UAAP: UE completes another golden quadruple in fencing

MANILA, Philippines -- University of the East completed a dominant run in the UAAP Season 85 Fencing Championships after annexing its eighth quadruple crown in nine seasons, Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena in Manila.

The school captured its first two championships of the season in both high school and collegiate divisions with its 11-peat in the boys' division, ninth straight men's and girls' titles, and a back-to-back plum in the women's side.

The girls' squad needed to pull through in the sabre gold medal match to keep the crown. Aubrey Fernandez and the rest of the Junior Warriors made sure of that with a dominant 45-34 finish of De La Salle Zobel.

"Actually hindi nila alam, hindi namin sinabi na crucial yung laban niyo. Basta laro lang kayo, manalo," UE head coach Amatov Canlas shared.

He continued, "Hindi ko sinabi na kumng sino yung mananalo, sila yung magcha-champion. Binalikan ko lang kung anong klaseng training yung ginagawa namin, kasi hard training kami. Talagang mahirap, yung yung pinaisip ko sa kanila. Nandiyan tayo sa sitwasyon na yun yung mahirap. Maganda naman yung training natin at hindi tayo nagpabaya, bigay niyo lang yung best niyo. Magtiwala kayo sa sarili niyo at sa coaches,"

The Lady Red Warriors, on the other hand, closed their campaign with two golds for the day, denying UST and University of the Philippines the title in their stead.

De La Salle University had a hand in the result, taking down UP in the epee team semifinal, 45-42, before bowing out to UE in the final, 20-45.

Queen Dalmacio bagged her second straight top fencer plum three seasons apart after leading the team to that tight 45-44 win in the sabre finals to seal the championship.

Catantan sisters Allysah from UST and Shekinah from UE won the top rookie awards in the women's and girls' divisions, respectively.

The Red Warriors and the Junior Warriors, who secured the men's and boys' diadems on Saturday, leaned on eventual co-Most Valuable Players and co-Rookies of the Year in brothers Nicollei and Francis Felipe, and team captain Louis Shoemaker, respectively, in taking the foil team golds.

Felipe and his squad stopped Ateneo de Manila University, 45-34, on the men's side. Meanwhile, Shoemaker and the rest of his quartet also took care of Ateneo, 45-20.

Eubert Gale ended as one of the MVPs in the boys' side alongside James Lim, who was also touted as the best rookie for the season.