This season’s UAAP Athletics tournament was all about improvement and redemption for the DLSU Tracksters. After placing fourth last season, the Green Tracksters took home the second place plum thisyear with a total of 228 points. Their female counterparts, the Lady Tracksters, improved to fourth place with a total of 102 points this season after last year’s fifth place finish.
The FEU Tamaraws won their fifth straight championship in the men’s division while the UST Tigresses put an end to FEU’s 11-year championship reign and took thechampionship in the women’s division.
The Green Tracksters won several gold, silver and bronze medals in different events. Jasper Tanhueco, Michel del Prado and Erwin Parcon won the bronze medals in the 100 meter, 400 meter and 800 meter sprints, respectively.
Green Trackster Gerald Layumas took the bronze medal in the men’s triple jump event. La Salle also won bronze in the men’s 4×400 meter relay through the efforts of Tanheuco, Del Prado, Jericho Ejercito, and Nestly Tercero. Tercero and Layumas also gave DLSU silver medals in the 400 meter hurdles and the men’s long jump respectively. The team of Tanhueco, Tercero, Ejercito, and Timothy Uichico also bagged silver in the men’s 4×100 meter relay.
Patrick Unso, who was nursing an injury, emerged victorious with the gold medal in the men’s 110 meter hurdles but did not competer in the 200 meter event. Mat Crespo also won the gold had in the men’s hammer throw. John Rey Moreno won the gold medals in the men’s 3000 meter steeple chase and 500 meter sprint.
Meanwhile, the Lady Tracksters won silver in the women’s high jump behind the efforts of Maureen Schrijvers. Like the Green Tracksters, the team of Angel Carino, Leah Creer, Mary Diesto and Judy Ann Rendora got the silver medal in the women’s 4×100 meter relay. Rendora and Carino also added gold medals for DLSU in the women’s 100 meter hurdles and long jump, respectively.
Coach Joeffrey Chua of the DLSU Tracksters is more than satisfied with how his team performed this season. “Excellent, unbelievable, unexpected,” he says. Although they were unable to clinch the championship, Chua cannot further explain how happy he is for their achievement as he didn’t put so much expectations on his team. “We didn’t expect na we can land sa second place at all eh so God’s gift sa amin ‘yan,” shares Chua regarding the Green Tracksters’ finish.
Chua also shared that eight out of the 11 members of the Lady Tracksters who competed this season are rookies. However, he is glad that they were able to contribute and achieve beyond expectations. “Those rookies are just replacements eh and I didn’t expect na mage-exceed pa sila doon sa mga points na in-expect ko sa kanila,” he ends.
DLSU was the sub-host of the tournament which was held from December 6-10 at the Philsports Arena (formerly ULTRA) in Pasig City.
