Tag: September 17, 2010

PERENNIAL collegiate cheer dance champions Salinggawi Dance Troupe improved on its miserable fourth-place finish in 2009, but failed to reclaim the title in this year’s UAAP Samsung Cheerdance Competition.

UST settled for third place behind eventual champion University of the Philippines and the Far Eastern University, which claimed second place, during the competition held at the jampacked Araneta Coliseum last September 12.

But choreographer Ryan Silva said the group had modest goals anyway.

“To be back in the top three, that’s already a big -achievement for us,” he said. “Of course [we are] glad. That was actually one of our goals coming in this year’s competition.”

THE UST Tiger Cubs made it far enough to the last dance only to stumble in the pivotal Game 2 of the Finals, yielding a 66-76 heartbreaker to thrice-to-beat Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eaglets last September 16 at the Big Dome.

UST badly needs to win Game 3 to force a deciding match for a chance to steal the championship while the Eaglets only need one more win to cap the tournament with a “three-peat” title.

One factor that cost them dearly was the absence of UST’s reliable three-point sniper Jaypee Sarcia who was called with a disqualifying foul in the first quarter of Game 1 after allegedly punching Blue Eaglet Marky Mercado. A disqualifying foul will automatically mean an ejection in the game plus a one-game suspension.

THE UST Growling Tigers took their last bow in Season 73 with a sorry loss in a no-bearing game against the National University (NU) Bulldogs, 54-62, last September 9 at the Big Dome as they cruised to an early vacation after missing the Final Four bus for the first time since their championship four years ago.

“We had a hard time looking for good players this season and they (Tigers) failed to grab hold of their crucial matches,” said a lowly coach Pido Jarencio after going home with a dismal 4-10 record at seventh place, their lowest output since their Cinderella run in 2006.

NU big man Emmanuel Mbe who reigned from down low scattered 18 points capitalized by his two heart-stopping slams in the first and final canto.

THE UST beach volleyball duos both secured berths in the semifinals, despite contrasting results in the closing stages of the UAAP elimination round at the University of the East sand courts in Caloocan.

Season 72 fourth-placers UST Lady Spikers derailed the De La Salle University Lady Spikers with a straight set sweep, 27-25, 21-17, to snag their fifth victory in seven games last September 11 and settle at third place.

But their male counterparts, the reigning two-time beach volleyball kings, received a stunning blow from their perennial rival Far Eastern University (FEU) in a three-setter match, 15-21, 21-19, 14-16. The Tiger Spikers finished the elimination round at third place with a 5-2 win-loss card.

THE UST Jins led the Philippine team’s charge that produced a total of 39 medals in the sixth Korea Open International Taekwondo Championship in Gumi, South Korea last September 2 to 6.

Lady Jin Shaneen Sia collected two gold medals, two silvers and a bronze in both the foreign and Korean division for Poomsae.

Sia, the pride of Cagayan de Oro city, reaped three awards in the foreign division that includes a gold medal in the individual category, a silver in the team category and a bronze in the pair category.