CAPAS, Tarlac — National University reclaimed the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Athletics crown on Sunday at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium here.
At the end of the compressed meet, NU amassed 298.5 points for its second championship in three years, marking the school’s second UAAP title this season after its victory in women’s chess.
Far Eastern University finished second with 272.25 points, while deposed champion UP settled for third with 213.25 points.
NU collected 100 points on the final day, powered by golds in the day’s opening event, the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and the championships’ final event, the decathlon.
Underlining their dominance, three Bulldogs swept the steeplechase podium. Noli Torre led with 9:28.24, followed by 10,000 meters champion Rico Jay Patanao at 9:39.93, and Renz Cruz with 9:40.21.
Larry Taripe Jr. then sealed NU’s return to the throne with a flourish, closing out the grueling decathlon with 5,779 points, including a victory in the final 1,500 meters stage.
FEU’s Ronel Juntilla and Rolly Royo Jr. finished second and third with 5,522 and 5,444 points, respectively.
The Tamaraws attempted to end an eight-year title drought but failed in the end.. Ernie Calipay sparked FEU’s comeback with a gold in the high jump at 2.05 meters, while Adamson University’s Kurt Ragudos and NU’s Kenn Lucero tied for silver at 1.90 meters. Jazzpeer Arcenal added another FEU gold in the 400-meter hurdles with 53.44 seconds, ahead of Ateneo’s Er Yako Mengorio (53.84) and UP’s Alhryan Labita (55.10).
Co-MVP Russel Ricaforte dominated the discus with a new meet record of 52.62 meters, breaking his own mark of 47.80 meters from last season. Salvador edged NU’s Dominic Woodward for silver with 43.70 meters against 42.31. Ricaforte, who also won the shot put on the meet’s first day, shared the top student-athlete honor with UST’s Hokett Delos Santos, who claimed the 110-meter hurdles in 14.80 seconds.
Delos Santos narrowly beat FEU’s Joseph Antiola III (14.84) by just four milliseconds, while NU’s Mark John Paculanang finished third at 15.08. UST added a second gold with Jhon Laurenze Ballelos winning the javelin at 47.33 meters. Fellow Thomasian John Nicholan Pangan was second at 43.51, narrowly ahead of Adamson’s Daniel Rambacal (43.01). Godfrey Monzon and Rafael Ballelos finished fourth and sixth.
Ateneo’s Hussein Lorana was named Rookie of the Year, following in the footsteps of his twin brother Hassan, last year’s winner. Hussein won two golds and a silver in his debut season, including a gold in the 4×400-meter relay with the Lorana twins, Matthew Angeles, and Mengorio, clocking 3:14.85. NU finished second at 3:15.08, with UST third at 3:20.80.
