UST ends UE dominance with thrilling finale
University of Santo Tomas (UST) etched its name in UAAP history on Friday, seizing its first-ever women’s fencing championship and breaking University of the East’s (UE) long-standing supremacy at Season 87’s conclusion at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Growling Tigresses clinched the title in electrifying fashion, toppling the defending champions, 45-40, in the sabre team final—the decisive event that determined the new queens of UAAP fencing.
“This doesn’t feel real honestly,” said Jannah Catantan, the tournament’s MVP. “Before the season, I knew we could do it, especially with the strength of our team with Alexa [Larrazabal]. It wasn’t impossible—but it was still tough. It all came down to the last match.”
UST and UE entered the sabre final deadlocked with two gold medals each after UE edged UST earlier in the day, 45-41, in the epee team event. With everything on the line, UST’s resilience prevailed.
Catantan, a national team standout, reflected on the moment’s gravity, recalling the heartbreak of an earlier foil event loss.
“Foil was my main event, and losing that was really painful. But maybe it was God’s will that we saved our gold for the very end,” she said.
UST ended the tournament with 3 golds, 3 silvers and 1 bronze, while UE tallied 2 golds, 2 silvers and 2 bronzes. University of the Philippines secured third place with a 1-1-4 haul.
Despite falling short, UE maintained its powerhouse status elsewhere, extending its boys’ and men’s fencing dynasties. In the men’s division, the Red Warriors secured their 11th straight crown, led by Nicollei Felipe, who captured his third consecutive MVP honor after a dominant foil campaign.
Felipe stressed the importance of UE’s unified program: “It’s about having one goal, one mind. That’s how we keep the legacy alive.”
