By WAYLON GALVEZ
Loralee Natividad put on an MVP performance as College of St. Benilde capped its dominating showing in the NCAA online taekwondo speed kicking competition last Monday.
Winner of the MVP plum last season, Natividad tallied 7.067 points to beat Aliciarose Gonzales of Letran and teammate Shiela Mae Samson for the gold in the welterweight division of the event televised over GTV channel of GMA-7.
Equally impressive for CSB were Anne Christine Obenza and Lucille Cunanan who clinched the gold medals in the middleweight and heavyweight categories, respectively.
The Lady Blazers went 1-2 in the middleweight division as Obenza (6.583 points) edged out Ashley Judd Felipe (6.175). Arellano University’s Kezia Eustaquio settled for the bronze.
Cunanan punctuated CSB’s brilliant showing by collecting 6.475 points for the gold medal. Arellano’s Beverly Michelle Bandiola (6.358) and San Beda’s Roxanne Candatu (6.083) finished second and third, respectively.
The Taft-based school finished the six-day tournament with four gold medals, three silvers and three bronzes. The Chiefs placed second with a gold, two silvers and two bronzes, while the Red Jins had a 1-1-2 medal haul in third place.
The Blazers also ruled the men’s division with five gold medals.
Arellano’s gold medal in the competition was produced by Paulene Rey, who won the lightweight division with 6.508, beating Rocio Cortez Diaz of CSB (6.433) and her schoolmate Francis Claire Apuya (6.250).
Jose Rizal University also had one gold in fourth place, followed by San Sebastian with one gold and one bronze, and Letran with two silvers.
