By Mark Christian Gayoma and F.S. Delgado
CapSU Mambusao’s men’s and women’s badminton teams won silver a piece during the 2017 Inter-Campus Meet, Sept. 27-30, at CapSU Pontevedra Campus.
The men’s team was composed of Justine Dominic Esico, Kenneth Lizada, Daniel Liba, Mike Nelson Lacson, and Alvin Felonia.
In the first elimination round, the team faced three tough teams.
In their first two games, they won over CapSU Dumarao and CapSU Dayao but lost to the defending champion CapSU Roxas City in their third game.
In the second elimination round, they defeated CapSU Dumarao, CapSU Pilar, and CapSU Pontevedra which gave them a chance to face once again their last year’s foes in the championship match, CapSU Roxas City.
This year’s finals match in men’s badminton was a déjà vu.
In the first single, Esico took control of the game, 21-12 and 21-10, making him undefeated in all his matches.
In the doubles match, Lizada and Liba took the first set, 21-18, but lost the second and third sets, 11-21 and 15-21.
In the deciding match, Felonia bore the pressure of facing the defending champions.
However, he bowed to the smasher of CapSU Roxas City, 15-21 and 16-21.
Once again, CapSU Mambusao men’s badminton settled for the silver.
One the other hand, the women’s badminton team duplicated the silver finish of the men’s team.
Jeroe Ann Arteza, Iza Uñada, Geraldine Ponce, Donna Rufino, and Carlyn Salvador also succeeded in their rally in the women’s badminton.
In the first elimination round, they won over CapSU Tapaz and CapSU Pontevedra but lost to CapSU Roxas City.
In the second elimination, they once again defeated CapSU Pontevedra, giving them a twice-to-beat advantage in the finals.
The team faced CapSU Roxas in the championship match.
Despite the twice-to-beat disadvantage, CapSU Roxas City was able to push a do-or-die game.
In the winner-take-all match, Salvador lost to her opponent, 6-21 and 12-21, in the first single.
In the doubles, Uñada and Rufino tried to push a deciding set but fell short, 23-21, 19-21 and 19-21.
CapSU Roxas City took the gold in the women’s badminton while CapSU Mambusao earned the silver.