Tag: No. 2

WINNING the UAAP overall crown has been quite a ‘habit’ for UST. But with other schools beefing up their lineups in the offseason, Tiger athletes cannot succumb to complacency or overconfidence. Whether they could lord it over the collegiate wars again this year will depend on the strength and character of individual teams.

Here’s the Varsitarian’s fearless forecast:

BADMINTON

Male Shuttlers
Last year: Champion
Prediction: Fifth place

The Male Shuttlers’ goal of a third straight title faces a hurdle after last season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Ariel Magnaye feathered out due to debarment.

Coach Noli Cajefe said Magnaye’s absence would apparently trigger some serious adjustments in both singles and doubles match-ups.

However, the España-based smashers are still hoping to gain a Final Four berth with help from veterans RJ Ormilla, Salvador Kapunan, and Renz Vivas.

This season, Cajefe said the squad will parade a new gameplan: the development of doubles match-up in order to fill the single match-ups’ deficiencies.

THE SEARCH for the next UST courtside reporter has led to a model-turned-beauty queen.

Meet Ma. Kristina Marasigan, 23, a Psychology graduate and a finalist in the prestigious Ford Supermodel of the World competition in 2009 and Bb. Pilipinas in 2011.

Marasigan, who works at DZMM Teleradyo, will replace Patricia Cansana in bringing news straight from the Growling Tigers’ bench and dugout.

“The pressure is high,” said Marasigan, who earned her degree two years ago. “But I’m looking at the pressure as a challenge to be good and I’m really glad that they gave me this responsibility and opportunity.”

ONE MORE signature and Cameroonian Karim Abdul is good to go for the Growling Tigers.

The 19-year-old Abdul only needs to have his birth certificate authenticated in Cameroon so the UAAP board could give its go-signal for his much-anticipated court debut.

Coach Pido Jarencio said Abdul’s mother would seek the validation in Nigeria because it is the country nearest to Cameroon with a Philippine embassy.

“Once it is done and got sealed, and the papers got sealed, they will be presented to the UAAP board,” he said.

“It will be a big problem if Abdul will not play for us this season, he is our man in the middle and I waited two years for him,” he said.

HE WAS the first to cross the finish line and bested thousands of participants. But unlike in any sporting event, he acquired a plum far beyond cash or a luminous trophy.

More than chasing the first prize, Roger Denolo joins marathons so that he will get a chance to hone his skills as one of UST’s prized trackster.

“We joined ‘fun runs’ to condition our bodies and test our capabilities,” he said in Filipino.

Denolo topped the 10-kilometer category of the 2011 Merrell Run and bagged home an P8, 000 prize money defeating robust Kenyan runners.

“I didn’t expect that I will beat my Kenyan opponent who only placed second,” said Denolo, whose attempts to ascend in an uphill trail stumbled ten times.

BALITA at kaalaman tampok sa programang panradyo ng mga Tomasino.

Taong 1968 nang ilunsad ng Unibersidad ang “UST Hour,” isang programa sa radyo tungkol sa sari-saring paksang magdudulot ng interes sa mga mag-aaral at iba pang tagapakinig. Ito’y maaaring mapakinggan noon mula Lunes hanggang Sabado sa ganap na ikapito ng gabi, sa istasyong pambansa na DZRV, Radyo Veritas. Ang dating assistant dean ng Faculty of Arts and Letters na si Piedad Rosales ang siyang namahala sa pagbuo ng konsepto ng mga programa, katulong ang Department of Communication Arts ng Unibersidad. Iba’t ibang tema ang isinasahimpapawid sa programa gaya ng kultura, musika, at mga panayam.

NOT EVEN basketball pundits could have predicted that the team which was nowhere to be found in the off-season would pull off a surprise opening game win last Saturday.

Absent in pre-UAAP tune-ups, the Growling Tigers were a revelation, at least in their Season 73 curtain-raiser, by subduing a highly favored University of the East squad via 80-67 score at the Big Dome last July 10.

The Tigers rode on a torrid fourth quarter shooting to bury last year’s UAAP runner-up.

UST HAS a new representative in the UAAP board.

Gilda Ma. Paz Kamus took over the slot left by assistant director Felicitas Francisco of the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA).

Francisco, who was a member of the board for more than 20 years, is now with the Office for Alumni Relations serving as liaison officer for Quadricentennial activities of the Thomasian Sports Luminary Alumni.

“It’s a very challenging assignment,” said Kamus, who is concurrently the IPEA secretary.

Fr. Ermito de Sagon, IPEA Director and co-UAAP board member, endorsed Kamus to the position.

THE UST Tiger Paddlers and the Junior Paddlers kept the medal rush going after reaping one gold, two silver and three bronze medals in the second Binay Cup, held at the Kolisyum ng Bayan, Makati, on June 26 and 27.

Leading the championship hunt for UST was co-captain Cristian Vicente, who bagged the men’s singles non-rank division title with a 3-1 conquest of Jerome Remaneses.

Vicente repulsed UAAP Season 71 Rookie of the Year Zoren Mendiola with a 3-1 rout in the semifinals.

Tiger Paddlers found themselves battling against each other in the quarterfinals as Vicente did not go easy on his teammate Martin Diaz, 3-1, while Mendiola clobbered team captain Michael Paña, 3-0.

VOLLEYBALL fans were treated to a rare exhibition game at the UST gym with the Lady Spikers conquering their Shakey’s V-league foes, the Lyceum University of the Philippines Lady Pirates, in four sets, , 25-18, 18-25, 25-15, 25-21, last July 9.

The home team almost dictated the tempo of the entire match, save for the second set which belonged to the Lady Pirates courtesy of the heroics of ex-UST volleybelle Mary Jean Balse.

“This is an exhibition game for the fans who miss the team now that we’re not joining the second conference of V-league,” coach Cesael de los Santos said in Filipino. “It also encourages camaraderie among other volleyball teams.”

COURTSIDE queen Patricia Cansana is back to deliver UAAP news straight from the Tigers’ bench.

Now on her second stint as a UAAP correspondent, the fifth-year Architecture student is one of the five lucky courtside reporters who kept their job without going through another audition process.

“My confidence level rose up so expect me to smile more,” she said.

Under the rules of the ABS- CBN TV network, the decision to retain a courtside reporter will be based on his or her performance in the last season. Cansana’s impressive reporting debut last year apparently spoke for itself.