UAAP completes CHED runaway win

University Athletic Association of the Philippines kept its romp in swimming and athletics and completed a runaway win even as National Collegiate Association finally made its presence felt scoring victories on three fronts at the close of the 2000 Commission on Higher Education (CHED) National Games.

UAAP terribly outclassed the opposition in the field, the oval and the pool and was way ahead on the medal tally with 52 golds, 30 silvers and 20 bronzes at presstime. NCR-Private School Athletic Association (NCR-PRISAA) was second with 10 golds, 14 silvers and nine bronzes.

NCAA struck gold in table tennis, women's volleyball and chess as it gained its share of the pie in the weeklong event organized by Federation of Higher Education School Association (FHESA) under former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioner Tisha Abundo.

The NCAA table-netters proved to be the team's biggest heroes as they copped the golds in both the men's and women's divisions.

Joselito Almazan, Kirby Colis, Donato Baes and Mel Capili beat UAAP's Alvin Remigio, Leonardo de Leon, Oneleson Tauro and Noejarius dela Cruz, 3-0, for the men's title.

Crisanta Abas, Donna Leonor, Rexanne Blanca and Gea Tady made it a twinkill for NCAA as they trounced also their UAAP counterparts Karen Jaleco, Angelie Garrido, Horlea dela Cruz and Mylene McKinley, 3-1.

NCAA also emerged triumphant in women's volleyball as it survived a five-set thriller over UAAP, thanks to the clutch plays of ace player Sheryl Tomayao.

NCAA chessers made it a four-gold haul for the team as they topped their event although dropping their final match to Negros Occidental Provincial School Sports Cultural Education Association (NOPSSCEA), 1.5-2.5. NCAA finished with a total of 13.5 points.

Meantime, Cagayan Valley Higher Education Sports Association (CAVAHESA), headed by Asiong Bautista, ruled the sepak takraw behind the team of Vincent Domingo, Arnulfo Moreno, Christopher Palattao and Arcadio Binasoy.

Coach German Salvador and his boys won the gold at the expense of Baguio Educational Athletic League (BEAL), 2-0.

The badminton event belonged to UAAP as it ruled both sides with its men's team downing Cebu Amateur Athletic Association (CAAA), 3-0, and its distaff squad outclassing CHED Supervised School Athletic Association (CHESSAA) with the same score.

Another gold for UAAP on the final day of competition was delivered by Far Eastern University with a 25-19, 25-22, 26-24 scuttling of NCR-PRISAA, ironically represented by UAAP reigning men's volley champ University of Santo Tomas.