"IT'S EITHER we fight or we frown, and we chose to fight."
That was how Randell San Gregorio, head coach of the recently hailed UAAP Cheerdance Competition champs Far Eastern University, reacted when he found about the CDC's sudden change in rules.
In this year's edition, only 15 dancers were allowed per team, reduced from the usual 25. The routine time, meanwhile, was cut to three minutes from its original six.
Meanwhile, the competition also stipulated that face-to-face training should only be done within a bubble all the way to the competition date.
"Ginawa lang namin yung best namin from the situation, kasi 'yun ang rules eh," said San Gregorio.
With a Queen rock-and-roll theme, the Tamaraws nabbed the highest points in every category, from tumbling to dance, and ended up with a total of 727.5 points.
FEU cheerdance squad bucks pandemic
San Gregorio also praised the team for taking hold of the pandemic situation, turning things around instead of dwelling on what-ifs.
"We were so blessed na walang na-injure, mas nag-work towards advantage 'yung bubble, walang nakakalabas, walang nakaka-lakwatsa," he said. "'Yung energy, lahat nandon sa training."
FEU was coming from a back-to-back first runner up finish in 2018 and 2019, and since then, they knew, the only way to go was up.
"Sila naman talaga yun mula nung nag-bubble kami hanggang kanina, nilaban talaga nila. Wala na mas deserving pa but my team," San Gregorio continued.
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