MANILA—Boosting their early drive for the overall crown, University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University dominated the UAAP taekwondo and beach volleyball competitions over the weekend.
The Tigers copped their 10th men’s taekwondo crown after completing a 5-0 sweep, the last on a 5-2 triumph over last year’s champion La Salle, which settled for runner-up honors with a 4-1 card.
Leading the UST medalists were Most Valuable Player Dane Pio de Roda (featherweight) and gold winners Paul Romero (bantamweight), Christian Al dela Cruz (lightweight), Ernest John Mendoza (welterweight) and Marlon Avenido (middle/heavyweight). La Salle’s RJay del Rosario (pinweight) also picked up a gold.
FEU’s Crizabelle Vargas (bantamweight) and Karla Jane Alava (welterweight) similarly secured gold medals in the women’s division to power the Lady Tamaraws on top during the two-day tournament at the Fil-Oil Flying V Arena .
FEU, which also had middle heavyweight Marifi Gadit winning the MVP, actually finished tied with La Salle at 4-3. But the Lady Tamaraws claimed the title by virtue of the winner-over-the-other rule.
Other gold medalists in the women’s side were University of the East’s Christine Benedictos (pinweight), La Salle’s Alyssa Bonifacio, Jyra Lizardo (lightweight) and Inna Bonifacio (featherweight) and UST’s Jane Narra (middle heavyweight).
In beach volleyball, the Tigresses copped their first women’s title with MVP Judy Caballejo and Maru Banaticla downing the Ateneo pair of Alyssa Valdez and Bea Tan, 21-19, 21-16, in the do-or-die Game 3 at the UE sand courts.
FEU, though, prevented a UST sweep as the pair of Arvin Avila and Karl de la Calzada clobbered Jayson Ramos and Mark Gil Alfafara, 21-14, 21-17, for the Tamaraws’ second straight men’s crown
“Our hard work paid off,” said Avila, the MVP from Zamboanga. “We had a hard time against UST because they’re taller, but we made up for it with our defense.
Ateneo’s Israel Marasigan bagged the men’s Rookie of the Year Plum, while La Salle’s Camille Cruz took the same honor in the women’s side.