THE UST Tiger Jins capped their campaign with a first runner-up finish in the UAAP Season 88 Taekwondo tournament held from April 21-24 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The España squad tallied five gold, four silver, and four bronze medals overall, finishing behind the champions NU Bulldogs in both men’s and women’s divisions.
In kyorugi, the women’s team delivered two gold, three silver, and one bronze medal, while the men’s squad collected two gold, two silver, and four bronze medals.
In the women’s kyurogi finals, Rookie of the Year Tachiana Mangin dominated the bantamweight (under-53 kg) match, sweeping NU’s RJ Rae Arquion, 10–0, 9–0.
Laizel Abucay matched the feat in the featherweight (under-57kg) division, dispatching Via Trocio of NU, 12-2, 6-3, to secure another gold.
Meanwhile, Jeanne May Urmaneta settled for silver in the women’s lightweight (under-62 kg) after a tightly contested three-round loss to NU’s Sharifa dela Cruz, 8-8. 9-12, 7-0.
K-Ann Ginaga also claimed silver, bowing to DLSU’s Jade Papa, 14-12, 17-7, in the finweight (under-46kg) category.
In the men’s kyurogi championship, Tiger Jins captain Justin Mark Agno delivered a standout performance , toppling NU’s Carl Ayaton in the men’s welterweight (under-80kg) division by two rounds.
Aljen Aynaga added another gold in the flyweight (under-58 kg) division after defeating NU’s Melbourne Lustado, 13–4, 4–0.
Israel Cantos secured a silver in the middle/heavyweight (over-80kg) finals, falling to NU’s Cyvir Junio, 8-5, 10-9.
Rama Liporada also finished with a silver after yielding to Season 88 MVP Kenneth Buenvides in the bantamweight (under-63 kg) finals, 9-7, 7-2.
In poomsae, Tiger Jins fell short of a three-peat as NU swept four gold medals, with UST managing only gold in the mixed-pair event.
King Nash Alcairo and Nicole Labayne delivered the lone gold scoring 9.150 to outclass DLSU and NU.
The men’s poomsae team of Alcairo, Dane Subaste, and Leno Maximus Subaste earned silver with 9.130 points, behind NU’s 9.210.
UST’s women’s poomsae team—Aidaine Laxa, Nicole Labayne, and Heza Serapio — also settled for silver after posting 8.900, narrowly trailing to NU’s 8.967.
Subaste captured another silver in the men’s individual poomsae with 8.860, behind NU’s Ian Corton who scored 9.090.
Laxa mirrored the result in the women’s individual event, registering 8.850, to finish behind DLSU’s Sofia Sarmiento’s (8.960).
In freestyle poomsae, however, the Tiger Jins shone the brightest, securing three gold medals in the men’s individual, women’s individual, and mixed team competition. F
