UP tankers bag double championship

MANILA, Philippines - University of the Philippines achieved what has not been done in the last 13 years in the UAAP swimming competitions – bag a double championship – yesterday at end of Season 73 hostilities at the Trace Aquatics Center in Los Baños, Laguna.

The Diliman-based contingent piled up 263 points in four days of action to beat Ateneo (249) and La Salle (169) for the women’s division title and reigned supreme in the men’s side with 201 points against University of Sto. Tomas’ 194 and Ateneo’s 186.

The Lady Maroons secured their second straight crown and 10th overall with a final-day charge spiked by Andeng Belludo, Jodie de Leon, Marielle Infantado and Christine Grace Hipol’s triumph in 400-meter medley relay event (4:53.23).

For their part, the Fighting Maroons rode on the record-breaking swim of veteran Ken Uy in the 50-meter freestyle (23.39 seconds that erased his two-year-old 23.67 mark) to clinch their first diadem in the last three years and 16th overall.

UP was also the last delegation to sweep the pool competitions when the Maroons took the men’s and women’s crowns back in 1997.

Meanwhile, Ateneo romped off with all the individual awards.

Denjylie Cordero (five golds and one silver) and Jasmine Ong won the women’s division MVP and Rookie of the Year honors, respectively, while the men’s plums went to MVP Evan Uy (three golds, three silvers and one bronze) and top rookie Lawin Dacera.

In the juniors division, the Blue Eaglets completed a “six-peat” while the Junior Tigresses accomplished a back-to-back.

Ateneo’s Gabriel Lorenzo Castelo and UE’s Ingrid Ilustre were adjudged MVPs.