Rivals Ateneo, La Salle dominate Day 1 of UAAP swimming

Rivals Ateneo and La Salle posed as major threats to University of the Philippines' bid to repeat as double champions in the 74th UAAP swimming tournament by dominating the first day of competitions Thursday at the Trace Aquatics Center in Los Baños, Laguna. Ateneo's Celina Gonzalez won the gold in the women's 200-meter individual medley with a time of two minutes and 29.092 seconds, beating UP's Jackie Junio (silver, 2:32.03) and former high school Most Valuable Player (MVP) Ingrid Ilustre of La Salle (bronze, 2:32.50). Last season's top rookie Jasmine Ong also struck gold in the 100-m freestyle in 59.36, relegating UP bets Claire Adorna (1:00.66) and Roanne Yu (1:02.20) the silver and bronze medals, respectively. The Lady Eagles also finished 1-2 in the 800-m freestyle with rookie Kim Uy winning gold (9:42.91) while Ong settled for the silver (9:48.14). Adorna (9:49.32) completed the podium. The women's 800-meter freestyle relay team of Yu, Jacquiline Cruz, Angelica Inton and Mia Crespo underscored the Lady Eagles' opening-day domination when they established a new league record of 9:34.06 to break the old mark of 9:39.06 UP's 2008 squad established. Aphrodite Magbanlac, Antonette Aquino, Tiara Tubio and Maria Elouise Labao avoided a medal shut out when they ruled the 200-m medley relay in 2:10.31. The Green Archers also flexed their muscles on opening day of the four-day meet that ends Sunday with Tim Yap snatching the gold medals in the 800-m (9:22.53) and 100-m freestyle (55.61) events. Johannsen Aguilar, last season's Rookie of the Year, won gold in the 200-m individual medley (2:12.32) for La Salle, whose 800-m freestyle relay team of Patrick Juen, Robert Estrellado, Jarvin Li at Bendrick Co also emerged victorious (8:51.12). University of Santo Tomas (UST) managed to win the 200-m medley relay gold behind Ruel Medina, Samuel Alcos, Jeremiah Tolentino and Karlo Salonga clinched (1:56.52). Ateneo, however, looked poised to dominating the boys' division for the seventh straight season with five gold medals right on opening day, with UST clinching three girls' division gold medals and University of the East bagging two of its own. — JVP, GMA News