THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas reigns supreme once again after securing its seventh consecutive UAAP general championship for Season 86 and bagging its 47th overall title in the league’s history.
UST accumulated a total of 332 points for the collegiate division, as announced during the league’s closing ceremony on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Last year’s podium finishers, De La Salle University and University of the Philippines (UP), maintained their second and third-place finishes in the league with 269 and 258 points, respectively.
Thomasian athletes and teams earned nine gold, seven silver and five bronze medals in the seniors division to secure the University’s championship streak in the collegiate ranks of the tournament.
UST clinched championship titles in men’s chess, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, men’s table tennis, women’s taekwondo, women’s poomsae, men’s lawn tennis and women’s 5×5 and 3×3 basketball.
The España-based squad secured a silver finish in women’s tennis, men’s fencing, men’s taekwondo, men’s and women’s judo and men’s and women’s volleyball.
The University also earned bronze medals in women’s athletics, women’s swimming, women’s fencing, women’s softball and men’s football.
The high school division was also dominated by UST with 257 points, marking its eighth consecutive and 23rd overall title in the UAAP. De La Salle Santiago Zobel School placed second with 154 points, while the Adamson University took third with 135.
Adding to the celebratory atmosphere, UST dance teams achieved back-to-back gold medals in both the high school and college divisions of the UAAP Season 86 street dance competition. UST Galvanize secured its fourth consecutive title in the junior ranks, while UST Prime won its second consecutive title in the senior level.
The UAAP’s scoring system awards 15 points to the champion, 12 points to the runner-up, and 10 points to the team in third place.
Kent Pastrana, a member of the UST Growling Tigresses and one of the mythical five players of the women’s basketball tournament, received the Athlete of the Year Award (Team sports) for the collegiate division.
Other notable Athlete of the Year awardees included Girls’ Volleyball MVP Shaina Nitura from the Adamson Baby Falcons (High school – Team sports), Women’s swimming Rookie-MVP Quendy Fernandez of the UP Fighting Maroons (Collegiate – Individual) and 400m record-holder Hussein Loraña of the Adamson Baby Falcons (High school – Individual).
Pierre Abellana from the UST Golden Tigresses was also recognized as the Athlete-Scholar of the league.
The University of the East, host of Season 86, passed the torch to UP as the host for Season 87 of the league, which will commence on September 7 this year. F – Czarina Mari Agaton and Nicole Atuan
