Tag: January 30

Though leading the pack at the end of the first semester, UST cannot afford to slow down since it’s ahead La Salle by just two points in the race for the overall title. That means UST has to dominate the second semester events.

Male Tennisters
Last year: Second Place
Prediction: Finals

Despite the graduation of last season’s team captain Bernanlou Bering, the Male Tennisters are poised for another title shot this season.

Rookies Dave Masqueda, Clarence Cabahog and Christian Lopez will bolster this year’s lineup, while veteran Al Francis Potutan is expected to lead the team as the new captain.

Sophomore EJ Laure’s captaincy proved to be the positive change the Golden Tigresses needed.

Laure was hailed as captain as senior Carmela Tunay “struggled” when she temporarily held the position after captain Pam Lastimosa went out with a season-ending injury last December.

“Noong binigay siya kay EJ, para kong nabunutan ng tinik. Masyado kong inisip na kailangan kong madala ‘yung team. I was pressuring myself,” Tunay said.

Tunay downplayed ideas of a rift between her and Laure and even lauded the younger Tigresses for her leadership on and off the court.

“She knows what to say and when to say it,” added Tunay.

While Laure is captain on paper, the seniors still have the voice on the team, head coach Emilio Reyes noted.

THE FACULTY of Arts and Letters Booters whipped an undermanned combined team of the Graduate School and the Faculty of Civil Law (GS/CL), 5-0, in the Intercollegiate Football games last Jan. 8 at the UST Field.

With only seven minutes gone in the game, striker Christian Zosa set the tone for the lopsided victory with a goal amid a wild scramble at the penalty area.

The two teams exchanged tight defenses in the ensuing plays as the Artlets ended the first half with a 1-0 lead.

THOMASIAN BIBOY Rivera, 2006 Masters World Bowling Champion, led this year’s honorees of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards given out last Jan. 18 at the SM Mall of Asia Entertainment Hall.

Rivera, who bagged the Masters gold medal in Busan, South Korea last September, won the Athlete of the Year honor, alongside boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, world billiard champions Efren “Bata” Reyes and Ronnie Alcano, and 15th Asian Games gold medalists Antonio Gabica (billiards), Violito Payla (boxing) and Rene Catalan (wushu).

OCCUPYING the middle ground is not part of their game plan.

But if their 2-2 win-loss record at the end of the first round is any indication, the UST Golden Sox are far from hoisting the white flag in the on-going UAAP Baseball wars.

“Our team is slowly picking up (its) rhythm in each game aside from the fact that the players are learning how to reduce their errors on both offense and defense,” coach Jeffrey Santiago told the Varsitarian. “That is a good sign for us.”

INTERNATIONAL Master (IM) and Lady Woodpushers head coach Ronald Dableo will have the opportunity to earn his Grand Master (GM) title at the Asian Zonal Championships in Vietnam this month.

“I make sure to give my best in every game and for that, the GM title is possible,” Dableo told the Varsitarian.

The 27-year-old Dableo earned his slot in the Philippines’ seven-man roster at the Asian Zonal after finishing second with seven points in the 2nd Rep. Prospero Pichay Cup National Open and Chess Challenge (Pichay Cup) last Dec. 18-24.

DETERMINATION to defend their UAAP crown will be the main weapon of the talented yet inexperienced UST Shuttlecockers this UAAP season.

“The good news is, my players are up to the challenge no matter how hard it would be,” head coach Noli Cajefe told the Varsitarian. “I always remind them to really give their best and to fight it all out because we could not give up the crown that easy.”

EAGER to discard their perennial runner-up tag, the young UST Tennisters made their championship intentions clear as they swept the first round of the UAAP Tennis competition at the Rizal Racket Club in Pasig City.

With their talented slew of rookies easily fitting into the system, UST humbled veteran foes to remain unscathed at the end of the first round in both the men’s and women’s divisions.

DESPITE playing second-fiddle to the Far Eastern University (FEU) for the second year, UST still won its share of glory, setting new records in three UAAP track and field events.

A record broken by UST included a 68-year-old record in 1938, when the UAAP started, set by Thomasian athletic great Niño Ramirez.

AS EVERY Thomasian hopeful from a lean Philippine delegation bowed out of contention in the 15th Doha Asian Games, a strong-willed Tshomlee Go kicked his way against the current.

Go prevented a medal shutout for the highly-touted UST contingent as he raged through the finals of the taekwondo hostilities to bag the silver in the men’s 62 kg division last Dec. 9 at the Qatar Sports Complex.