UE tracksters cop UAAP plum

The University of the East Red Tracksters pulled off an impressive performance by winning the championship in the women’s division of the UAAP athletics competition held Dec. 14-17 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Manila.

The UE women tracksters amassed the tournament’s highest score of 256 points, dethroning defending champion University of Santo Tomas. The UE squad brought home a total of 10 gold medals, 14 silver medals and six bronze medals.

"Talagang masaya ako kasi natupad na rin ‘yung pangako ko sa UE administration na kunin namin ‘yung championship within three years, and our sacrifices paid off," said UE head coach Elma Muros-Posadas.

Mercedita Manipol, a UE graduating BSEd student, was named Most Valuable Player, while UE BSEd first year student Leah Adan was tagged as Rookie of the Year.

Playing her last UAAP season, Manipol captured the gold in the 10,000-meter run, a newly introduced event in the women’s division, by clocking 37:37.15. Manipol also hauled the gold medal in the 3,000-meter run, setting a new meet record at 10:16.33 time, and in the 5,000-meter run, another new event, at 17:59.22.

Manipol together with teammates Julie Rose Forbes, Mary Grace Melgar and Amelia Francisco snared the gold in the 4x400 meter relay, clocking in a new meet record at 3:75.84. Manipol likewise won the silver medal in the 1,5000-meter run, clocking in at 4:41.16.

Adan won the gold medal in the javelin throw and the bronze medal in the hammer throw.

The UE women’s team actually annexed UAAP championship after dominating the seventh National University Games (UniGames) held last Oct. 18-25 at the Gov. Mariano Percides Memorial Coliseum in Dumaguete City.

The UE male tracksters, the winningest UAAP athletics team for having been the league’s athletics champion for eight consecutive years (1994-2001), finished second place at their latest UAAP stint with a total of 169 points. The team earned its fifth UniGames championship last October.