WINNING the championship with a wide collection of individual awards requires hardwork, skill, and a fighting heart.
But a special brood of UST athletes graduating with a medal carved with the quadricentennial symbol of the Pontifical University must have possessed all these three elements plus two more—destiny and history.
Before taking their final bow, these Quadricentennial Thomasian athletes revisited the memories they shared with their alma mater that is celebrating its 400th anniversary.
RP Gilas mainstay and UAAP Season 72 MVP Dylan Ababou recalled days when he would enter the classroom after a hard-fought UAAP match, and he was surprised to know that the hardcore cheering of the Tigers’ signature chants did not end in Araneta.
Often, his classmates and his professors would let out a loud cheer in their classroom for his team’s efforts. “My classmates and professors often cheers inside the classroom whenever I enter after a good game,” said the 23-year-old Behavioral Science alumnus, who is planning to engage in business.
Ababou’s former teammate Khazim Mirza, 23, could not forget the Tigers’ “Cinderella-like” runs against the much-favored Ateneo Blue Eagles and De la Salle Green Archers, especially whenever he was named as the “Best Player of the Game.” But there’s another citation more valuable to him.
“I’m so proud that my name is listed inside the time capsule and be part of the Quadricentennial batch,” he said.
Male Tennister and Commerce graduate Gerard Pinili could only smile while reminiscing how the men’s UST Lawn Tennis team grabbed its back-to-back title after a scintillating championship series against La Salle.
Pinili will continue playing for UST for another year as he plans on taking a masteral dergree in Commerce next school year.
Values embedded
Carmelo Afuang recalled his mischievous escapades with his peers in UST. Despite his playful nature, the 22-year-old marketing management alumnus has a deep sense of gratitude for the Catholic University that allowed him to be deeply rooted to his Creator.
“I can say that UST made me the best person that I can be today, I become more mature, more confident and more faithful to God.”
Lady Jin Emron Mae Golding, 21, led her team to the championship against last year’s titlist Far Eastern University. She said she was thankful to UST for the values she had learned.
“I grew up in an Adventist community and it was like the world revolves in it, with UST I learned to gain friends and improve my decision making,” she said.
Compassion, competence and commitment will always be part of fencer Harris Orendain’s character as a Thomasian athlete.
“Fencing has taught me a lot, such as patience, perseverance, dedication, commitment, passion, and other things that are unexplainable as I absolutely know that only experience can explain it, said Orendain, the 21-year-old team captain of the UST men’s fencing team.
Tigersharks’ team captain Miguel Carandang, a Biology graduate, proved that he could have the best of both worlds.
“I feel that I am prepared to take on any challenge ahead of me because I was able to survive my whole college life studying and doing sports simultaneously,” he said. “I will also pursue Medical school for this year.”
Aside from propelling the Softbelles to their first-ever championship last year, UST’s ace pitcher Aiza Dela Torre is now focused on other things.
This 23-year-old Communication Arts graduate is eyeing to pursue both and academic and sporting career.
“I want to pursue both (academic and sporting career) as much as possible because i want to share my God given talent to those people who have potential to excel,” she said.
For UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe member Abby Valdepenas, entering UST for college was not part of the choreography. But being part of the perennial UAAP Cheerdance champion, Valdepenas learned to love UST in many ways.
“It helped me a lot especially to balance my time, to give much effort is my top priority in school and to be a better person to everyone,” she said.
Beyond UAAP
UST open spiker Angeli Tabaquero, the volleyball specialist who led the women’s volleyball team to the championship in Season 72, will cross the opposite bridge after graduation as she will pursue being a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist after some reviews.
“I really can’t see myself in the field of media even though that’s my course, said the 22-year-old Communication Arts graduate.
Instrumental to the Taekwondo team’s charge was Izel Masungsong, who credits her UST experience to her performance in international feats like the Asean University Games held in Thailand.
This 20-year-old accountancy major is also grateful for receiving a scholarship grant from UST.
“I’m thankful that UST gave me a scholarship grant because it was a big help for my studies,” said Masungsong.
Tiger Paddler Michael Paña decided to go the extra mile by accepting the opportunity to become a member of the RP TableTennis squad.
“I felt overwhelmed. I was given the chance to represent the country and at it is challenging because I would be joining a higher level of competitions,” he said.
Paña is set to play in an international tournament in the Netherlands and is lined up for the Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta this coming November.
Lady Paddler Sheryl Peralta remembers how training and teaching became part of her daily routine as a BS Education graduate. Back when she was still in her sophomore year, Peralta would juggle her academics and training as she goes back and forth to the gym and to her classroom. “Sometimes I can’t study well because of the hectic schedule but I’m still thankful for UST because it gave me this opportunity to study and to play,” said the 22-year-old alumna. Anne Marie Carmela L. Dayauon and Fidel Elino Miguel P. Flores with reports from the Sports Team
