UAAP: UST grabs 10th straight over-all crown

MANILA, Philippines - The 70th season of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) has officially closed with host University of Santo Tomas (UST) capturing its 10th straight over-all crown during the awarding ceremonies held Saturday night at the Plaza Mayor of the UST campus in España, Manila. UST was able to grab the over-all crown after the Growling Tigers and Tigresses collectively won nine of 28 total championships contested during the first and second semester games. UST garnered a total of 321 points in the overall race, easily triumphing over the Far Eastern (FEU) Tamaraws, who had a total of 240 points after a strong second semester showing. Victories in women’s chess, swimming, taekwondo, badminton and lawn tennis and men’s table tennis, lawn tennis, fencing and volleyball sparked the UST's surge to its 35th overall championship. The Tamaraws, on the other hand, saw action in 20 less events but finished second just the same as it capped a strong showing with a thrilling five-set victory over Adamson in the women’s volleyball finals last week. FEU swept the beach volleyball, football and athletics competitions, while emerging victorious in women’s table tennis, football, and men’s taekwondo to nip the University of the Philippines (UP) Maroons by a point. In the juniors division, UST completed a back-to-back quest for the general championship by scoring a total of 90 points. Ateneo De Manila (ADMU) and University of the East placed second and third, respectively, with 83 and 81 points. The juniors’ triumph marked UST’s 10th crown in the division. Meanwhile, UE fencing star and RP Team mainstay Michelle Bruzola was chosen as this year's UAAP athlete of the year. Bruzola bested for the plum UAAP basketball MVP Jervy Cruz of UST and FEU’s athletics hero Nelver Ducusin. The other notable candidates for the award include Ateneo women’s basketball star Cassandra Tioseco and Ernest Lorenzo Dee, La Salle’s swimming ace who is also a showbiz personality. Felicitas Francisco, UST’s representative to the UAAP board, said a total of 35 Most Valuable Player (MVP) awardees, 95 International competitors and Athlete of the Year awardees for both the senior and junior divisions were feted during the UAAP awards. Also given recognition were the "Athletic Scholars" of the eight participating universities. Francisco said all presidents of the schools and all the board representatives of the UAAP attended the event. The program also saw the turn over of duties of UAAP president and UST’s Fr. Ermito De Sagon, O.P. to UP Chancellor Sergio Cao. UP, which is currently celebrating its centennial anniversary this year, will be the host of the 71st UAAP season when it kicks off hostilities this July. - GMANews.TV