Reigning MVPs Jessie Khing Lacuna and Chloe Daos set in motion Ateneo’s bid for a championship double by winning two golds in UAAP Season 81 swimming Thursday at Rizal Memorial’s swimming center.
Lacuna ruled the men’s 800-meter freestyle with 8:33.98 to lead the Blue Eagles 1-2-3 finish in the event and returned later in the afternoon to emerge victorious in the 100m freestyle in 52.18 seconds.
Season 79 MVP Aldo Batungbacal also bagged a men’s gold for Ateneo in the 200m individual medley with 2:09.49 to go with his 800m freestyle silver (8:46.39).
Daos, who was also last year’s women’s top rookie, set a new league record in the 800-meter freestyle with 9:24.51, erasing the old mark of 9:26.11 by Kim Uy of the Lady Eagles in 2014.
A silver medalist in the 41st Southeast Asian Age Group Swimming Championships last November in Brunei, Daos also emerged triumphant in the women’s 100 freestyle in 59.62, besting her teammate Andrea Ngui (59.70).