UAAP Season 86 has wrapped up with University of Santo Tomas once again reigning supreme as general champion.
The Growling Tigers totaled 332 points thanks to championships in women’s basketball, men’s table tennis, women’s taekwondo, poomsae, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, men’s tennis, men’s chess, and women’s 3x3 basketball. This is their eighth straight championship.
De La Salle University was a distant second with 269 points, while the University of the Philippines (258) wound up third.
UST also ruled over the high school division once more, with 257 points built on wins in boys’ and girls’ table tennis, girls’ beach volleyball, boys’ and girls’ swimming, boys’ judo, and girls’ athletics.
The Tiger Cubs were never threatened - with the second-place Jr. Archers only mustering 154 points - en route to their seventh consecutive overall title.
Best of the best of Season 86
UST also boasts of the Season 86 Collegiate Athlete of the Year for team events in women's basketball star Kent Pastrana, while her counterpart for individual events is UP swimming rookie MVP Quendy Fernandez.
The High School Athletes of the Year both hail from Adamson University in girls' volleyball's Shaina Nitura (team events) and boys' athletics' Hussein Lorana (individual events).
Grand plans for Season 87
After the UAAP successfully 'Fueled the Future' in Season 86, its preparations for Season 87 are well underway led by host UP.
"Work hard and prepare for next season. Take a break, recover, and come back stronger," said Dr. Zosimo Battad of Season 86 host University of the East in the league's season closing ceremony last Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
"I accept the leadership for Season 87 on behalf of UP and vow to make it as memorable as what UE has done. We are one. All eight schools are one," said UP Pres. Angelo 'Jijil' Jimenez.
In this light, the Fighting Maroons unveiled next season's theme to be 'Stronger, Better, Together' - urging unity among all eight member-schools, who have the single-minded goal of setting the stage for student-athletes to excel in both sports and academics.
"‘Stronger, Better, Together’ is a call to the league to be unceasingly forward-looking and creative, and a reminder that the way to continuing success and relevance is to be one. We are all stronger and better if we are one. This is true not just in sports, but in all aspects of life,” said UP Office for Athletics and Development Dir. Bo Perasol.
Guided by this principle, UP is organizing a preseason roadshow that will bring a torch - the UAAP's symbolic fire and desire - from Diliman to San Marcelino, Katipunan Ave., Morayta, Taft Ave., Sampaloc, Recto, and Espana.
After that, it will be all systems go for Season 87 tipping off on September 7.
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