Tag: 2009

IBINAON ng UST Male Shuttlers ang De La Salle University sa iskor na 3-2 sa pagpapatuloy ng UAAP badminton competition sa Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall noon Agosto 23.

Hindi na nakapalag ang La Salle players nang paluhuhin sila ng sa unang tatlong laro. Nagawang bumawi ng La Salle sa sumunod na dalawang laro, ngunit huli na ang lahat.

“Naglaro silang mabuti at ang mga inaasahan kong mangyari ay nangyari at kung magpapatuloy pa ito, sigurado na tayo hanggang finals” ani coach Noli Cajefe.

Hindi naging madali ang unang laban sa pagitan nina Male Shuttler Paolo Dawal at Tim Ang ng De La Salle, 27-25, 21-14, ngunit namayagpag pa din si Dawal nang tapusin niya ang bawat set sa pamamagitan ng drop shots.

Naungusan naman ni RJ Ormilla ng UST si Mike Paclibar ng De La Salle, 21-13, 21-19, nang indahin ni Paclibar ang ilang unforced errors.

THE ERRATIC Tigresses absorbed their second loss in three outings, bowing to the UP Lady Maroons, 44-55, at the Philsports Arena last July 25.

Despite playing solid defense, the Tigresses didn’t take care of the ball well against the Lady Maroons, which was pretty much the story of behind the 33-56 drubbing they got in the hands of the defending champion Far Eastern University.

Against UP, the Tigresses committed 33 turnovers, which the Lady Maroons converted into 24 points.

“They had good defense but their composure was lost because they were rushing,” coach Julie Amos said. “They were still half-hearted during the game and forgot to look for mismatches.”

The first half was close with UST leading 25-23. But passing errors in the third quarter allowed UP to gain the upperhand, 36-32.

THOMASIAN athletes now have every reason to go “home” after a hard day’s work.

Their new home, the GMG Active Dormitory, has gotten an upgrade, befitting top-class athletes who have made UST perennial UAAP champions.

Surveillance cameras were installed in each floor to ensure the security of the entire dormitory, which currently houses 199 athletes.

This way, the management can efficiently monitor the situation inside the premises.

Upon the University’s request, grills were also constructed around the building to prevent thieves from climbing up the walls of the dorm. There’s also an ample number of security guards.

Besides the strict security arrangements, athletes are also served three meals a day, free of charge. A new cook was hired, supervised by his predecessor, to ensure that no substandard food is served.

AS THEIR rebuilding stage progresses, the UST Golden Booters kicked off their pre-season tune ups with a morale-boosting 2-0 opener against De La Salle-Lipa in the Ang Liga Football Cup last July 26 at the San Beda College football field.

“We don’t have many problems in our offense and defense. The players just need more experience and exposure,” said Golden Booters’ head coach Marjo Allado. “Our ball movement is good but we still need to look into how we finish.”

The ball rolled inside UST’s bailiwick for most of the game, showing a more offensive-minded squad throughout the duel.

The defensive wit of De La Salle-Lipa goalkeeper Gregg Atijon was tested for the nth time, with UST firing a series of attempts to the goal. Finally, Golden Booter Mandy Lunag sidestepped countless La Salle defenders to unleash a fiery kick, giving UST a vital one-point advantage as the ball kissed the net at the 24th minute of the first half.

FOR 11 straight years, the UAAP crystal ball had shed its light to only one team destined to erect a firm black-gold-white dynasty. But what awaits UST this Season 72?

In the previous year, top Thomasian martial artists blazed the UAAP mats anew to register a twin kill in the Taekwondo hostilities. In the poolside, the Tigersharks ended a 19-year title drought. The Tiger Spikers and Tiger Paddlers finished their respective tournaments unblemished even as the basketball teams struggled to secure a title.
But with other schools constantly reinforcing their sports programs, will UST finally yield its crown, or will it continue its winning tradition? Here’s the Varsitarian’s fearless forecast.

BASKETBALL

THE FIRST thing she did after pocketing the last ball was to sit down. And then, everything began to sink in – she had just made history.

UST’s Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit will forever be remembered as the first female Filipino cue artist to win a world champion. She trounced 48 of the world’s best to capture the World 10-ball title at the SM City North Edsa last June 2 to 6.

“I didn’t think of the winning part when I was on the game. My mindset was to play the game the way I practiced it,” said UST’s College of Commerce’s top cue master in 2000 and 2001.

Starting with dad

Amit, a 27-year-old accountancy graduate, was introduced to the pool table by her dad in their home province of Cebu. Eventually, her father and daughter’s billiard quests outside their home prompted Amit’s mother to buy them a table.

She wanted them home without keeping the young Amit from her budding pastime.

WITH a new head coach leading the charge for the Tigresses, will a miracle come along to convert their Season 71’s penitential third-place finish into a championship title?

Coach Julie Amos speaks in practical terms, focusing how a new system can potentially send the squad to a title finish this year.

“Since I just started as a new coach, we are on a transition and are still working on the new training,” she said.

Amos highlighted the importance of a deep bench, especially for a running team such as the Tigresses. Lack of supporting players that can step up was a problem for the team in the past.

“We are extending the bench so that if the top five players get exhausted, we still have many reserve players (that can) play,” she said.

She said she was excited to coach the team because the players were responding well to her system and new teammates.

NOON pa man, namamayagpag na ang UST sa larangan ng palakasan.

Bago pa man maitatag ang University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP), kabilang ang UST, kasama ang University of the Philippines at National University, sa “Big Three League” noong unang bahagi ng dekada ’30. Mula taong 1931 hanggang 1934, hinirang ang UST Glowing Goldies (na ngayo’y Growling Tigers) na kampeon sa men’s basketball sa pangunguna ni Herminio Silva, noo’y miyembro ng RP Team na lumaban sa Far Eastern Games nang taong 1934 at naging tagasanay rin ng Goldies.

SHAKEN, but not broken.

The University of Santo Tomas inched closer to its 400th founding anniversary, prevailing over a relatively turbulent year that saw a major shake-up of its administration.

Former Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa returned to his old post despite serving two terms already from 1990 to 1998. His installation was seen as part of the Vatican’s effort to put order in a university leadership marred by controversies surround the expansion of the UST hospital.

De la Rosa urged Thomasians to resist “institutional sclerosis” to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

He promised to initiate programs that would make UST “more socially significant, economically stable, academically prestigious, and more globally recognized than the one over which I had the honor to preside.”

Pro-life advocacies

THE UST Lady Spikers captured a record fourth Shakey’s V-League title with a resounding 25-18, 25-20, 25-22 sweep of arch-rival San Sebastian College Lady Stags in Game 3 of their best-of-three finals showdown last June 17 at the Arena in San Juan.

“I did not expect that the game would be decided by just three sets. I just told them to focus and not to relax too much because if you gave San Sebastian a chance to pull away, we would surely pay the price,” coach Cesael delos Santos told the Varsitarian.

Coming off a morale-boosting 25-21, 25-22, 25-23 victory in Game 2 to extend the series, the Lady Spikers went on an early rampage, posting a 14-7 first-set lead anchored on the superb playmaking of tournament Best Setter and Finals MVP Rhea Dimaculangan who made 73 good set-ups to teammates Mary Jean Balse, Michelle Carolino and Aiza Maizo that set the UST juggernaut in motion.