The Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) Blue Knights dominated anew the Davao Association of Catholic Schools (Dacs) 2024 Sportsfest secondary and elementary swimming competition held recently at the Fr. Malasmas Swimming Pool in AdDU Matina campus.
Ateneo Blue Knights Swim Club team manager Rose Rodriguez mentioned losing count of the numerous times they emerged as overall champions in the Dacs swimfest.
She said, "Maski sa una na wala pa'y swimming pool naga-dominate na mi (Even before that we had no swimming pool, we were dominating)."
Now, the Blue Knights' swimmers have solidified their powerhouse status.
"Mas daghan na ma among maapilan na events, most of the time kumpleto ang entries. Of course, our advantage is naa mi'y facility and that means the program is really working
We can join more events, and most of the time, our entries are complete. Our advantage lies in having our own facility, proving that the program is truly working)," she said in a Messenger interview with SunStar Davao on Monday night, January 29, 2024.
The Blue Knights secondary swimmers harvested a total of 45 gold medals, 19 silvers, and 13 bronzes to emerge overall champion, besting Stella Maris Academy of Davao (Smad), San Pedro College (SPC), and the University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC) that claimed the next three positions.
Smad collected one gold, 16 silvers, and nine bronzes, while SPC had a 1-4-6 medal count, and UIC salvaged three bronzes.
In the elementary division, AdDU hauled 17 golds, 21 silvers, and 17 bronzes even as Smad claimed five golds and four bronzes. The Philippine Women's College (PWC), for its part, accounted for one silver.
Looking ahead, Rodriguez expressed confidence in their swimmers qualifying for the Palarong Pambansa, considering the Department of Education's (DepEd) ruling to base regional and Palaro qualifiers on set qualifying times.
She said that most of their high school swimmers have already met these standards, making the qualifying time a valuable criterion for selecting the best swimmers for regional meets and the Palarong Pambansa. MLSA