INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?Rizal Technological University captured the overall crown after ruling six sporting competitions in the 22nd State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA)-National Capital Region.

RTU swept the badminton events and also dominated competition in arnis, chess, beach volleyball, futsal and sepak takraw in several Metro Manila venues recently.

A perfect 6-0 run both in the men and women?s divisions highlighted RTU?s golden campaign in badminton.

RTU also had an impressive championship run in the men?s chess tournament as national junior player Paulo James Florendo and Richelieu Salcedo III towed the team to a 20-point total in seven rounds.

Florendo bagged the individual gold in board one with five points, while Salcedo, a gold medalist in the Asian age-group championships in 2008, also emerged as top player in board two.

The RTU women?s chess team garnered 21.5 points with Katherine Gay Florendo and Lorelie Cuizon claiming the top honors in boards two and three, respectively.

In arnis, Kervin Vidante, Endrick Gandilla, Ronald Allan Gandiola, Abraham Tubera and Peter de Guzman powered the RTU men?s team to a seven-gold, four-silver medal romp.

The women?s squad also ruled with a four-gold, four-silver finish behind the efforts of Jovena Diaz and Dalia Coprade.

RTU again lorded it over in the women?s beach volleyball competition with a perfect 3-0 win-loss record, but settled for a runner-up finish behind Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in men?s action.

In futsal, RTU overpowered PUP and Philippine State College of Aeronautics (PHILSCA).

Sepak takraw also belonged to RTU as Eulogio ?Amang? Rodriguez Institute of Science (EARIST) and PUP rounded up the podium finishers. Jasmine W. Payo