UE fencers paint UAAP Season 72 red

University of the East cemented its status as a fencing powerhouse as it swept the men’s and women’s competitions of the 72nd UAAP fencing tournament recently at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. The Red Warriors snared four gold and four bronze medals to win the men’s title over University of the Philippines and deposed two-time champion University of Sto. Tomas. Spearheading the UE fencers’ charge was Nathaniel Fritz Gutierrez, who dished out gold-winning performances in the individual and men’s team foil events en route to the MVP plum.

It was the sixth men’s fencing diadem overall for the Warriors, the league’s winningest team. UE’s female fencers made it a double celebration this year after completing a “three-peat" in their own side with five golds, three silvers and one bronze. Jamie Nicanor carried the Lady Warriors on her shoulders with her MVP performance in women’s individual foil, women’s team foil and women’s individual epee. The Lady Warriors beat out Ateneo and UP for the tiara. UE also romped off with the Rookie of the Year plums, courtesy of Manoah Baal, a member of the winning team in foil, and Nicanor’s younger sister Jylyn, who won a team gold medal and an individual silver in women’s sabre play. The Recto-based contingent could have added the juniors crown to its Season 72 collection but the Ateneo Blue Eaglets prevented the Junior Warriors from completing a three-division romp. Ateneo and UE’s bets actually had identical harvests of three gold, three silver and three bronze medals but the Blue Eaglets edged the Junior Warriors in points, 324-318, to clinch the title. The UE team, though, swept the individual awards with Francois Nowell Licono copping the juniors MVP and Rookie of the Year honors on the strength of his mints in the boys' individual and team foil and team sabre events. - GMANews.TV