Ateneo HS Lawn Tennis Team is ISTA Division 1 champion!

The Ateneo de Manila High School Lawn Tennis Team is champion of the Inter-School Tennis Association (ISTA) Division 1 tournament that was concluded last Saturday, February 16, 2013 at Colegio San Agustin in Makati. Playing for Ateneo were Ino Canlas (4H), Alfonso Opulencia (4B), Iyo Canlas (3M), and Marcen Gonzales (2C).  

ISTA's defending champions, the Xavier Stallions, failed to win a back-to-back ISTA championship against the Ateneo Netters, who clinched the 2013 ISTA title by winning all three singles matches against Xavier last February 16. AHS senior Ino Canlas (4-H) demolished Xavier’s Enrique Ferrer, 8-1, while sophomore Marcen Gonzales (2-C), won over Vernon Huibonhoa, 8-4. Sealing Ateneo’s bid for the ISTA title was AHS junior Iyo Canlas’ exciting, come-from-behind victory over Xavier’s Joel Atienza,  8-4.
 
Though Ateneo had already won the title after claiming the three singles matches, Ino Canlas and Marcen Gonzales played a doubles match anyway against Xavier’s Anton Punzalan and Leonard Cheng, winning with a score of 6-3. A second doubles match was no longer played owing to the fact that AHS senior Alfonso Opulencia (4-B) was injured.
 
Of the ISTA division 1 win in his last year in Ateneo High School, team captain Ino Canlas describes the victory as, “the best feeling ever.” Acknowledging the support the team received from friends, classmates, teachers, and administrators who traveled to Makati on a busy Saturday afternoon to watch the match against Xavier, Canlas added, “Being with friends  makes (the victory) more special.”      

Before Xavier, the Ateneo Netters beat La Salle, Colegio San Agustin, and International School Manila.

School year 2012-2013 has shaped up to be a triumphant one for the AHS Lawn Tennis Team. Before capturing the ISTA Division 1 title,  AHS also won the PRADA championship and the PAYA title (a back-to-back feat). The AHS Lawn Tennis Team is coached by Gee Abacan.