Last Updated on April 16, 2023 by Andrew Pirie
2014 UAAP Athletics Day 4 Report
Shock in Mens 400 Hurdles
With event favorites defending champion Patrick Unso (DLSU) out due to hamstring strains, and Clinton Kingsley Bautista (FEU) choosing to rest for the 4x400m and ASEAN Uni Games, it became anyone’s game in this event. The favorite now turned to Ian Delos Santos (FEU) who on paper had the fastest time.
But the twists of the event continued with Bronze medalist of last year Gerald Morales winning the first heat in 56.60 the event’s fastest time. Delos Santos who led most of the way faded to fifth in the last 80 meters and wound up with the misfortune of finishing 9th overall and not advancing to the next round.
Joel Hera another rookie from UST won the second heat in 57.07 and was the only athlete to progress to the final from that heat. The surprise came in the third heat when another rookie Roque Lesondra of UST sent a message to the rest of the finalists with a 55.62 clocking.
When they lined up in the final it was the three UST boys who had won each heat who were looking for a clean sweep. Morales who was a bronze medalist last year moved to the top of the podium this year tying his personal best of 54.77. Tercero who trailed Morales in the first heat ran a personal best to land silver for DLSU in 55.38. It was Lesondra who took bronze in 55.81.
400 Hurdles splendid race for Womens, Palermo is Iron Maiden (rev 1)
The 400 Hurdles heats proved just as interesting as the 400 Plain the other day. PNG Champion Marilyn Avila, 18 (FEU) won the first heat in 1.03.45, breaking her personal best set at the last UAAP of 1.03.80. Behind her was teammate Jayed Penarubia, 18 who had beaten Avila in the Weekly Relay Junior Finals last month. The third was Oraissa Tabangay of UE who had a significant improvement in her personal best by over 2 seconds.
The second heat was won by UAAP Record Holder Jenny Rosales in 1.02.58, with last year’s Bronze medalist Michelle Loterte (UST) in second, Jee Ann-Racoma (FEU) third, Judy Almasa (UST), and Eliza Aguinaldo now moving up from 100 and 200 to 400 and 400 Hurdles completing the list of finalists.
Just over an hour, later the girls lined up again.
Jenny Rosales as she did in the 400 Hurdles took the lead and staggers over the field before the 200-meter mark and kept on going.
Rosales clocked a new personal best and UAAP (ET) Record of 1.00.15 nearly claiming sole ownership from Edna Punelas of UST who had established the HT Record of 1.00.0, 21 years ago. Rosales’s time is just outside the SEA Games bronze medal mark of 59.96.
2007 SEA Games Silver Medalist Mary Grace Melgar who was also coached by Elma and George Posadas at UE remarked that Jenny’s speed is good but she needs to build more confidence in clearing the hurdles, and there is a lot of room for gains. She also gave hints of a possible comeback for the 2015 SEA Games.
Michelle Loterte (UST) upgraded her bronze medal from last year to silver on 1.02.21. Knocking over a second off her personal best.
Marilyn ‘Daffy’ Avila (FEU) also again broke the best time she set in the heats with 1.02.91. Upgrading from fourth to bronze from last year.
While Jenny did a good job dragging Michelle and Avila threw almost neck to neck down the home straight. The rest of the field was left somewhat behind. Tabangay was fifth. Was the only one who managed to improve her time from the heats in the chasing pack.
2. UE defends women’s 4×400 title despite the weakened team
Rosales and Tabangay joined forces with Neslee Angco and Bernadeth Tilus to defend the title they won last year. The time of 3:52.40 was two seconds slower. The top two in the 400m Dash Rosales built a very solid 30m lead for Angco who then extended the lead to almost 50m by the time of the third change from there Tabangay and Tilus who run around 1 minute flat each had to just hold on and make sure they maintained the distance.
The pursuers were the growling Tigers 400 finalists Louielyn Pamatian #3, Michelle Loterte #5, and Happy Denuyo #7 teaming up with 100m champion Eloiza Luzon who hadn’t run a 400 for well over a year and landed silver in 3.55.56.
There was some distance for FEU who also had 3 400m finalists Avila #4, Penarubia #6, and Aguinaldo #8, with Hurdler Jee-Ann Racoma helping the team to a 4.02.05 time.DLSU ran a personal best in 4.04.14 for fourth somewhat faster than their weekly relay performances with former palaro champions Maureen Schrijvers, Leah Creer and Angel Carino joined by Heptathlete Shaira Hernandez.
3. Palermo is the Iron Maiden of the UAAP
Chairy Palermo launched a Personal best in the Heptathlon Long Jump with 5.53m. Palermo went on to win the Women’s Heptathlon with 4129 points. The 20-year-old went on to break the UAAP Recordset 10 years ago by Maricel Sibog of UE 4125 pts. Palermo follows in the footsteps of another great Heptathlete Nars Atienza who went on to become a multiple SEA Games silver medalist and is also an alumnus of UST.
