BRIMMING with confidence, Ateneo looks to make a big jump from the bottom of the pack to a podium finish.
The Blue Babble Battalion has been pinned in the eighth spot of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition for three years, but team captain Arthur Alianan believes they not only move out of the cellar but also claim a medal.
“The team's goal for this year's UAAP CDC is to show everyone that we have improved. We want to put on a show that people will remember,” the fourth year BS Legal Management student told Spin.ph.
“We don't want them to think of us as simply being a weak team that doesn't need to be watched or would simply land at the last place every year,” he added. “We want people to look at the Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion as a team to watch out for in the future. We want this year's performance to prove to everyone that we are also aiming for the podium finish.”
Despite having only 11 boys and a bunch of rookies in the team, Alianan is optimistic that they can pull off their ‘perfect’ run on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Ateneo Mission Impossible-inspired routine last year earned the team 412 points.
The winning score for NU was 668, UST took second with a 651.5, while the last medal spot was taken by UP with 610.5 points.
“We gave everything we had to come up with the best possible routine given our circumstances. We'll see how that ‘perfect routine’ looks like on Saturday,” said Alianan.
“It will still be different from our past performances,” he added. “Whether you like the difference or not is entirely up to you, but I daresay that it may surprise you.”
Alianan said three-time defending champion National University Pep Squad is still the team to beat.
“NU. Hands down,” he said. “They are still the best in the competition, and everybody is just aiming to beat them right now. They have a great recruitment program and coaches, and it has all translated into their difficult and breathtaking performances.”
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