XUHS CHESS CHAMPIONS. From left to right: Tristan Frech Ibaoc, Adrian Othniel Yulo, Gian Patrick Espiritu, and Karl Francis Honculada. Supplied photo.
Xavier University High School (XUHS) boys’ team took home the gold prize with a dominating 14 match points in secondary chess of the recently-concluded Mindanao leg of the 20th Milo Little Olympics in Cagayan de Oro City.
Coach Silverio Abasolo expected their win after one-time ASEAN chess campaigner and local standout Tristan Frech Ibaoc (Grade 11 - Boscovich) triumphed over his opponents from Corpus Christi and the reigning titlist MOGCHS, in a 3-1 victory prior to the championship match. Ibaoc is a former chess player of Corpus Christi.
Joining senior high school student Ibaoc in the XUHS team were Adrian Othniel Yulo (Grade 10 - Mayer), Gian Patrick Espiritu (Grade 10 - Fernando), and Karl Francis Honculada (Grade 9 - Haggerty).
The Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGCHS) boys’ team garnered 11 matching points for silver. Teams from Corpus Christi and SPS Pagadian City both settled for bronze with 10 points each after the Bucholz tiebreaker.
However, the MOGCHS team, led by former Corpus Christi stalwart Vanessa Magno, ruled in secondary girls chess.
XUJHS Crusaders varsity chess girls team tied in the second and third places with another school. The members of the XU girls team were Venus Caress Banaag (Grade 10 - Fernando), Regina Gabrielle M Castrillo (Grade 8 - Southwell), Faith Beatriz O Fabre (Grade 8 - Ogilvie),and Shaina Grace C Garcia (Grade 8 - Campion).
The XUHS Athletics Office is proud of these latest achievements of junior and senior high school student-athletes of Xavier. ∎
BIG WINNERS. The XU High School Crusaders varsity chess girls and boys teams with athletics coordinator Richard Jeffrey "Coach Chief" Ocampo strike a pose after the 20th Milo Little Olympics Mindanao. [From left to right: Coach Chief Ocampo, Regina Gabrielle M Castrillo, Shaina Grace C Garcia, Faith Beatriz O Fabre, team captain Adrian Othniel Yulo, Gian Patrick Espiritu, Tristan Frech Ibaoc, and Karl Francis Honculada]. Supplied photo.