By: Aianna Xyril Monsod
Photo Courtesy of Julia Iris Eguillano | THE LANCE
DAY 1
The Junior Boys opened the meet with electrifying performances. Ashton Clyde Jose emerged as the standout, taking gold in the 200m breaststroke and adding silver in the 200m individual medley, demonstrating both power and versatility in the pool. Karl Fernandez also made his presence felt, finishing 6th in the 200m IM against a competitive field.
The juniors capped the day with a strong relay showing. The quartet of Jose, Fernandez, Kean Paragatos, and Jefferson Sabularse powered through the 4x100m medley relay, claiming silver and marking a successful opening day.
In the senior men’s category, Eirik Rivera delivered a blistering swim in the 50m fly, earning bronze, while Em-ji Mata clocked a top-five finish in the 200m breaststroke, showcasing endurance in the distance event. The men’s relay team of Rivera, Mata, Dave Miranda, and Gabriel Gonzalez combined their strengths in the 4x100m medley relay to clinch bronze.
For the senior women, Jianne Daniel made her mark in the distance events with top-eight finishes in the 200m breaststroke and 400m freestyle. Their relay squad, featuring Daniel, Bernadette Cabatian, Chloe Constantino, and Kristiana Sampang, battled hard in the 4x100m medley relay, finishing just shy of the podium in 4th place.
DAY 2
Day 2 saw the juniors maintain their dominance. Ashton Jose powered to gold in the 200m freestyle and earned bronze in the 50m breaststroke, with Karl Fernandez close behind in 6th place. Fernandez also placed just off the podium in the 100m butterfly, while Kean Paragatos finished 4th as well in the 100m backstroke.
The junior boys’ relay crew continued to impress. In the 4x50m medley relay, the lineup of Paragatos, Jose, Fernandez, and Rivera secured bronze, highlighting their consistency in team events.
The senior men's classification also delivered solid performances throughout the meet. Eirik Rivera secured 5th in the 100m butterfly, and Em-ji Mata earned 6th in the 50m breaststroke.
The relay events brought the action to a thrilling peak. In the 4x100m freestyle relay, the junior boys (Aariz Obrero, Amadeus Rivera, Altair Obrero, and Ianne Simeon) delivered a strong performance to finish fourth, while the senior women’s quartet (Jianne Daniel, Bernadette Cabatian, Chloe Constantino, and Kristiana Sampang) also secured fourth place. The men’s team (Atticus Inson, Gabriel Patag, Reigzen Mercado, and Kayel Alferos) fought through a competitive field to take sixth.
The 4x50 medley relay proved just as competitive. The juniors (Kean Paragatos, Ashton Jose, Karl Fernandez, and Amadeus Rivera) claimed third place, the senior men (Dave Miranda, Em-ji Mata, Eirik Rivera, and Gabriel Gonzales) finished fifth, and the women’s crew (Melajie Cabatian, Jasmine Omolon, Aliah Rementilla, and Camille Mendez) also placed fifth.
DAY 3
The junior boys’ standout Ashton Jose carried his momentum into day 3, clinching gold in the 400m individual medley and following it up with silver in the 100m breaststroke, further cementing his remarkable run in the tournament.
The AquaKnights concluded the tournament with a mixed bag of results. The junior boys and senior women maintained their respective second and fifth-place rankings from last season, while the senior men finished fifth, down from their previous third-place finish.