Juliana Gomez retains UAAP epee gold

Juliana Gomez successfully defended her UAAP Season 86 epee individual gold medal, defeating De La Salle University's Cyrra Vergara 15-14 in a rematch of the previous season's final.

This marks Gomez's second consecutive championship in the event, contributing to the University of the Philippines' (UP) lead in the women's standings.

Angela Dayro added a bronze medal in sabre, further bolstering UP's position after individual events.

University of the East (UE) holds the second spot in the women's standings, led by Queen Dalmacio's sabre gold.

In the men's division, UE and De La Salle have overtaken UST in the standings.

Gomez, daughter of Philippine Fencing Association president Richard Gomez and Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres, expressed confidence in UP's overall championship chances.

The 23-year-old is aiming to qualify for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, with qualifying tournaments beginning this year.