A toast for 2013 champions & achievers

Each year, at about this time, after the collegiate basketball season has ended, this column gives way to recognize and toast the achievements of collegiate athletes who gave their best to earn honors for their alma mater and also for themselves as the players aim for higher goals in the field of sports.

The column also highlights the immense contributions made by different individuals, schools and entities, to promote and develop sports in their respective localities. Through their efforts talents are discovered, nurtured and given much needed exposure

‘A Toast’ for recognition and appreciation

The event, “A Toast,” was held yesterday, Jan. 20, 2013, at the 9501 Restaurant, 14th floor, ELJ Bldg. in Quezon City. Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) and ABS-CBN co-hosted the event where due recognition and appreciation were given to the winners and those who contributed to the success of the 2013 Champions League (PCCL) National Collegiate Championship, the culmination of the annual search for the best collegiate teams and players.

Manuel V. Pangilinan Perpetual Bronze Sculpture

The annual search for the one national collegiate champion is an objective shared by Manny Pangilinan as head of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and the group behind PCCL. The process to determine the best collegiate teams in the country and to recognize the one national collegiate champion involves the participation of more than 30 “mother leagues” nationwide in a multi-level competition.

The symbol of collegiate basketball supremacy is the Manuel V. Pangilinan Perpetual Bronze Sculpture, “Abutin Ang Tagumpay,” where the names of the national champions since 2003 are engraved. The winning school retains the sculpture until a new national champion emerges.

After the completion of the 2013 collegiate basketball season, De La Salle University Green Archers won its second national collegiate title and its name was added to the list engraved in the sculpture. The Green Archers last won the title in 2008 under Coach Franz Pumaren.

MERALCO awards for 2013 collegiate season

The different awards handed out yesterday were sponsored by Meralco as part of the company’s wide ranging involvement in youth and sports development programs. The different categories of awards are shown below:

Team awards:

De La Salle Green Archers –

2013 National Collegiate Champion

The school will keep for one year the “Abutin Ang Tagumpay” M. V. Pangilinan Perpetual Bronze Sculpture, the Champions League’s symbol of collegiate basketball supremacy.

The Southwestern University Cobras, Far Eastern University Tamaraws, and San Beda College Red Lions are the second, third and fourth placers, respectively.

Breakthrough Performance Award is conferred to teams that came up with breakthrough games that led to its qualifying for the first time in the Sweet 16 Finals. Recipients of the award were the Iloilo Doctors College Medics and Lyceum of Subic Sharks.

The Grinder Award goes to the team that rose to prominence as a major contender from the qualifying games all the way to Sweet 16 Finals. Kudos to the University of the East Warriors.

The Rising StarAward was given to Southwestern University Cobras for rising to prominence as the Overall Southern Islands champion for two consecutive years and qualifying for the first time to the Championship Series of the Champions League winding up as runner-up in the 2013 National Collegiate Championship

Individual Awards:

Model National Collegiate Player of the Year Award, the highest honor that PCCL confers to players, is given to the collegiate player who during his collegiate playing years combined academic and sports achievements attaining college education whilst playing competitively at high standards of performance and sportsmanship making the awardee worthy for emulation as a role model of an accomplished collegiate athlete dedicated to his game and in acquiring education.

Rome de la Rosa of San Beda Red Lions is the Model National Collegiate Player -2013. Honorable Mention went to Clark Bautista of the UST Growling Tigers. The previous awardees were Nonoy Baclao (2009), Junmar Fajardo (2010), Kirk Long (2011), and Nico Salva (2012).

The Most Valuable Player in the Finals Award went to Jeron Teng of DLSU Green Archers. Jeron duplicated the feat of his brother, Jeric, who won the MVP-Finals last year. Mythical team members selected based on performance statistics earned during the Final Four games were Jeron Teng (DLSU); Landry Sanjo (SWU); Jason Perkins (DLSU); Mark Jayven Tallo (SWU); and Almond Vosotros (DLSU).

Best Coach Award went to the coach of the champion team, Juno Sauler.

Best Referee Award is in recognition of the game official obtaining the highest rating as adjudged by the PCCL Technical group. The highest performance ranking for this year’s series was obtained by Aniceto Escobido.

Special mention awards:

Best Host of Champions League Games Award was obtained by First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH) of Tanauan City, Batangas in recognition of professionally hosting the Champions League games and successfully promoting the event for the benefit of local basketball fans for two successive years.

The Hospitality Award is in recognition of successfully organizing and hosting the qualifying games among league champions in their respective area. The winners of this award for 2013 were: Dr. Gilbert Arce, president of University of Northern Philippines-Vigan City, host of North-Central Luzon regional games; Regino “Boy” Cua of Davao City, host of Mindanao regional games; and Basketball Inter-Collegiate Championship of Sorsogon (BICCS), host of South Luzon-Bicol games.

Chairman’s Special Merit Awardees

For 2013, PCCL Board of Trustees approved the granting of the Chairman’s Special Merit Awards to two deserving recipients, namely:

Villavicencio Group of Companies (FilOil Flying V Sports) chairman and founder, Ramon F. Villavicencio for believing in the idea of One National Collegiate Champion and providing consistently much needed morale and logistics support ensuring continuity for the past eight years of the Champions League (PCCL) National Collegiate Championship.

Ambassador Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco for providing support, motivation and personal attention to enable DLSU Green Archers to evolve as a topnotch team and to become the UAAP and National Collegiate champion for 2013. Indeed, this is the mark of true and genuine godfather of a team worthy of emulation.

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