CAPAS, Tarlac – Ateneo etched another milestone in UAAP swimming as the Blue Eagles clinched their ninth consecutive men’s division championship apart from reclaiming the women’s title after five years at the New Clark City Aquatics Center here.
These victories further solidify Ateneo’s dominance in collegiate swimming, winning its 10th overall title in the men’s division and seventh in the distaff’s side.
The two championships were secured in contrasting fashions – the men’s team triumphed with relative ease, while the women’s team had to fend off a spirited challenge from defending champion University of the Philippines until the final event.
Ateneo’s men’s team dominated the four-day meet, securing 19 of 22 gold medals and amassing a staggering 493 points. Their closest rival, La Salle settled for second place with 321 points, followed by UP (226 points) and University of Santo Tomas (170 points).
Day 4 saw the Blue Eagles claim five golds and two bronze medals. The sole event they missed was the 200-meter breaststroke, where UP’s Geoffrey Liberato edged out La Salle’s Earl Jay Jayme for gold, clocking in at 2:22.64.
The day belonged to Ateneo’s standout rookies.
Miguel Barreto delivered a flawless campaign, winning his seventh gold medal in the 1500-meter freestyle and earning both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors with a perfect 105 points.
Meanwhile, fellow rookie Ivo Enot showcased his talent with two gold medals on the final day. Enot clocked 27.19 seconds in the 50-meter backstroke and followed up with a 24.06-second finish in the 50-meter freestyle.
Other notable performances included Juan Marco Daos, who claimed his first gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:10.39, and the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay team, composed of Enot, Charles Ticbaen, Rafael Barreto, and Rian Marco Tirol.
The relay team shattered the UAAP record with a time of 3:52.73, surpassing UP’s previous mark by nearly four seconds.
In the women’s division, Ateneo faced stiff competition from UP and La Salle.
The Blue Eagles lagged behind early but surged ahead on Day 3, entering the final day with a narrow 25-point lead.
UP’s rookie-MVP from Season 86, Quendy Fernandez, gave her team an early boost on Day 4 with a dominant win in the 50-meter backstroke, reducing Ateneo’s lead to 11 points.
For the fourth consecutive season, UST secured a championship doub le, clinching both the boys’ and girls’ swimming titles.
The title was the Tigersharks’ 11th overall title in the boys’ division and 14th overall in the girls’ side.
