UE sweeps UAAP titles in fencing

TRADITIONAL powerhouse University of the East swept the men’s and women’s crowns at the end of the UAAP Season 75 fencing tournament Friday at Philsports Arena.

The Lady Warriors notched their sixth consecutive women’s championship, while their men’s counterparts ended a three-year title drought.

UE’s Justine Gail Tinio won the Rookie-Most Valuable Player honors in the women’s division, while 16-year-old Nathaniel Perez was also named the tournament’s top newcomer and MVP.

Red Warriors coach Rolando Canlas, a three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, credited his wards’ showing in completing a rare double to cement their status as the league’s most successful fencing program.

The Lady Warriors collected four golds, two silvers and a bronze medal to clinch their seventh title overall, beating University of Santo Tomas, which placed second with a 1-1-2 haul, and La Salle, which collected one gold and two silvers in third spot.

Regaining the championship they last won in 2009, the Red Warriors collected four golds, all courtesy of Perez.