(UPDATED) Nov. 19 2016, 9:02 p.m. – THE NATIONAL University Pep Squad took home their fourth consecutive title while UST’s Salinggawi Dance Troupe settled for fourth in the UAAP Season 79 cheerdance competition at the Araneta Coliseum Saturday.
Sporting space suit-like costumes for a cybord-themed routine, NU pulled away from the pack with 711 points out of the maximum 800.
The Indian-inspired Salinggawi, which held a podium spot in the last two years, scored 650 points, five points shy of third-placers Adamson University which ended a 15-year podium drought behind a Polynesian-themed showcase.
The broadway-inspired Far Eastern University Cheering Squad landed second with 658.5 points to duplicate their second-place finish in 2012, also the last time they were in the top three.
With a four-point deduction, Salinggawi landed third in tumbling (80 points,) fourth in dance (343.5,) fourth in stunts (75,) fifth in tosses (77.5) and fifth in pyramids (78.)
“Sabi sa amin ng coach namin na huwag daw kaming mag-expect. First of all, hindi naman kami nag-expect pero ‘yung iba kasi sa amin [ay] oo,” SDT team captain Benjo Gutierrez told the Varsitarian.
“[Pero] all out [performance] na ‘yun, all heart pa. And it’s all for the Thomasian community,” he added.
In the group stunts competition, UST won second (225 points) behind champions NU (249 points.) FEU bagged third with 204 points.
Eight-time champions University of the Philippines, who landed third place behind NU and UST last year, did not participate in this year’s cheerdance competition.
The move was a sign of protest against the UAAP cheerdance organizers who ignored the official complaint they filed questioning the results of last year’s contest. Jan Carlo Anolin
