They anticipate close competitions in the Athletics Jousts of the LAI

Las athletics jousting, that crown the Sports Festival of the Interuniversity Athletic League (LAI), are just around the corner and, as in previous years, a pitched battle is expected in various disciplines.

For the first time since 2017, the summit event of university sports returns to the sultana of the west, Mayagüez, which will bring together leading athletes from the disciplines of judo, swimming, table tennis, basketball and cheerleading, among others, from different educational institutions of the country.

On Thursday the table tennis final will be played on the first day of the long-awaited weekend of the Athletics Jousting. Cheerleading and dancing, in addition to the second day of track and field trials will be on Friday. On Saturday the Sports Festival will close with the third and last day of competitions at the José Antonio Figueroa Freyre Central American Stadium.

In the last edition, the Taínas from the Ana G. Méndez University were proclaimed champions with 246 points, beating the Tigresas from the Interamerican University by 28 points. The Inter athletes finished with 218. The Jerezanas from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, were third with 117 goals.

Meanwhile, the Inter Tigres won the trophy with 225 points, UAGM was second with 188 and the Tarzanes of the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez, third with 147.

Student-athletes had qualifiers in February, March, and April to set their best times and place in the top 16 positions in each event. However, the lists will be purged after the technical meeting. Each university will offer the names of their representatives to make the seeds for the semifinals.

put your eye on it

We must not lose sight of a handful of athletes in both branches who, very well, could set records in their respective events.

Paola Ortiz, from Inter, recorded 11.59 seconds in the 100-meter dash, close to the 11.51 seconds held by Amparo Caicedo since 1988. Ortiz is also the first classified in the 200 meters with 24.06 seconds.

On the other hand, The Inter Tigers will have Héctor Pagán from Barranquita, who will enter the Athletics Jousts with the best times in the 1,500 meters (3:54.16), 5,000 meters (14:32.83) and 10,000 meters (30:28.44).. In the last edition of the Athletics Jousts, Pagán was chosen, together with Andy Preciado, as the most outstanding men. They each added 30 points for the Tigers.

“It is our beautiful sport, the key to the institution,” said Francisco Acevedo, athletic director of Inter-American University. “We are looking to revalidate, in addition to obtaining the necessary points in the LAI Global Cup. We are going in search of a collective result, ”he added.

Acevedo understands that revalidating in the men’s branch will not be easy.

“In both branches we are doing well, but in the men the competition will be a little more fierce. On paper we are ready. The numbers say that we can win both branches, but it is not our forecast because there is a high level in the Jousting ”, he concluded.

Inter strikes ahead

The Inter-American University of Puerto Rico (UIPR) woke up on Tuesday in the lead of the Global Cup of the Inter-University Athletic League (LAI). Said prize is awarded at the Values ​​of the Year Awards Ceremony at the end of all sports activities for both semesters.

Already completed the softball, beach volleyball and judo championships, the UIPR Tigresas and Tigres have accumulated 598 points.

The Interamericana added two runners-up in beach volleyball and women’s softball and, in addition, revalidated first place in judo in the women’s branch and finished in third place in men.

The Taínos and the Taínas of the Ana G. Méndez University have 544 points, while the three-time champions Juanas and Tarzanes of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, have 522. In fourth place are the Jerezanas and the Gallitos of the UPR, Río Piedras with 494 points.

For his part, The Commissioner’s Cup, which is for universities with enrollments of less than 6,000 students, is led by the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (USC), with 216 points. They are followed by the Búhos and the Búhas of the UPR, Humacao with 180 points. The third and fourth positions are for the Lobas y Lobos from the UPR, Arecibo (139 points) and the Beavers and Beavers from the Polytechnic University with 136 points, respectively.

The swimming competitions will continue until April 26. Dancing and cheerleading will take place on April 28 at the Palacio de Recreación y Deportes starting at 8:00 pm The table tennis matches will take place at the Table Tennis Pavilion in the Limón neighborhood starting at 10:00 am on April 27.