Ateneo tankers complete golden double

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo copped its first UAAP swimming championship double, topping the Season 77 men’s and women’s divisions competitions at the Rizal Memorial Swimming Pool last Sunday.

With Incheon Asian Games veteran Jessie Khing Lacuna leading the charge, the Blue Eagles amassed 540 points to dethrone University of the Philippines, which settled for second with 325 points.

Winning seven gold medals in record fashion in the 200-meter individual medley (2:05.59), 400-meter freestyle (4:04.86), 100-meter butterfly (56.01), 200-meter freestyle (1:53.02), 50-meter butterfly (25.47), 400-meter individual medley (4:37.10) and 200-meter butterfly (2:03.93) for a maximum 105 points, Lacuna was named the men’s MVP.

It was Ateneo’s second men’s championship in three years, thanks also to Aldo Batungbacal, who was named the Rookie of the Year after capping his performance by erasing the 13-year-old record of Timmy Chua in the 200-meter breaststroke with a new league mark of 2:24.23 to collect 90 points.

University of Santo Tomas finished third with 187 points.

The Lady Eagles, who won their first championship in 2008 with a powerhouse line-up led by Nikki Santiago, Ian Banzon and Heidi Gem Ong, finally ended a six-year title drought by collecting 468 points to unseat the Lady Maroons (430).

Rookie transferee Hannah Dato took the MVP honors in the distaff side after copping seven gold medals, erasing every UAAP mark in the 200-meter individual medley (2:21.66), 400-meter freestyle (4:30.76), 100-meter butterfly (1:02.22), 200-meter freestyle (2:07.87), 50-meter butterfly (28.20), 400-meter individual medley (5:05.08) and 200-meter butterfly (2:19.71) to finish also with 105 points.

Ateneo’s Ariana Herranz became the top rookie in the women’s division after amassing 80 points.

La Salle placed third with 121 points.

Eagles coach Sherwin dela Paz and Lady Eagles mentor Candice Esguerra bagged the Coach of the Year plum.

In the juniors division, Ateneo won its 10th consecutive boy’s title with 544 points, beating UST (318), and La Salle-Zobel (211) in the process, while UST ruled the girl’s side with 360 points to upend UP Integrated School (317) and La Salle-Zobel (235).