UST rolls to 6th straight UAAP general championship

MANILA, Philippines – Extending their dominance.

The University of Santo Tomas was awarded its sixth consecutive UAAP general championship in the Season 85 closing ceremony on Saturday, May 27, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

UST amassed a total of 336 points, a wide margin against second-placer De La Salle University, which has 279.

It earned nine gold medals en route to its 46th general championship, also the most in league history.

“We are very happy again for having this general championship for both the college and the high school divisions,” said UAAP Board of Managing Directors member Gigi Kamus.

“We always live the tradition of producing excellent and world-class student-athletes,” she added.

On the other hand, UST also secured its 22nd general high school title overall and seventh straight, having gotten 192 points.

Southeast Asian Games swimming record holder Xiandi Chua led the awardees for the UAAP Athlete of the Year for the individual sports.

The La Sallian tanker won six gold medals, one silver, and a bronze, and set four new UAAP records.

Meanwhile, infielder Nickole dela Cruz of the UP Fighting Maroons softball team was named Athlete of the Year for the team sport category.

Dela Cruz was hailed as the season MVP, and had several other awards such as the Best Slugger, Best Hitter, and notched the Most Runs Batted In (RBI), in the tournament.

“I didn’t aim to win all these individual awards,” said dela Cruz in Filipino.

“In my mindset was to help the team as one of the leaders, to be of big help to help my team succeed,” she added.

In the juniors’ division, Kent Francis Jardin, an Adamson trackster, was named Athlete of the Year in the individual category after winning in all seven events that he participated in.

FEU-Diliman’s John Rey Pasaol became the Athlete of the Year in the team category after helping lead the FEU Baby Tamaraws to the boys’ basketball title.

A Mythical Five member in the tournament, he was also adjudged MVP in the demonstration boys 3×3 basketball competition.

Also honored were the 73 UAAP athletes who participated in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, where the Philippines won 58 golds, 85 silvers, and 117 bronze medals.

The league likewise celebrated outstanding student-athletes who achieved academic excellence, including Chua, Adamson women’s volleyball’s Trisha Tubu, and FEU men’s footballer Gio Pabualan, among others.

UST sweeps juniors, seniors streetdance titles

Meanwhile, UST swept both the seniors and juniors streetdance titles in the competition also held on Saturday.

UST Prime garnered 448 points in its toy-themed routine to earn top honors, edging out the NU Dance Company (446), and UP Street Dance Club (437.5).

On the other hand, UST Galvanize emerged as the first out of three participants with 437.5 points, Adamson Dance Company-Street SHS came second at 393.5, and FEU-X third with 376.

At the conclusion of the event, host Adamson passed the baton to UE, which last hosted Season 77 in 2014. – Rappler.com