jump, taking the spotlight on the fourth day’s morning session of the Athletics Championships.

The 24-year-old national athlete broke his previous UAAP record of 2.05 meters on November 24, 2023, twice this morning.

He set the bar to 2.06 meters before reaching 2.10 meters and cleared it on his third try.

“Parang kanina pa lang, habang nagwa-warm up ako, iniisip ko na parang mabe-break ko ‘yung record kasi kundisyon ako lagi. Sa training naman, sabi ni coach, kumbaga sa training, petiks-petiks. Kumbaga check mark, basic skills lang, at ‘yung approach lang kinukuha namin,” said the Mongolbongol National High School product.

National University’s Ryan Cacho (1.92m) and University of the East’s Rainier Caranto (1.85m) finished second and third.

John Romero Celestino of University Santo Tomas likewise reset the league mark in the 400-meter hurdles with 52.77 seconds, smashing FEU’s Clinton Bautista’s 52.81 seconds on February 11, 2017.

Reigning MVP and De La Salle University’s Bernalyn Bejoy topped the women’s 400-meter hurdles with 1:01.98 ahead of the Finals later this afternoon.

In the high school division, University of the East standouts Jeralyn Rodriguez and Jazen Araño also set new league standards.

Rodriguez lowered the girls’ 400-meter hurdles record of former UE standout Ella Therese Sirilan (1.05.11) established on February 11, 2017, with a new mark of 1:03.22.

Araño, on her part, threw 39.66 meters in the girls’ hammer throw to obliterate her previous mark of 34.71 registered on November 22, 2023.

The Swimming Championships’ final session and the resumption of Athletics Championships’ Day 4 are underway as of publishing.