Ateneo chants: Long live Thirdy, Matt, Mike

MANILA, Philippines — Thirdy Ravena, Matt and Mike Nieto and their 0, 12 and 7 jersey numbers, respectively, have been immortalized in Katipunan.

The three bonafide Eagles were accorded a jersey retirement ceremony – the first in school history – during the Ateneo Grade School’s Parangal sa Atleta in recogniton of their unparalleled contributions to the school in the field of basketball.

Ravena and the Nieto twins were just some of the few who embraced the Eagle in them, representing the proud Katipunan-based school from elementary all the way to collegiate basketball.

Behind the trio, Ateneo ruled almost every tournament in the grade school level nationwide before Ravena and the Nietos soared on in juniors and seniors play.

And they could not essay a better ending to their illustrious Ateneo careers in helping the Eagles to a historic 16-0 sweep of the 2019 UAAP wars.

Those achievements, aside from their academic milestones which Ateneo is championing along with sporting excellence, proved enough for them to be the first-ever recipients of a grandiose Ateneo retirement ceremony.