2024 was a busy year for the NCAA to say the least. Across different disciplines, one ended a drought, some built a dynasty, and many cemented their legacies in the country's oldest athletic fixture.
Mapua University became the league’s kings of basketball again after 33 years while San Beda University kept proving its status as the breeding ground for future star athletes in other sports.
University of Perpetual Help System DALTA and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, meanwhile, preserved their volleyball crowns as Arellano University remained the gold standard in cheerleading. Jose Rizal University and Colegio de San Juan de Letran were still the victors in athletics and juniors hoops.
Here's a rundown on how these teams and student-athletes wrote their stories and other remarkable moments of NCAA in 2024.
Celebrating 100 years of sports excellence
History was made last September 7 at the Mall of Asia Arena when the NCAA formally rolled out the festivities for the landmark Season 100 with Lyceum of the Philippines University doing the hosting duties for the first time.
Right on the opening day, the league made sure to make it noteworthy by recognizing 10 notable athletes in recent memory with basketball stars CJ Perez and Baser Amer headlining the awardees.
Some other cagers in Sidney Onwubere (EAC), Allyn Bulanadi (San Sebastian), RJ Jazul (Letran), and Adrian Nocum (Mapua) were also honored for bringing pride for their respective schools through basketball while Louie Ramirez (Perpetual) and Regine Arocha (Arellano) were also inducted for helping their schools cop titles.
Ryan Jacolo (Benilde) and Mark Harry (JRU), who excelled in table tennis and track and field, respectively, were also included in the prestigious list.
Mapua saw daylight after 33 years in darkness
During that same opening day, Mapua University dropped its first assignment after losing to a new-look Benilde.
But the Cardinals turned things around right away, winning 18 of their next 20 games, highlighted by an impressive second round sweep all the way to bagging the title against the Blazers to arrest a long 33-year title wait.
In the words of Mapua head coach Randy Alcantara, it was a 'blessing' that even he couldn't believe at first.
After all, they had to first endure a heartbreak back when they thought they had the title in their hands last year in Season 99 only for San Beda to take it away and reign supreme after three grueling finals games.
But that pain only turned into fuel for the Cardinals, banking on a youth-laden squad that has no championship experience at all to become the NCAA basketball kings again for the first time since 1991.
Letran captured back-to-back juniors basketball titles
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Already a household name in seniors basketball, Letran is doing the same in its juniors program.
The Squires defied the odds that was the Perpetual Junior ALTAs to claim victory in NCAA Season 99 juniors basketball tournament last March behind the heroics of Jonathan Manalili, George Diamante, Syrex Silorio, Daniel Padilla, and Jovel Baliling as they emerged as back-to-back champions.
The Squires dominated the finals series opener, but bowed to Perpetual in Game 2 which saw their title defense hanging in balance. The quintet, however, rose to occasion when it was needed the most as they delivered the school's 14th juniors crown.
Amiel Acido a star in the making
Although the Junior ALTAs failed to bring home the gold, they found a diamond in Amiel Acido.
The sharp-shooting big man became the first-ever juniors MVP from Perpetual after steering the squad to its inaugural finals appearance with the help of the core featuring the likes of Mark Gojo Cruz, JD Pagulayan, and Lebron Jhames Daep.
They may have fallen short of the title, but Acido and the rest of the Junior ALTAs brought the school to relevance and with coach Joph Cleopas still calling the shots, there will be no way but up for the squad.
They, however, would be doing it without their two stars with Acido now suiting up for UST in the UAAP while Gojo Cruz is now with the ALTAs in the seniors level.
3-peat, 40-game win streak for Benilde in women's volleyball
THEY DID THAT.
The last time the Benilde Lady Blazers tasted a loss was in January 2019, when they emerged as the Season 94 top seed but would fall twice to Perpetual in the semifinals to bow out of contention.
Since then, it has been pure dominance from the Taft crew. The wards of head coach Jerry Yee have won 40 games in a row to complete a rare three-peat for the school, the last of which saw them disposing of Letran in Season 99 finals last May in another display of supremacy.
