The DLSU Green and Lady Tracksters gave it their all during the UAAP Season 87 Athletics Championships held last November 17 to 21 at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac. Coming off a historic victory as champions in UAAP Season 86, the Lady Tracksters delivered a commendable performance this year, finishing fourth in the Women’s division with 191 points. Despite their best efforts, the Green Tracksters ended up in the eighth spot of the standings.
While their standing changed considerably from last season, the esteemed Lady Trackster Bernalyn Bejoy was once again named the Most Valuable Player in the Women’s Division. Bejoy played a key role in La Salle’s medal haul, securing gold medals in both the team and individual events, along with a silver finish in the 200-meter event.
Chasing paces
Although the Lady Tracksters narrowly missed the podium—only four points behind the bronze-winning UP Fighting Maroons—they earned several impressive accolades, including Bejoy’s back-to-back MVP titles following this year’s tournament. Bejoy left it all on the track, running for five medals, four of them being gold.
In their bid to defend their title, the Lady Tracksters showed out in their team events. The quartet of Abcd Agamanos, Erica Ruto, Jessel Lumampas, and Hannah Delotavo bagged silver in the 4100-meter Relay. The team made even greater strides in the 4400-meter Relay, where the same latter trio and Bejoy broke DLSU’s own record of 3:50.33 in 2022, finishing almost three seconds faster with a new time of 3:47.36.
Close push
The DLSU Lady Tracksters also shone in multiple individual contests, with reigning MVP Bejoy immediately snubbing the Gold medal for the 800-meter competition, followed by Lumapas’ silver standing for the 100-meter event on the first day of the championships.
On the following day, the Lasallians secured two more Silver medals from Ann Quitoy’s 40.19-meter performance in the javelin throw and Bejoy’s finish in the 200-meter fixture. Agamanos also contributed a Bronze medal for her efforts in the triple jump contest.
Bejoy continued to be the driving force behind the women’s team, propelling them to consecutive champion finishes on the third day of the games after she placed first in both the 400-meter event and 400-meter hurdles. The Lady Tracksters strove to overcome their deficit and secure a podium spot on the final day of the championship, but only Agamanos’ individual silver finish in the 100-meter hurdles helped the team make a final push, ultimately finishing fourth this season.
Bright Nwanko, initially recognized as a Green Archer, also entered the fray of the athletics scene as a Green Trackster. The athletics rookie shared that he had just two months to prepare for the championship after placing tenth in the shot put contest on day one. “I wish I had more time to prepare, so I could do better. But hopefully, next season, I should be able to do better,” Nwanko remarked, demonstrating his athletic commitment and inspiring hope for a stronger finish for the Green Tracksters next season.
With a remarkable 191 points, the DLSU Lady Tracksters secured four Golds, four Silvers, and two Bronze medals. Meanwhile, the Green Tracksters, despite their spirited 39-point effort, fell short of podium finishes. Both teams are setting their sights on a more competitive outcome in UAAP Season 88.