Not to be outdone was her 18-year-old teammate Sarah Dequinan who finished second with 4069 pts. Jinny Rose Omena of FEU was well behind in third with 3674 pts.
4. Carino and De Jesus get ticks for ASEAN School Games 2015
There was also a lot of depth in the women’s long jump the winner was PNG Junior Champion Angel Carino whose best leaps of 5.65m and 5.61m assured the rookie from DLSU the win and two of three ticks for qualifying for the ASEAN School Games. Carino who was performing during the weekly relays improved 40 centimeters on her palaro performance last May.
Finishing also strongly with a 34 cm PB was Aldee Denuyo the 2013 University Games champion who claimed the silver medal for UST. UAAP High Jump Champion Anjelica Janda improved 17 cm to capture the bronze medal for FEU.
Just like the weekly relay finals, several athletes set personal best Kirstie Kay Vinco (FEU) leaped 5.48m, improving 7 centimeters. Judy Almasa 5.43m improving 6 centimeters.
Such was the strength of the women’s long jump that Palaro Champion Mary Diesto (DLSU). Only 1cm away from her personal best with 5.38m could only land seventh. While Palaro elementary record holder Alyssa Andrade (UST) ended up outside the top eight in ninth.
ASEAN School Games Bronze Medalist Dianne De Jesus threw a big personal best of 11.65m. Improving on her previous 11.06m during the Palaro game in Laguna. De Jesus’ bronze medal throw of 10.61m at Marikina was improved on so she now has two of three required ticks for the 2015 Selection.
5. UST Girls Take Distance and Heptathlon
UST Jila Dela Rosa added the 5000m UAAP title to her 10000m title with a PB of 19:22.03, she finished ahead of FEU trio Mae Ann Gongob took silver in 19:27.59 also a PB, Catherine Bristol bronze 19:40.34 PB, and Mary Grace Dela Torre fourth in 19:50.95 PB.
Louielyn Pamatian,17 finally won an event the women’s 1500 title in 4.50.18. She was outside the ASEAN School Games qualifying mark of 4.47.8. Trishia Ramirez of UE was second in 4.54.51 a significant personal best. Gongob of FEU was bronze.
6. UST Dominance Continues in the Men’s
Meanwhile, Elbren Neri (UST) who broke the 800m UAAP record earlier in this meet added the 1500m title with a PB of 4.01.74, winning over Jomar Angus (FEU) 4.02.14 and teammate PNG Junior Champion Kevin Capangpangan 4.04.32.
Veteran UST athlete Dave Gumacal demolished the field in the 5000m Walk winning by over 3 minutes in 26:35.09.
7. FEU Fights back
PNG Junior Champion Keith Quilo in his rookie year won the UAAP High jump title with 1.95m. Although outside his personal best of 1.96m. Quilo who had three failed attempts at 2.00m was looking more like a 1.98m shape during the event. The win came at the expense of his FEU teammate Janry Ubas who was second with 1.90m, and Jay-ar Tungcol (UE) another rookie took third with 1.90m.
Meanwhile, PNG Champion Ubas won the Pole Vault in 4.30m, Former 2-time Palaro Champion David Managuelod (UP) finally broke his PB with a 4.20m leap, and his teammate Robert Miguel Nasis took bronze with 4.10m.
8. Crespo and Moreno for DLSU
Matt Crespo the UAAP High school record holder then of ADMU now of DLSU. Came out of the medal-less wilderness of the past year to take the Senior Hammer Title at the UAAP with a throw of 42.77m. He beat out Felix Camagay and Geoff Rodriguez of UP.
Meanwhile, the underdog, John Rey Moreno added to his 3K Steeples the other day with a 16.08.38 win in the 5000m. Beating National Junior Champion Kevin Capangpangan and Nava Rustom of UST.
9. Finally a Gold for Ateneo
Years of hard work finally paid off for the blue Eagles who were rewarded with an emphatic win in the 4×400 relay. The powerful Maki De Jesus surged away from his pursuers and never gave away any ground to win in 3.21.03. UST finished a close second in 3.21.20 just edging out DLSU 3.21.43, who had a weakened lineup without Patrick Unso. FEU finished fifth without the participation of Isidro Del Prado Jr and Clinton Kingsley Bautista. 77th UAAP in Summary: UST ends FEU 11-year winning streak in women’s, FEU Men hold onto title (rev 1).
10. UST Women’s Team
Garnered by a strong recruitment drive and diversification into new events UST Tigresses did what a few years back would have seemed impossible. In 2014 they regained the title they lost 12 years ago, ending the 11-year winning streak of Coach Rose’s FEU Tamaraw’s.
