Tag: Vol. LXXXI

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.

WHAT lies ahead for UST’s best softball player in recent memory?

With nothing else to prove in collegiate sports, Aiza de la Torre is eyeing a career in broadcasting as soon as she earns her communication arts degree next year. The 21-year-old star pitcher has played out her UAAP years, and is entering her senior year at the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

“I will not be playing anymore so I gave my all last UAAP season, but in my studies, I still have one year left.” she said.

De la Torre made history by leading UST to its first-ever UAAP title since the league was founded in 1938. The Softbelles did so in emphatic fashion, sweeping the tournament, and unseating defending champion Adamson University in the process.

SPORTS legends of the black-gold-white fleet trooped back to España on a memorable “night of champions.”.

Former Purefoods TJ Hotdogs forward Rey Evangelista, San Miguel Beermen head coach Siot Tanquincen, RP taekwondo bet Tshomlee Go, and other UST sports celebrities returned to the UST Gym last February 27 to reacquaint themselves with the current crop of UST athletes, in time for a planned grand alumni homecoming in connection with UST’s 400th anniversary.

Organized by the UST Varsity Alumni Association and Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, the event also raised funds to support varsity athletes.

WHILE some fresh graduates would say that the pinnacle of their stay in UST would be gaining the much-coveted Latin honors at the end of their academic road, others remember memories that are far simpler, but equally close to the heart.

The Varsitarian asks Batch 2010 about their most memorable moments of their college life, from the simple joys of eating isaw to finding lifelong friends.

What will you miss most about UST?

IT WAS a dream half a century in the making.

But everything was worth the wait as the UST Softbelles finally ended an era of fruitless campaigns after unseating defending champions Adamson University, in an 8-3 pre-valentine brawl last February 13 at the UST open field. This was the team’s first ever championship tiara in UAAP softball history since the league’s conception in 1953.

A tournament sweep merits an automatic championship and as UST bulldozed the competition with a 10-0 slate, not even the defending champions stood on the way of their softball crown.

“The jinx is over and there’s no more curse,” said the teary-eyed coach Sandy Barredo. “I just told them to focus on the game and not to be pressured.”

The UST Male Fencers kissed their grand slam bid goodbye after bowing to the University of the East (UE).

The team finished Season 71 hostilities last February 4 to 6 with a 2-2-1 medal haul at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym. “[The University of the East (UE)] just really fielded in a stronger line-up this season,” head coach Arman Bernal said in Filipino.

UST ostensibly missed the services of Season 70 Most Valuable Player Jose Miguel Cagalingan and two-time champion Arnel Bernal, who have played out their eligibility years.

FOR THE fifth consecutive season, the UST Female Tracksters were denied the championship by top contender Far Eastern University (FEU) in the Season 72 UAAP Track and Field Games last February 4 to 7 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

UST’s 253 points from an 11-5-5 gold-silver-bronze output was not enough to dethrone “seven-peat” titlist FEU, which was comfortably ahead with 304 points. University of the East (UE) settled at third place with 106 points.

But the Tracksters, the 2009 University Games champions, did not go home broke with virtuoso performances in the individual arena. Rookie of the Year Serenata Saluan, who bagged the Most Valuable Player plum in her maiden year, accounted for seven out of UST’s 10 gold medals.