ATENEO HS is 11-PEAT CHAMPION OF UAAP 78 SWIMMING; BARRETO IS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR!

The Ateneo de Manila High School Swim Team won its 11th consecutive title at the UAAP Season 78 Swimming Championship held from October 22 to 25, 2015 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The "11-peat" is unprecedented in UAAP swimming. In addition, Rafael Barreto of 9E was awarded Rookie of the Year, while Aldo Tong was awarded Coach of the Year in the junior boys' division. Notable too is the outstanding performance of backstroker Aki Cariño (11E), who set four new UAAP boys records (three of them for relay events) in addition to winning two silver medals for individual events. 
 
Here's a day-to-day listing of the medals won by the AHS swimmers and other points of interest:

October 22 (Day 1) 

800m freestyle: Wacky Santos- SILVER; Miggy Arellano- BRONZE
200m medley relay: Aki Cariño, Sebastian Francisco, Henry Bernard Margulies, Joseph Go – GOLD+RECORD 
100m freestyle: Raf Barreto- SILVER
200m individual medley: Wacky Santos- GOLD
800m freestyle relay: Enrico Viovicente, David Dy, Aki Cariño, Jolo Viovicente- GOLD+RECORD

 
October 23 (Day 2)

Aki Cariño resets the 200m backstroke record with a time of 2:14.58 during the morning's prelims!
400m freestyle: Raf Barreto- SILVER; Wacky Santos- BRONZE 
50m breaststroke: Joshua Taleon- SILVER; Sebastian Francisco- BRONZE
100m butterfly: Raf Barreto- SILVER; Miggy Arellano- BRONZE 
200m backstroke: Aki Cariño- GOLD (he now holds the record from the prelims)
400m freestyle relay: Joseph Go, Dave Fua, Johannes Sison, Benzi Yang- GOLD

October 24 (Day 3)

100m backstroke: Aki Cariño- SILVER
200m freestyle relay: Joseph Go + Benzi Yang + Johannes Sison + Bernie Margulies- GOLD 
400m individual medley: Wacky Santos- GOLD+RECORD; Miggy Arellano- BRONZE
100m breaststroke: Joshua Taleon- SILVER
50m butterfly: Raf Barreto- GOLD+RECORD (breaking the record he established in the prelims)
200m freestyle: Raf Barreto- SILVER

October 25 (Day 4)

50m freestyle- Rafael Barreto- GOLD+RECORD (At the prelims, Barreto broke a 23-year-old record that was previously set by Ryan Papa in 1992. Barreto then improved on his performance in the prelims in the afternoon final) 
200m butterfly- Wacky Santos- SILVER; Miggy Arellano- BRONZE
1500m freestyle- Wacky Santos- SILVER; Miggy Arellano- BRONZE
50m backstroke- Rafael Barreto- GOLD; Aki Cariño- SILVER
4x100m medley relay – Aki Cariño + Joshua Taleon + Enrico Viovicente + Benzi Yang- GOLD+RECORD

Here is the medal tally, listed by swimmer:

WACKY SANTOS (8-Kostka): GOLD+RECORD, 400m individual medley; GOLD, 200m individual medley; SILVER, 800m freestyle; SILVER, 200m butterfly; SILVER, 1500m freestyle; BRONZE, 400m freestyle 

MIGGY ARELLANO (12H): BRONZE, 800m freestyle; BRONZE, 100m butterfly; BRONZE, 400m individual medley; BRONZE, 200m butterfly; BRONZE, 1500m freestyle 

AKI CARIÑO (11E): GOLD+RECORD, 200m medley relay; GOLD+RECORD, 800m freestyle relay; GOLD+RECORD, 200m backstroke; GOLD+RECORD, 4x100m medley relay; SILVER, 100m backstroke; SILVER, 50m backstroke

SEBASTIAN FRANCISCO (11H): GOLD+RECORD, 200m medley relay; BRONZE, 50m breaststroke