The Lady Blazers banked on their usual suspects in the graduating opposite hitter Gayle Pascual, middle blocker Mich Gamit, outside spiker Jade Gentapa, and reigning MVP setter Cloanne Mondoñedo.
Perpetual crowned as the taraflex king anew
Similar to Benilde, Perpetual is also setting the standard in volleyball, this time in the men's division.
With prized tactician Sammy Acaylar at the helm, the mighty ALTAs swept their way to Season 99 throne to make it their fourth straight championship and become the most decorated men's volleyball program in the league.
They did so with the leadership on and off the court of Louie Ramirez, who had captured his second straight MVP plum for leading the way for the Las Piñas crew. His skills went beyond the walls of NCAA after he was invited to join Alas Pilipinas in its international endeavors.
Ramirez, though, didn't lack the support with the likes of Jeff Marapoc, JC Enarciso, KC Andrade, and Kirth Rosos providing the help as Perpetual picked up their second four-peat feat in the past 14 years.
Chiefs the leaders of cheerleading for fifth straight year
Reminiscent of their perfectly-crafted pyramids, Arellano University was on top of the NCAA Cheerleading Competition yet again.
The powerhouse Arellano Chiefsquad team flaunted their police-themed routine designed by coach Lucky San Juan to rule the Season 99 contest last June, garnering 253.5 points in the 10-team field to pluck their fifth straight title since Season 92.
As of now, only Arellano, Perpetual, which the Chiefs dethroned back in 2017, as well as JRU and Mapua have won the title in the cheerleading tournament with the Chiefs now the second winningest team in history.
San Beda seized 25th football title
While it's known for producing great basketball talents, San Beda made sure its excellence goes beyond the court.
The Red Booters defied the challenges and escaped Benilde during their Season 99 men's football finals showdown last March to nail a back-to-back and cop the school's 25th overall crown in the sport.
The spotlight was on Amir Aningalan, whose late conversion in the added minute propelled San Beda to the title at the historic Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila. Aningalan's heroics, which was on full display all season long, saw him bagging the MVP award while his teammate Kirk Eman See clinched the Golden Boot for collecting a total of six goals in the tournament.
Their dominance was also proven further when Eldwin Escosora nailed the Best Defender award and Jhon Antonette Betanio collected the Best Goalkeeper plum. Red Booters head coach Nhiboy Pedimonte was recognized as Coach of the Year.
San Beda dazzled in other sports, too
Hear 'em roar.
Aside from staple football, San Beda also brought the titles to Mendiola in five other sporting events after dominating swimming, chess, taekwondo, table tennis, and badminton.
Led by MVP Leonel Escote, San Beda topped the Season 100 men's chess tournament last November against LPU while the Red Jins ruled the men's, women's and boys' divisions of Season 100 taekwondo tournament to complete back-to-back sweeps of the contest.
It didn't end there as the school also won big in swimming after it swept the three divisions as well early this month. The Red Sea Lions captured their 26th overall crown and two-decade reign in the men's side while the women's team nailed their 11th straight title while the boys team reclaimed the title.
San Beda had plenty more to celebrate after bagging the Season 100 table tennis title last November with the Red Paddlers sweeping the men's, women's and juniors divisions to come out on top.
Lastly, San Beda also acquired another title in badminton after winning the women's division courtesy of MVP Dominique Pollentes.
JRU fulfilled three-peat dream in track and field
For the third straight time, JRU is the ruler of NCAA track and field.
Riding record-breaking performances of Frederick Ramirez, the school topped the Season 100 edition last June with Ramirez imposing his will to help the school capture its third overall crown in a row and eighth in the last 14 years.
The 26-year-old Ramirez, who was a member of the gold medal team during the Cambodia SEA Games last year, shattered the records in the 200m and 400m en route to the twin titles.
Ramirez clocked 46.95 seconds in the 400m, breaking the 48.03 seconds he set last year, while he registered 21.43 in the 200m to surpass the 21.93 mark by another JRU trackster in Russel Galleon six years ago.
With Ramirez leading the charge, JRU was able to collect 826.5 points en route to the title while Mapua (583) and Arellano (540) finished at second and third spots, respectively.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
