San Beda rode on a strong performance on the mat as it ruled the men’s division of the 85th NCAA taekwondo competition at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Lions came out of a four-team race victorious as it emerged with 394.08 points to clinch their third title since the sport was introduced to the league 11 seasons back. San Beda survived the fierce, determined challenge put up but San Sebastian and Letran, which finished second and third behind aggregates of 311.58 and 288.16 points, respectively.

Last year’s winner St. Benilde, for its part, fell from grace and slid to fourth spot with a disappointing 287.33 effort.

Senior Dexter Cabradilla, who studied at Pines City National High School in Baguio City before he was recruited at San Beda, emerged the best performer to snare the Most Valuable Player award.

“It’s a good feeling to become champions here because the competition is really tough. It was decided in the last few events,” said San Beda coach Noel Veneracion, who ended up Coach of the Year, in Filipino. The championship was a fitting farewell gift to Cabradilla, Butch de Vera, Julius Cinco and John Ekid, who played their last years for the Mendiola-based school. San Beda actually joined St. Benilde as the teams with the second most taekwondo crowns, next to the five copped by the Knights. The taekwondo triumph was also the Lions’ second this year since splashing its way to victory in medal-rich swimming competition in the first semester last year.

The Junior Blazers, for the part, accomplished what their senior counterparts couldn’t do by running away with the high school title with 429.91 points.

San Sebastian finished at distant second with 179.16 points.

Letran, meanwhile, for its part, topped the women’s event, which is a demonstration sport for the second season in a row, by accumulating 407.41 points.

Before the event, World and Southeast Asian Games poomsae champions Rani Ann Ortega, Janice Lagman and Camille Alarilla conducted an exhibition performance. Ortega, Lagman and Alarilla teamed up in ruling the World Championships in Cairo, Egypt last year as well the 2009 Laos Games.

Lozano and Management Committee chair Jose Mari Lacson of San Beda said it’s possible that poomsae would be included as a demo sport in the coming seasons.