UST still the best after all these years

University of Santo Tomas (UST) emerged the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) best for the umpteenth time, earning anew the prestigious trophies as overall champion in the collegiate and high school divisions.

UST will climb the stage and receive the trophies Thursday in the league’s annual Awards Night at the Quezon City Sports Club.

UST did not fare strong enough in the centerpiece men’s basketball tournament which Ateneo won but was devastating elsewhere and topped seven of 26 events and finished second also in seven of them to run away with the senior division’s overall crown.

UST almost walked the tight rope in the collegiate level, but in the end, La Salle’s frantic bid fell short. The Growling Tigers totaled 295 points, beating the Green Archers who had more crowns with nine but hardly were in the running in the other events. La Salle had 273 points.

UST topped men’s athletics, judo, lawn tennis, table tennis, taekwondo and volleyball and women’s table tennis while La Salle was triumphant in men’s baseball, chess and swimming and in women’s basketball, badminton, chess, football, lawn tennis and swimming.

Rounding out the seniors standings were University of the Philippines (UP) third with 248, followed by University of the East (UE) fourth with 196, Ateneo fifth 170, Far Eastern University (FEU) sixth 148, Adamson seventh 87 and National University (NU) eighth 18.

UST was as dominating in the high school hostilities and with three titles–boys’ and girls’ swimming and boys’ taekwondo–to emerge overall champion with 97 points.

UE almost shoved UST out of the pedestal with 94 points built around its conquest of boys’ chess and volleyball. La Salle was third with 81, followed by Ateneo with 79, UP with 76; NU with 22 and Adamson with eight.

The ceremonies start 6 p.m. and besides the awarding of trophies to the overall champion and winners in each of the 26 events of the 14 sports in the calendar, the most valuable players will also be feted by the UAAP, today the country’s most prestigious collegiate league that wraps up its 65th season.

No less than 2002-2003 president Sonny Paguia of general host NU is beaming about the league, which enjoyed one of its most colorful and successful seasons.

"I could not say ‘I’m glad it’s over because honestly, we as host were part of one of the most exciting and most colorful seasons the league ever had," he said.