THIS HAS become a recording played and replayed: UST is again poised to win the UAAP general championship.
Halfway into Season 71, the school has garnered 167 points, all but assuring itself of a 36th overall title despite a brief scare from second-running Far Eastern University.
The Tamaraws collected 128 points while De La Salle University, which lost its basketball title to Ateneo de Manila University earlier in the season, gathered 119 points.
“We are very confident to win the overall championship,” Regent Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P. of the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) told the Varsitarian. “The teams are doing well and we are on target. So far, we already bagged five team championships. We hope to add three or more in the second semester sports.”
Aiming to repeat last year’s successful campaign, UST overran FEU’s premature lead in the overall race. FEU took a 128-120 edge after winning the women’s basketball, women’s beach volleyball, men’s chess and women’s table tennis crowns. But it still fell short after failing to send representatives in judo and swimming, where UST placed not lower than third.
De Sagon acknowledged that UST’s expected victory in Season 71 would have more clarity if FEU, a perennial contender in the general race, came up with a complete roster.
“Providing the scholarships, equipment and training programs for the athletes is not a joke,” he said. “We have to give credit to them (FEU athletic moderators) for having a good sports program. But then, they should also try to participate in all events.”
Stepping ahead
In taekwondo, experience proved to be the barometer as the España-based Jins scored a twin kill in the men’s and women’s division.
The Lady Jins, led by Most Valuable Player (MVP) Caryn Pilongo, authored an epic “six-peat” at the expense of perennial contenders FEU and University of the Philippines (UP).
Powered by MVP Jurrie Bernardino, the Tiger Jins matched their female counterparts’ brilliant performance, dethroning FEU, their 2007 conquerors, via a 5-0 win-loss rampage. To top it off, UST also claimed the Rookie of the Year (ROY) honors in both the men’s and women’s division, with Dane Pio de Roda and Jade Zafra emerging as the best newcomers of the season.
The Tiger Paddlers fashioned their own sweep, acing the eliminations to carve a title repeat.
Coach Henberd Ortalla’s powerhouse roster bannered by Season 71 MVP Glenn Rodriguez executed its plays to perfection to overpower all its opponents and atone for the heartbreaking finals loss the Lady Paddlers suffered against archrival FEU. Zoren Mendiola and Princess Masong took home the ROY awards for both teams.
Buoyed by a 223-point aggregate, the Tigersharks eclipsed La Salle’s 211 mark and defending champ UP’s 176 tally, to end a painstaking 19-year title drought.
Meanwhile, the injury-plagued Female Tigersharks lost their unparalleled “four-peat” reign to Ateneo de Manila University after reaping only a third best 172 points, a far cry from the 216- and 213-point output of eventual champion Ateneo and runner-up UP, respectively.
In the sand courts, the Tiger Spikers duo of Jayson Ramos and season MVP Henry Pecaña handed UST its first beach volleyball title by sweeping FEU in their best-of-three finals encounter. The gutsy tandem of Angeli Tabaquero and Judy Caballejo lodged a respectable third-place finish in the women’s side following a pair of losses to defending champion FEU and home team University of the East.
In chess, the vastly improved Male Woodpushers leaped from a dismal fifth-place finish in Season 70 to a bridesmaid conclusion this season with a 33.5- aggregate, next to FEU’s 36-point harvest.
The Lady Woodpushers were not as lucky though, yielding their three-peat billing to La Salle and settling for a dismal third.
The Growling Tigers and Tigresses again failed in their respective title bids. The Tigers were booted out of the Final Four while the Tigresses remained stuck at third place for the second straight year after squandering a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four against UP.
UST’s individual cage talents however shone brightly as Tigresses point guard Marichu Bacaro won the MVP plum and Season 70 MVP Jervy Cruz made it to the Mythical Five once more.
In judo, the Tiger and Lady Judokas continue to roam in championship limbo, wounding up second and third, respectively.
