FELIPE brothers, Nicollei and Khiane, powered University of the East to two more gold-medal finishes on Day 4 of the 87th University Athletic Association of the Philippines Fencing Championships on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
This was after the 21-year-old Nicollei helped the Warriors to the team gold in the men’s sabre event, while the 17-year-old Khiane scored points that pushed the Junior Warriors to the foil honors.
Nicollei first strung up three big wins in carrying the Warriors to a 45-37 edging of the University of Santo Tomas Tigers.
He now has four podium finishes after earlier settling for the silver in the individual epee finals, rallying to a 15-12 beating of fellow Red Warrior Robert Cabaero, 15-12, in the men’s foil gold-medal match.
Nicollei’s other silver came in the men’s team epee, when UE took a 31-45 loss to UP in the finals.
“Sobrang happy po. Pressured last year dahil lima lang kami sa team, compared ngayon na may iba kaming teammates,” said Nicollei, who is also entered in the team epee event.
A bronze medalist in team foil at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, Nicollei first handed UE a 10-8 lead, with a his 5-4 verdict over UST foe Dennis Villanueva before UE took a 20-13 on his 5-1 rout of Larco Cortez.
UE, which reached the finals after getting past Ateneo, 45-40, in the semifinals, gained an 11-point lead, 35-24, on Nicollei’s 5-1 downing of Ricardo Fuenzalida Jr.
Meanwhile, Khiane and the UE Junior Warriors turned back UST, 45-27, in the boys’ junior boys finals.
Khiane came up with a 5-3 victory over UST’s Ranzelle Aberilla, and then bounced back from a 2-11 setback to Rayne Maravailla with a 5-2 stopping of Prince Geronimo.
UE, led by Queenie Dalmacio, also grabbed the women’s team epee crown with a 45-41 verdict over the Janna Catantan-led UST side.
UST, behind Bailey Olayres, Estelliah Gilliana and Kathleen Tuy, knocked down UE, 45-44, in a close contest for the girls’ sabre plum.