UST dominates UAAP judo anew

University of Santo Tomas continued its dominance in the UAAP Season 80 judo competitions Sunday at Sports Pavilion inside De La Salle-Zobel campus in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa.

The Golden Judokas extended their reign but had to share the distinction with Ateneo after the two schools finished with an identical 30 points in the men’s competition.

Extra lightweight Daryl John Mercado and Sherwin De Rosa finished 1-2 for UST, as half middleweight Renzo Cazeñas and heavyweight Dither Joshua Tablan took golds in their weight class.

Also boosting the Golden Judokas run were half middleweight Luis San Diego (silver), featherweight Russel Rhey Lorenzo (bronze), lightweight Jeunesse Nikole Ong (bronze), and half heavyweight George Kim (bronze).

Meanwhile, featherweight Isaiah Anthony Tuazon, lightweight Earl Timothy Uy and half middleweight Harmon Anthony Tuazon led the fight for the Blue Eagles as they won gold medals in their respective classes.

Half lightweights Michael John Isidro (silver) and Christian Dominic Clemente (bronze), heavyweight Rafael Angelo Cadiente (silver), half middleweight Hermogenes Arayata IV (bronze), and middleweight Alfred Benjamin Querubin (bronze) all had podium finishes for Ateneo.

The Golden Judokas took home a league-best 13th title in the men’s division, while the Blue Eagles bagged their seventh.

Judo implemented a new scoring system this season. First place gets seven points, second garners three while a point will be awarded to the third place finisher.

It was a different case in the women’s division for UST as the Lady Judokas annexed their dynasty to a fourth straight season, wounding up with 45 points.

Khrizzie Pabulayan (extra lightweight), Almira Ruiz (lightweight), Jamaika Ponciano (half heavyweight) and Renielyn Castillo (heavyweight) all had their part in UST’s four-gold haul, as the group also finished with four silvers and five bronzes to bag the school’s 10th overall title.

University of the East, meanwhile, finished second thanks to golds from Ma. Jeanalane Lopez (featherweight), Claudine Nargatan (half lightweight), Patricia Nicole Rosario (half middleweight), and Bianca Mae Estrella (middleweight), but the Lady Warriors’ campaign was foiled when they could only deliver a silver and a bronze in the two-day event.

In the juniors division, UST successfully defended the boys title, while UE became the new girls champions.