AFTER their historic victory in basketball, the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers added another feather in their championship cap after bagging the doubles crowns in the men’s secondary and tertiary lawn tennis competition of the 13th Cesafi season, which ended last Sept. 29 at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club in barangay Pardo, Cebu City.
The UV netters won the tertiary men’s doubles crown after Tuburan’s former Palarong Pambansa player, Janel Troy Pintor, paired with Marc Norman Enriquez in snaring a gold medal, defeating University of San Jose Recoletos’ (USJ-R) Israel Abarquez,Jr. and Jansmith Cabungcal.
The secondary division, the duo of Francis Hidalgo and Norman Joseph Enriquez added another accolade to UV’s already dominant showing this season as they defeated University of San Carlos’ (USC) Derek Tabotabo and Charlemagne Cabarrubias to also snare a gold medal.
Meanwhile, the University of San Carlos (USC) continued its domination in the sport after winning the championship crowns in the secondary and tertiary women’s doubles competition, tertiary women’s and men’s singles, and secondary boys division.
USC carted away the tiara in the tertiary women’s division after the mighty Siso tandem of Sallydine and Sally Mae demolished UV’s Mae Angeli Amorin and Mary Christine Bellita for the gold. Their younger counterparts, Anthea Guarin and Leanne Transporte, also won a gold for USC in the secondary division.
The other Siso sibling, Bernardine Niño, also shone in the four-day battle as he defeated USC teammate Fritz Satera to snag the gilt in the tertiary men’s singles competition. Kezia Jabines also won a gold for USC after topping the tertiary women’s singles division. Jermaine Laurel won the boys’ singles gold medal after overpowering USC teammate Francis Navales in the finals.
Kristine Renee Salimbangon handed Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu its lone gilt in the tournament after defeating Beverly Olive Enriquez of USC in the finals of the secondary girls singles match.
University of the Visayas head coach Fritz Tabura,who will call the shots for the Cebuano netters come the Prisaa regional finals slated in Bohol this February, told CebuDaily News that all the gold and silver medalists in the singles and gold medalists in the doubles categories in the Cesafi tournament will form the core of the team for the regional finals.
He also added that they will include USJ-R’s Israel Abarquez, Jr., who is the 13th-ranked player in the country, and USC’s Mary Claire Lazaga in the team. /Correspondent JADE S. VIOLETA