Tag: 2005

ON NOVEMBER 5, 1977, Danny Florencio became the first local cager in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) to score more than 60 points in a game. He burned the hoops with 64 points in an import-laden conference and led all locals in scoring that year.

Although his ball club 7-Up lost to Toyota, 121-136, despite his monstrous point-production, that fateful day sealed Florencio’s mark as one of the country’s all-time greats.

GRADUATE student-athletes from UAAP member schools, loosely termed as mercenary athletes, will be banned from playing in the league come Season 69 (School Year 2006-07).

The new rule will also prohibit universities from recruiting graduates from other collegiate leagues such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association to play for their teams.

AT AROUND 10 a.m., the Growling Tigers perform the “ocho,” an exercise where three players attempt to finish the fastbreak as quickly as possible. John Paul “Japs” Cuan, 19, races down the court to receive the inbound pass. He dribbles once and throws a lead pass to a teammate underneath the basket. The shrill whistle of the coach pierces through the humid air of the gym and another group takes their spot.

THE AQUA Fortis Dragon Boat Rowing Team (Aqua Fortis) women’s team placed fourth in the 1st Atienza Cup Dragon Boat Race last May 14 at the Manila Bay.

The 16-woman crew, led by team captain Celine Marcelo, rowed in the 300-meter race category alongside eight prime Metro Manila-based Dragon Boat teams.

The Manila Dragons took first place, while the Philippine Dragon Rowing Team trailed at second, and the University of the Philippines (UP) Rowing Team placed third.

AFTER being denied the permission to play in the recently concluded UAAP Judo wars, two lady judokas decided instead to strut their wares, earning a medal each, in the Philippine National Judo Championships at the San Carlos Gym in Cebu last April 23.

Karen Solomon and Jane Capawa, both deemed ineligible to play last UAAP because of certain academic deficiencies, grabbed a gold and a silver in the -70 kg and -45 kg weight class.

After pinning down Talisay and Bacolod, Solomon grappled her way to the gold as she again held down her opponent from Davao.

THE UST Tracksters dominated the first Bonifacio Global City Summer Run last April 24 in Taguig City.

The UST contingent, led by ace runner Liza Yambao, placed first in three of the four events in the senior division.

Yambao, the 2003 Milo Marathon National Champion, ran away with gold in the women’s 10K run clocking in at 38:40. The 23-year-old runner, who is vying for a slot in the RP Athletics team for the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, improved her previous record of 40:06 she set in the Burlington XT 10K Classic last Dec. 5, and which she also won.

EVEN without top gunner and team captain Aileen Arcigal, the UST Tigresses managed to pull off a decent third-place finish, with a 6-2 card, in the first Smart Gold Cup Women’s Collegiate Basketball Tournament.

Nerissa Noscal filled the vacuum left by Arcigal, who has decided not to play her final year of eligibility for personal reasons.

Noscal, the Tigresses’ new team captain, exploded for a game-high 13 points, including two three-point buckets, in the lopsided match against the University of the East, 61-31, last April 8 at the UST gym.

A CELEBRATION that turned into tragedy. This was the sad story of the UST Badminton team’s trip to the world-famous Boracay Island, as a tragic accident at the beach claimed one of its members.

Arden Pantig, 18, a key player of UST in the doubles event, drowned last April 2 in Boracay.

UST Badminton head coach Noli Cajefe said the accident probably happened while the team was playing patintero near the shore at around 5 p.m.

THE NEXT logical step for International Master Ronald Dableo is finally clinching the grandmaster (GM) title.

The Lady Woodpushers head coach is set to clash with the world’s finest chessers in the US Chess Open on May 15, and is well on his way to snatching the second GM norm. He scored his first in the Asian 3.2a Zonal Championships in Vietnam in 2003. Only after a successful third GM norm can an IM officially earn the GM title.

Dableo said boosting his current ELO rating of 2444 and improving his chance for a GM norm are at stake in the tournament.

FRESH from a spotless UAAP run, the UST Baseball team again displayed top caliber performance by ruling the National Private Schools Athletic Association through a masterful 6-0 win-loss campaign last April 10-16 in Zamboanga city.

The Golden Sox sealed the championship after nipping the cunning Davao Batters in a pulsating 4-3 victory.