The Tigresses who have bolstered at least eight women from the Northern Mindanao region tipped over the apple cart of the Tamaraw juggernaut winning by a landslide 101 points. Last year UST was runner-up by 40 points. After which their head coach Manny Calipes vowed to end the dominance of FEU at the UAAP.
“Positive ako na mas malaki ang chance ngayon na mag-champion ang women’s team, pero sa men’s team, sana lang ma-retain pa rin ang second [place],” coach Emmanuel Calipes said.
Full Article here
Other titles and Girls Division to be brought in
UST led all the way and the closest FEU got was on the 2nd day. When there was just 1 point separating first and second, 94 to 93. When the dust settled UST scored 478 pts to win the championship with FEU 377 pts, and third was UE with 259 pts.
Even more impressive was the Mens FEU team led by veteran head coach Dario De Rosas. They retained the title with 479 pts with a dominating lead over their nearest pursuers DLSU 228 pts and UST 226 pts. The Boy’s division was won by UE with Ateneo and DLSU Zobel as runners-up. UE 390 points, ADMU 342 points, and DLSU 175 points.
Next year the UAAP Board members stated in a private conversation. As I had suggested last year introduce a High school girls’ division to the UAAP. This is a good initiative as it will encourage more opportunities for women in Athletics. It will create more depth in women’s athletics and also allow colleges more depth in recruitment.
Hopefully, the Philippines NCAA will also follow this direction and introduce collegiate and high school women soon. There was a women’s NCAA before but it is no longer active and have it on at the same time as the Men’s event would add to the prestige of the event.
Ubas/Rosales MVP
Janry Ubas broke three UAAP Records in Long Jump (7.29), Decathlon (6521), and High Jump (2.04m deca). His Decathlon mark hit above the bronze medal for the SEA Games. The Iron Boy of the UAAP, 20-year-old Ubas had golds in the Triple Jump, Silver High Jump, and Bronze in Javelin.
After several years of hard work, one of the icons of the UAAP Jenny Rose Rosales. came back from a devastating defeat in the 100m dash which she had won the past 3 years to set meet records in the 400 and 400 Hurdles, win the 200, and get silver in the 800.
Rookies of the year went to ASEAN School Games medalists Bryan Jay Pachecho of FEU who won the shot put second in the Javelin and bronze in the Discus. Louielyn Pamatian (UST) won the girls with Gold in the 1500 and Bronze in the 800 and 400. Her performances in the 800 and 400 were big PBs. And her recent form has qualified her again for the ASEAN School Games in 2015, while Pachecho is an automatic entry for this.
Javier Gayoso who won the 100,200, Long jump, and high jump for Ateneo won the High school division.
Conclusion
Five records were broken in Mens 800, 110 Hurdles, Long Jump, High Jump, and Decathlon. six in the women’s 100, 400, 400 Hurdles, 4×100, Javelin, and Heptathlon. One of the boys 800.
This was a remarkable total of twelve new records established. A significant number compared to past editions of this event in recent memory. With Rosales not opting on the fourth year at UE, this now leaves some of her events an open field although Eloiza Luzon (UST), Neslee Angco (UE), and Michelle Loterte (UST) are likely to fill the void.
Overall the atmosphere of the meet was pleasant and the officials ran the meet well. This meet was improved by the experienced duo of Romeo Sotto and Renato Unso from DLSU.
When I asked why is it DLSU always holds the meet and not the other schools to a coach of another UAAP school. He said, “It’s because DLSU does such a good job that the other schools want them to continue hosting it.”
Edward Kho did a very good job adding excitement to the meeting with his useful bits of information. However, I want to question why they continue to let the other announcer read out BIB numbers as pointed out several times. These BIB numbers do not add any significance to the public. And Kind of makes the meeting Boring.
Another suggestion is for the venue to add a cover to the stands. It did rain and it is a limited covered shelter at philsports. It was good to see a performance indicator board used. And baskets provided for athletes to keep their items safe.
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Andrew was elected Vice President of the Association of Track and Field Statisticians in 2020 after being a member for 7 years.
He has worked as a PSC Consultant and Research Assistant from 2013-2015, Consultant, and Sprint Coach at Zamboanga Sports Academy from 2015-2017. And Currently is Consultant Coach with VMUF 2021-
Current editor and chief of Pinoyathletics.info, and has recently done consultancy work for Ayala Corp evaluating the Track and Field Program.
Coaches Sprints, Middle and Jump events he is Level 3 Athletics Australia Coaching Certification in Sprints and Hurdles.
Currently working towards a Masters Degree in Education.
He can be contacted on [email protected]
You can find more information on Coaching here
http://www.pinoyathletics.info/coaching-2/