De La Salle-Dasmariñas, Zamboanga claim PRISAA plums

MANILA, Philippines - De La Salle-Dasmariñas and Universidad de Zamboanga athletes overpowered their rivals to emerge overall champions in their respective Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) regional competitions.

The La Salle-Dasma tankers swept the men’s and women’s swimming events while collecting the women’s athletics, basketball and volleyball titles in the PRISAA Region 4-A (Calabarzon) regionals held recently.

In the cultural side, La Salle-Dasma bagged the Latin gold in dancesports and solo singing contest.

On the other hand, Lyceum-Batangas copped the men’s basketball and athletics championships while sister school Lyceum-Laguna annexed the men’s volleyball crown.

Manuel Enverga University topped the men’s lawn tennis tournament, San Juan de Letran-Calamba emerged on the top in men’s taekwondo while University of Perpetual Help-Cavite took distaff honors.

In the PRISAA Region 9 (Western Mindanao) sportsfest, Universidad de Zamboanga underscored its dominance with sweeps in athletics and karatedo on top of impressive victories in men’s badminton, baseball and swimming.

The Ateneo de Zamboanga bets lorded it over in women’s swimming and scored a double triumph in taekwondo, while Saint Vincent College swept the table tennis championships.

Brent College took the gold in the singing event.

The regional winners in all 17 regions nationwide will be vying in the PRISAA National Games to be held in scenic Naga City, Camarines Sur from April 19 to 26.

PRISAA president Gonzalo Duque, who is also the Vice Governor of Pangasinan, announced that President Arroyo has been invited to formally open the sports showcase.

Also expected during the inaugural rites are Commission on Higher Education chairman Emmanuel Angeles, who served as PRISAA president for several terms, and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping.

The PRISAA, CHED, PSC and the State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association recently signed a memorandum of agreement for a comprehensive integrated sports development program, virtually making the PRISAA nationals one of its centerpiece events.