Tiger Jins fall short of Poomsae title repeat
By Rob Andrew Lo Dongiapon
Gunning for a repeat of last season’s supremacy, UST came short of duplicating its UAAP Season 84 campaign, conceding the Season 85 Poomsae Championship to National University, Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Blue Eagle Gym.
The Tigers Jins banked on two golds from mixed pair and women’s team events but failed to capture the top prize in men’s team and women’s individual events.
UST racked up two golds, one silver, and one bronze to finish second in the overall tally.
Vincent Rodriguez and Chelsea Tacay squeaked past De La Salle University’s Patrick Perez and Mikee Regala by the thinnest of margins to rule mixed pair. UST’s Rodriguez and Tacay tallied a score of 8.230 — only .15 better than DLSU’s 8.125.
Season 84’s MVP Aidaine Laxa bannered UST in the women’s team event alongside Jade Carno and Stella Yape to retain their female squad’s crown in a dominant 8.350 final tally.
However, Laxa settled for silver in the women’s individual category, surrendering the gold to this season’s MVP Laela Soria of National University, whose score of 8.250 proved to be superior over the Tiger’s 8.135.
The team of Rodriguez, Kobe Macario, and Darius Venerable took home the bronze for UST in the men’s team category after recording a score of 8.165.
UST would have repeated its reign if not for UP’s Dominic Navarro, Joshua Cachero, and Datu Rayhan’s tight silver finish in the men’s team that allowed NU to nab its second gold of the competition and the overall title.
NU obtained two golds and two silvers to bag their first Poomsae championship title in the UAAP. Ateneo ended up in third place, ending a five-year podium drought.
