UNIVERSITY of the East claimed a fourth consecutive title in with a dominant performance on the second and final day of UAAP Season 87 judo tournament, held on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila.
Graduating Lady Warrior Ma. Veneza Dayao led the heavyweights on the second day, building on the success achieved by the eventual MVP Leah Jhane Lopez and the rest of the lightweights on the opening day.
Rather than facing a significant comeback from the second-placed University of Santo Tomas, UE fended off the late charges from the other competing teams.
Dayao, 25, sealed the championship victory over her sparring partner, Aescie Anne Ramos, with a tate-shiho-gatame at the 2:15 mark of the minus-70 kg final. This 1-2 finish widened the lead, as Nicole Habierto and Krystanna Resente also reached the finals in the minus-78 kg and minus-63 kg categories, respectively.
These results were bolstered by Lopez (minus-48 kg), Season 85 standout Joemari-Heart Rafael (minus-57 kg), and graduating Mylene Matias (minus-44 kg) who all secured golds on Day 1, along with Jhen Rose Mae Obeja, who earned a bronze in the minus-57 kg.
“Kahapon po kasi puro rookies ‘yung mga kasama naming lumaro, pero siyempre ngayong second day, (ang naglaro is) most of the seniors na talagang mga kasabayan din po. Thankful po ako sa kanila kasi hindi po sila nag-give up and hindi nila kami iniwan. At ginawa nila ‘yung part nila para makuha namin tong four-peat,” said the national team standout, Lopez.
“Kami po kasi sa UE, it’s not just a team, it’s like a family po. And iba po ‘yung culture na nabuo namin sa UE; andon po talaga ‘yung respect and discipline. And also sa training po, support system po talaga namin ‘yung isa’t isa,” the 24-year-old Pasay City resident added.
This winning culture and collaborative effort also led to the school’s first-ever double victory in the high school division, marking a triple crown for the Recto-based institution in the sport.
UST was the last school to win three out of the four championships at stake, achieving a men’s and high school double in Season 85 (2022).
Head coach Rodimple Rodriguez noted the challenges faced by the team, saying, “Sobrang hirap ng pinagdaanan namin as in one year kaming nag-training straight. And kumbaga ‘yung training namin from last year sinagad pa namin kasi last (season) nga, kinabahan pa kami ‘eh. Ang akala namin masusulot kami pero at least hindi naman. So, ngayong taon, in-upgrade pa namin ‘yung training namin.”
Rodriguez emphasized the strong bond among the coaches and student-athletes.
“’Yung iba nga sinabihan ko na OK lang hindi na kayo maglaro, marami naman tayong bagong players. Pero siguro ‘yun ‘yung magandang na-instill namin sa kanila — yung love for the team and love for the school. Kumbaga wala naman na silang dapat patunayan eh, pero dahil mahal nila ‘yung UE, bumalik sila para makapag-champion uli.”
Sherilyn Tagra (minus-63 kg), Mariah Lua (minus-70 kg), Margaret Fajardo (minus-78 kg), and Lea Loren Quimba (plus-78 kg) secured bronze medals that helped keep the UST Lady Judokas in second place with a total of 19 points. Faiza Asilum won the squad’s lone gold the previous day in the minus-52 kg.
Yvonne Aragon’s victory over Resente in the minus-63 kg final, due to Resente’s third shido, became a turning point for De La Salle University, which finished in third place with 14 points.
Their tally included two silver medals from the eventual Rookie of the Year, Hannah Mira (minus-44 kg), and Marisela Turro (plus-78 kg), along with a bronze from Tala Danielle Tadeo (minus-48 kg).
Maxine Mababangloob’s minus-78 kg gold over Habierto propelled Ateneo de Manila University to fourth place with a total of 12 points. Mababangloob defended her title with a second waza-ari just 25 seconds before the match ended.
University of the Philippines’ Stephanie Fetalver remained the champion in the plus-78 kg category, defeating DLSU’s Turro with a well-timed harai-goshi, 1:03 minutes into their match.
The Fighting Maroons concluded the tournament in fifth place with 11 points. Adamson University finished in sixth place in its return.