UST bags 14th straight UAAP overall trophy

MANILA, Philippines - University of Santo Tomas extended its domination of the UAAP by bagging a 14th straight and 39th overall general championship trophy in Season 74 which wraps up on Saturday.

UST topped eight sports, finished second in seven disciplines and third in three others to amass 298 points, 20 points ahead of second-placer De La Salle (278) which finished the season with a 4-7-7 (first-second-third) tally.

Far Eastern University, a far second in the general championship race with 16 across its name, was third this season with 229 points.

FEU, however, could have given the front-runners a run for their money had the school took part in all 28 events of the 14-sport UAAP program. The Morayta-based school did not field teams in eight events, had three more gold medals than De La Salle, but lost out to the Taft-based school because of only three second-place finishes.

University of the Philippines was fourth with 219 and season host Ateneo, the “four-peat” men’s basketball champion, was fifth with 207.

University of the East, owner of five general championship trophies, was sixth with 140 point, Adamson University seventh with 105 and a threateningly rejuvenated National University eighth with 81.

The UAAP allots 15 points for the championship in an event, 12 to the second placer, 10 to the third placer, eight to the fourth placer, six to the fifth placer, four to the sixth placer, two to the seventh placer and one point to the eighth placer.

UST swept men’s and women’s judo and ruled men’s fencing and table tennis and women’s beach volleyball, football and tennis. De La Salle triumped in men’s swimming and lawn tennis and women’s volleyball and chess.

FEU dominated athletics and men’s beach volleyball, volleyball and chess and women’s basketball and taekwondo, while UP was champion in men’s football and women’s swimming and table tennis.

Besides men’s basketball, Ateneo also copped the men’s badminton crown to tie UE’s two first-place finishes in women’s badminton and fencing.

Adamson snatched the softball title, while NU won its first seniors crown since 1986 – baseball.

Ateneo has prepared an elaborate closing ceremony – at 1 p.m. this Saturday at the Philippine International Convention Center Forum 1 and 2 – to compliment its unique Olympic-style opening rites last July.