Tag: No. 12

DESPITE exchanging signature stunts and lifts for a much easier popping and locking, the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe still failed to groove towards the top in the first ever UAAP Streetdance Competition held simultaneously with this year’s UAAP closing ceremony last March 12 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The dance troupe garnered an overall score of 76.33 percent, placing fifth in the rankings. The La Salle Dance Company – Street was declared the champion, posting a 91 percent score, while the University of the Philippines Streetdance Club and Company of Ateneo Dancers (CAD) grabbed the second and third place with average scores of 88.25 percent and 86.67 percent respectively.

THE UST TIGER Pack strayed from its usual tradition of celebrating the Thomasian athletes’ accomplishments by hosting a tribute dinner this year to 15 teams last March 26, held at the AMV College of Accountancy Auditorium.

The group of alumni athletes acknowledged the seven teams who have donned the championship trophies for UST in the recently concluded UAAP Season ’73, with which the España Army dominated by grabbing its 38th general championship title.

They group prepared the dinner in recognition of the glory that the various teams brought to their alma mater in the sport they played and also, as a tribute to the graduating players and to those who have played their final year in their respective team.

LET THE year of the Tiger be for the Tigers.

A UST alumnus is pushing for the official declaration of 2010 as “Year of the Thomasians” by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself, saying it would be a perfect gift to UST on the eve of its Quadricentennial.

College of Architecture and Fine Arts alumnus Rhoel Mendoza, through a letter to the President last July, cited the University’s rich history and illustrious alumni as reasons why 2010 should “belong” to Thomasians.

“I believe this would be a very good way of beginning the second decade of the 21st century and the perfect prelude to the global celebration of UST’s Quadricentennial in 2011,” Mendoza said in his July 2009 letter published on the Philippine Daily Inquirer last February 16.

UAAP championships seem to be a dime a dozen for UST.

Emerging as general champions for the twelfth straight year, the Tigers remain unbeaten, defending UST territory and claiming its 37th title since the league’s conception in 1938.

“We have been general champions all these years because of the athletes. They are the ones we should thank because without them, we are not here,” said Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P., director of the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics.

The España squad painted the season black and gold after amassing 305 points leaving perennial title contenders De La Salle University and host Far Eastern University (FEU) way behind with 252 and 229, at second and third place, respectively.

A THREE-PEAT and another championship.

UST dominated the UAAP Season 72 volleyball wars with the Tiger Spikers scoring a rare third consecutive championship and their female counterparts ending a three-year title drought.

Riding on an immaculate slate going into the finals, the Tiger Spikers swept their archrival Far Eastern University (FEU), 25-21, 25-17, 25-21, last February 27 to claim the championship at a packed The Arena in San Juan.

The Lady Spikers repulsed defending champion De La Salle University, 25-18, 25-14, 16-25, 25-15, to secure the title in Game 2 of their best-of-three finals series. It was their first UAAP title in three years under coach Cesael de los Santos.

UST ATHLETES are not only competitive in the field of sports, but also in the spectacle of beauty and brains, as 32 contestants vied for the third Mr. and Ms. Thomasian Athlete last February 26, at the UST Gymnasium.

“Our main objective is to expose our athletes and to show that they are not only trained in sports but in (other) talents as well,” Prof. Liza Erese, overall chairman of the competition, said.

Lady Jin Emron Mae Golding from the AMV-College of Accountancy and Tiger Spiker Jesus San Andres from UST High School were hailed as champions.

“You should [also] look on other things in which you can excel,” said Golding, who sang A Very Special Love en route to bagging the female division’s Best in Talent and Best in Formal wear awards.

THE SO-CALLED dark horse of Season 72, the Golden Booters barged into the finals but fell short of the championship after stumbling against Far Eastern University in a winner-take-all match at the Ateneo Erechun Field last February 28.

The Booters saw their miracle run end in a 0-1 heartbreaker against FEU, which improved on its runner-up finish last season. But the finals appearance was a feat in itself for UST, considering that it placed an embarrassing fourth last year.

The Lady Booters lost their title, 0-1, against De La Salle University, the team they beat in last season’s finals.

UNLUCKY “13” casted its dry spell on the UST Male Woodpushers’ 13th round skirmish at the boards against De La Salle University, relegating them to third place at the end of the Season 72 chess tournament at the UST Gym last February 28.

The Woodpushers’ 0.5-3.5 loss to La Salle last February 21, 5-3.5, at the UST-Tan Yan Kee Student Center threw away a do-or-die battle for the top spot against defending champions Far Eastern University (FEU), when FEU posted a 4.5 point lead in aggregate markers, 38.5 against UST’s 34-point output.

UST’s Joey Florendo gained a half-point for UST in board one after drawing with Paolo Bautista after 47 moves.

ARE UST athletes—other than members of the basketball team—being properly taken care of?

Interns from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS) have come forward to complain about inadequate medical supplies and other game essentials made available to other varsity teams by the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA).

Annie Grace Laygo, who is assigned to the women’s volleyball squad, said she and other interns often had to shell out their own money to cover basic items such as plastic strips, pain relievers, ointments, and even ice. “I spent P35 on ice every practice,” she complained.