FAR Eastern University (FEU) and Adamson University (AdU) ripped their separate foes to remain on top after the 10th round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) chess team championships on Sunday.
The Tamaraws under two-time Olympian head coach GM Jayson Gonzales eked out a 3-1 win over National University (NU) at the University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) Tan Yan Kee Student Center in Espana, Manila.
FEU remain on top of the men's division with 31.5 points and continued to be in the running for a four-peat title.
“Still a long way to go and we hope we can sustain our momentum going to the crucial round next weekend,” said FEU head coach, two-time Olympian Gonzales.
UST meanwhile is in solo second place with 30.5 points.
In the distaff side, the FEU Lady Tamaraws continued their dominance by compiling 26 points, a full point ahead over second placer Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). Ateneo settled a 2-2 draw over UST.
In the juniors’ division, the Adamson Baby Falcons of coach Christopher Rodriguez blanked the UST Tiger Cubs, 4-0, to remain on top of the pack with 29.5 points.
Still at solo second place with 27.5 points are the FEU Baby Tamaraws, who also notched a 4-0 victory over De La Salle Zobel.
FEU, UE, UP rule track and field
In other sports, FEU lady tracksters ran away with a seventh straight crown in the UAAP track and field championships recently at the Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium.
The Lady Tamaraws collected 304 points on a 5-12-6 gold-silver-bronze output. University of Sto. Tomas was at far second with 253 points, and University of the East, which took third with 106 points.
It was the 19th women’s athletics title overall for the Morayta-based tracksters, the most in the league.
In the men's division, University of the East ended a six-year title drought after ruling the tournament with 196 points on a 1-5-5 gold-silver-bronze output.
UE is now the third winningest team with 10 men’s championships, behind UP and FEU which own 18 apiece.
FEU settled for second place with 182 points while Ateneo de Manila ranked third with 145.
Individual honors saw UST rookie Serenata Saluan as unanimous choice for women's division MVP and Rookie of the Year after getting seven gold medals.
The Sulu lass ruled the 1,500m; 10,000m; 3,000m; 5,000m; 400m; 4 x 400 meter relay; and 800m, where she set a new meet record.
FEU’s Romnick Herida, meanwhile, captured the MVP plum on the strength of his four-gold medal feat (100m, 200m and 400m run and 4 x 400m relay).
UE stand-out Richard Salano was adjudged Rookie of the Year.
In the juniors division, University of the Philippines Integrated School surprised last year’s champion Ateneo as the Junior Maroons compiled 305 points as against the Blue Eaglets’ 299.
Patrick Ma. Unso copped the juniors MVP award while Christian Ferrer of UPIS was the juniors top rookie.
Tigresses snap Lady Archers 14-0 bid
In volleyball, The Tigresses foiled defending champion La Salle's plans in completing a rare 14-game sweep by hammering out a nerve-wracking 23-25, 25-20, 26-28, 25-16, 15-12 last night in the UAAP women's volleyball tournament before a jampacked crowd at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
Angeli Tabaquero had 19 points while Aiza Maizo added 18 hits, including her game-winning drop shot, for UST.
Powerhouse UE snares fencing crowns
UE meanwhile overwhelmed its rivals anew after sweeping the men’s and women’s competitions in fencing tournament recently at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
The Red Warriors ended its season campaign with four gold and four bronze medals to win the men’s title over University of the Philippines and deposed two-time champion University of Sto. Tomas.
It was the sixth men’s fencing diadem overall for the Warriors, the league’s winningest team.
UE’s female fencers also scored a “three-peat" with five golds, three silvers and one bronze.
In the junior's division, Ateneo and UE’s bets posted identical harvests of three gold, three silver and three bronze medals but the Blue Eaglets edged the Junior Warriors in points, 324-318, to clinch the title.
Individual honors are all for UE as well with Francois Nowell Licono copping the juniors MVP and Rookie of the Year honors, and Nathaniel Fritz Gutierrez as MVP for the senior's division.
Jamie Nicanor and Manoah Baal meanwhile were adjudged as MVP and top rookie, respectively. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)