BOTH THE UST Junior Male and Lady Woodpushers carved their names into history after clinching their respective maiden crowns in the UAAP Season 88 juniors’ chess tournaments on Sunday, Oct. 19, at the Adamson Gym.
The golden double snapped UST’s 34-year wait for glory in the high school division.
In a high-stakes finale, the Junior Lady Woodpushers delivered when it mattered most, toppling top-seeded NU Nazareth School (NUNS) to seize their long-awaited crown in the girls’ division.
UST and NUNS ended the season deadlocked at 16 match points, but the Lady Woodpushers prevailed through a tiebreak, amassing 31 game points to NU’s 29.
Despite NUNS needing only a draw to secure the title, the España-based squad rose to the challenge as Daren dela Cruz (Board 1), Trina Temple (Board 2), Angel Po (Board 3), Iana Sotaridona (Board 4), Kara Menesses (Board 5) and Mecel Gadut (Board 6) all clinched podium finishes on their respective boards.
On the boys’ side, the Junior Male Woodpushers dethroned three-time reigning champions FEU Diliman for their first-ever title.
UST clinched the crown with a decisive 3-1 victory over De La Salle Zobel, finishing the season with 15 match points and 23.5 game points.
“I’m overjoyed right now because achieving a double championship is really tough. We honestly didn’t expect it to happen, but we’re very thankful it was given to us,” UST coach Ronald Dableo said.
“The kids truly deserve it. They worked hard until the very end,” he added.
Arena International Master Gabriel Paradero led the España squad, earning himself MVP honors and a silver on Board 1.
UST’s John Cyrus Borce secured another gold medal on Board 3, while King Lanz Pamplona (Board 2), Jian Carlo Rivera (Board 4), Jude Dableo (Board 5) and Sumer Oncita (Board 6) each nabbed silver in their respective boards. F
