University of the East stayed untouchable in men’s division and as well as in the Boys’ and Girls’ categories, while University of Santo Tomas scored a breakthrough win in the women’s event of the UAAP Fencing Championships on Friday, April 25, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
Thanks to a dominant 45-30 win over the University of the Philippines in the finals, the Red Warriors extended their championship streak to 11 – the longest title run in the event so far.
The Junior Warriors also lived up to their hype as they annexed their 13th crown while the school’s girls team roared to their 12th straight title win.
UE’s bid for a 4-title sweep was denied by the UST Female Fencers after thwarting the Red Warriors’ pursuit of a fourth consecutive event sweep.
UST sealed their victory in dramatic fashion, eking out a thrilling 45-40 win over the dethroned champions, UE, in the sabre team final.
UE had set the stage for a dramatic conclusion after winning the epee team final earlier that morning against UST, 45-41, leaving both teams tied with two golds heading into the sabre event.
UST’s Jannah Catantan emerged the women’s MVP.
UST finished the season with a medal tally of 3 golds, 3 silvers, and 1 bronze, while UE earned 2 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes.
University of the Philippines secured third place, with a medal haul of 1 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronzes, including two bronze medals in epee and sabre.
The Red Warriors banked on a strong performance from their foil team and three-time MVP Nicollei Felipe. UP finished in second place with a 2-1-2 record, led by national team standout Miggy Bautista, while De La Salle University rounded out the podium with Christian Buenventura’s sabre gold, which played a pivotal role in their 1-0-4 finish.
On the boys’ side, UE High School secured their 11th consecutive double crown in the division, with James Lim, the Season 85 MVP and this season’s MVP, leading the Junior Warriors to their 13th straight championship. Lim and the foil team sealed the title with a dominant 45-27 victory over UST in the season’s final event.
UST and Ateneo completed the Boys’ medal standings with tallies of 1-2-4 and 0-2-4, respectively.
In the girls’ division, UE’s squad claimed their 12th consecutive championship, with Opao Catantan earning her second consecutive MVP honor. Catantan’s two gold medals in the individual and team foil events were key to their success, despite finishing the day with two silver medals in sabre and epee, concluding the season with a tally of 2 golds, 3 silvers, and 3 bronzes.
UST finished in second place with a record of 2-1-2, bolstered by Liah Gillana and the sabre team, who won a thrilling gold medal match against UE with a score of 45-44.