BERNIE MARGULIES (10B): GOLD+RECORD, 200m medley relay; GOLD, 200m freestyle relay 

JOSEPH GO (11A): GOLD+ RECORD, 200m medley relay; GOLD, 400m freestyle relay; GOLD, 200m freestyle relay   
 
RAFAEL BARRETO (9E): GOLD+RECORD, 50m butterfly (breaking the record he established in the prelims); GOLD+RECORD, 50m freestyle (at the prelims, Barreto broke a 23-year-old record that was previously set by Ryan Papa in 1992. Barreto then improved on his performance in the prelims in the afternoon final); GOLD, 50m backstroke; SILVER, 100m freestyle; SILVER, 400m freestyle; SILVER, 100m butterfly; SILVER, 200m freestyle; ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

ENRICO VIOVICENTE (11F): GOLD+RECORD, 800m freestyle relay; GOLD+RECORD, 4x100m medley relay

DAVID DY (10H): GOLD+RECORD, 800m freestyle relay

JOLO VIOVICENTE (10C): GOLD+RECORD, 800m freestyle relay

JOSHUA TALEON (11M):  GOLD+RECORD, 4x100m medley relay; SILVER, 50m breaststroke; SILVER, 100m breaststroke

DAVE FUA (12N): GOLD, 400m freestyle relay

JOHANNES SISON (12D): GOLD, 400m freestyle relay; GOLD, 200m freestyle relay 

BENZI YANG (12F): GOLD+RECORD, 4x100m medley relay; GOLD, 400m freestyle relay; GOLD, 200m freestyle relay 

DANIEL DE GUZMAN (11L) and JACOB VITANGCOL (11C) are also members of the Ateneo de Manila High School Swim Team. 

All in all, the AHS Swim Team harvested 11 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and 9 bronze medals, setting records in seven events. 

To close, we are reprinting this note that was posted by Coach of the Year winner Aldo Tong (coach of the AHS Swim Team) on his facebook page:
 
"This has got to be the sweetest UAAP Championship of them all! We began the season worrying about how to fill in the gap left by seven members of the team who graduated. We had to literally go all over to finally end up with Wacky Santos, Rafael Barreto, Paeng Dy, Joseph Anthony Go, Bernie Margulies, and Viel Vitug. Congratulations to you guys for making a big splash in your debut year! Special mention to Wacky, Joseph and Bernie for breaking a few records along the way and to Raf for not only erasing a 23 year-old record but also bagging the Rookie of the Year award! 

"Congratulations also to our UAAP veterans Miggy Arellano, Benzi Yang, Johannes Sison, Christopher Dave Fua, Aki Cariño, Joshua Taleon, Sebastian Francisco, Enrico Viovicente and Emilio Jose Viovicente for leading this team! To the seniors - Miggy, Benzi, Johan and Dave- what a way to graduate! Truly, I saw how you guys worked as a team. I know you guys really worked hard to get to this point. There were some disappointments but there shouldn't be any regrets because I know you all gave your best! 

"Thanks to fellow coaches Archie Lim, Candice Esguerra, Sherwin de la Paz, and Krystal Rae Dela Cruz. I learned so much from this experience - from planning to training to event distribution to decisions pertaining to relay teams, etc. Thanks also to student managers Gian Diaz, Victor Datu, Danie Montenegro, Annina Nakpil, Keish Sagandoy, Chelsea Aguirre and Chase Peralta! I really felt a lighter load with all the work you guys did. With your help, I was able to focus on other tasks. Thank you also to the athletics office for making sure we were well taken care of from accommodations to supplies, to food, to our uniforms, etc.

"It was also a unique feeling to be able to celebrate this championship with our other teammates from the Men's and Women's teams. I remember in previous years where only one or two of the three teams won and it was a sad and pitiful experience for the teams that did not win.

"All this however, would not be possible without You. Thank You! This one's for You! AMDG! "