14 September 2014, 10:58 p.m. – FOUR YEARS in the making.
For the first time since 2010, the UST
Salinggawi Dance Troupe (SDT) is back on the podium after finishing third in
the 2014 UAAP Cheerdance Competition at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
Armed with a perfectly executed
Oriental-style routine, SDT scored a total of 625 points behind the University
of the Philippines Pep Squad (658 points) and back-to-back champions National
University Pep Squad (677 points).
Coming back from their seventh-place
finish last year, ‘Gawi also won second place (251 points) in the Group Stunts
category behind Far Eastern University (258.5 points).
Salinggawi
and UP are still the winningest teams in cheerdance history with eight
championships apiece.
UST’s Chinese dynasty-inspired
performance stunned the record crowd, closing their routine with little to no
errors. This was a far cry from their Egyptian debacle last year.
SDT ranked third in the dance and
tosses category with 353 and 67.5 points, respectively, to return to their
place among the league’s best.
Overall, SDT only had four points in
deductions to secure a podium finish.
“Hindi talaga kami nag-eexpect na
manalo, basta magawa lang namin ng malinis ang performance at matuwa ‘yung
crowd especially the Thomasians, okay na,” Salinggawi co-captain MC dela
Cruz said. “Bonus na lang talaga ang pagkapanalo namin.”
Dela Cruz added that last year’s
disappointment served as a strong motivation for the team to get back on its
feet. “From the ashes ginusto talaga namin na umangat bigla like a
phoenix,” he said.
Meanwhile, Salinggawi adviser Edna
Sanchez said she was satisfied with the team’s performance and was happy that
no one was injured during the routine.
“Ang ine-expect namin is walang
mahulog, ‘yun lang. Siyempre lahat gusto manalo pero ‘yung walang injury after
performing, panalo na ‘yun,” she said. “May hardwork at teamwork
naman eh, kaya okay naman.”
Following a rejuvenated Salinggawi was
an improved Adamson Pep Squad, which snagged fourth place with 600 points.
The Far Eastern University Cheering
Squad fell further down the standings as they placed fifth (599.5 points),
followed by last year’s second-runner up De La Salle Animo Squad at sixth place
(557 points).
Season
77 hosts University of the East Pep Squad wound up at seventh with 503 points
while the Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion remained at the cellar for a second
straight year after garnering only 494.5 points. J. D. G. Saynes
