INQUIRER Sports

SAN BEDA and University of the Philippines wrested the swimming crowns in dominating fashion Thursday even as St. Benilde jacked up its title collection to four in the 14th UniGames in Iloilo City.

John Orlan Simora and Ferdinand Frigillana powered the Sea Lions with five gold medals each as San Beda ruled all but one of the 16 events in the competition.

Simora topped the 100-meter and 200m breaststroke and 200m medley, while Frigillana completed a hat-trick of victories in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle races. The two San Beda tankers’ two other golds came in the relay races.

The Lady Maroons were even more impressive, fashioning out a sweep behind scintillating performances by Carla Grabador and Claire Adorna, who also played an instrumental role in ending UP’s 10-year title drought in the UAAP last month.

Grabador copped four individual golds and two relay titles to emerge as the meet’s top swimmer, while Adorna ruled three events.

Manila-based squads actually dominated other fronts with the St. Benilde Blazers sweeping the men’s and women’s tennis and reigning supreme in women’s table tennis, a day after claiming the title in men’s chess.

Far Eastern U scored victories in men’s table tennis and women’s chess, while University of the East topped men’s badminton at the expense of Iloilo Doctors College.

The IDC lady shuttlers made up for that loss by thwarting the Lady Blazers in the finals.

Rizal Technological University brought home the men’s athletics title, while UST ruled the distaff side. Grabbing the spotlight was Isidro del Prado Jr., son of the former athletics great, who crowned himself as the meet’s fastest runner by clocking 10.77 seconds.

Ateneo stayed on track of its title-retention bid in basketball with a 95-46 rout of Holy Cross of Davao to arrange a semifinal showdown with the FEU Tamaraws, who booted out Emilio Aguinaldo College, 88-67. Clashing in the other semifinal duel are St. Francis of Assisi College and University of Iloilo.

Adamson and FEU forged a rematch of the UAAP finals won by the Lady Falcons early this month. The Lady Falcons dumped St. Benilde, 93-51, while FEU bundled out University of Manila, 79-57.

University of San Jose-Recoletos of Cebu grabbed the first finals seat in men’s volleyball with a 29-27, 31-29, 25-16 triumph over IDC. Defending champion UST and University of St. La Salle will play for the other finals seat.

UST stayed in the hunt for a volleyball double after forging a semifinal meeting with Adamson in the women’s division. Defending champion St. La Salle will play De La Salle University in the other semifinal pairing.

In men’s football, West Negros University blanked University of the Philippines, 3-0, for the first finals seat. The WNU XI awaits the winner of the USLS-St. Benilde clash.

Reigning champion De La Salle earned the first finals slot in women’s play after a 4-2 penalty shootout win over UP.