This time, there will be no Houdini act. No close calls. No more great escapes.
After 17 glorious years at the top of the secondary division of the Milo Little Olympics Visayas Regional Finals, the University of Cebu is set to hand over the coveted crown to the University of San Carlos-Basic Education Dept. when the multi-sport meet ends its two-weekend run in an emotional conclusion at the Cebu City Sports Center today.
Although still ahead by 26.5 points in the official points tally as of yesterday, the Webmasters are left with no choice but to give up their title as they failed to send any team to today’s remaining final events namely volleyball boys and girls, basketball and artistic and rhythmic gymnastics.
USC on the other hand, had teams in said events and is poised to score a historic sweep of the high school and elementary titles. Its elementary squad is way ahead in the tally.
As of yesterday, UC has 174.5 points while USC-BED has 148 points followed by Iloilo National High School (57 points), Abellana National School (42.25) and Beatriz Durano Memorial National High School of Danao City (28 points).
Last year, UC claimed its 17th secondary title with 176.25 points against USC’s 161.5 after topping boys and girls athletics, boys badminton and table tennis (boys and girls).
BAD PERFORMANCES
UC’s hopes of retaining its title this year came crashing down when its boys badminton team plummeted to fourth overall from first last year and its boys table tennis squad tumbled to a mediocre fifth from first.
UC Athletic director Bernard Ricablanca said the graduation of their top athletes greatly affected the Webmasters’ title-retention bid. But he vowed that UC will be a much stronger team next year with his plan of fielding teams in sepak takraw, gymnastics and girls volleyball.
UC competed in only eight of the 14 events in Milo games this year while USC is represented in all 14 sports.
Adding insult to injury is UC’s failure to sweep the athletics titles after finishing only second in the girls division this year behind Iloilo. “Well, we already set our minds that it’s not every year that we are on top. We have to accept our defeat graciously and we will come back stronger next year,” said Ricablanca. “In our hearts, we are the university of champions, we salute USC for their very great performance this year, my challenge to them now is to break our 17-year record as champions in the secondary division.”
Despite being dethroned, UC put on a sizzling performance on the final day of athletics by winning four gold medals courtesy of its secondary boys 4×400-meter relay, 100-meter run (Jrict Ray Talicug) and triple jump by Shantel Tanucan and Jhuvan Jhen Baculot.
Cebu Daily News has been trying to interview USC athletic director Saturnino Mayormita for his assessment but had been repeatedly turned down.
INEVITABLE
Meanwhile, Milo meet organizer Danilo Villadolid said that USC’s coronation is inevitable even if the Warriors are still behind UC in the latest tally.
“It’s inevitable. Based on our calculations, USC will surely finish with a higher score against UC. Maybe it’s time to crown a new champion,” said Villadolid.
USC’s netters finished with 25 points yesterday after topping the boys division and finishing second in the girls category behind BRIGHT Academy. It also collected 25 points in badminton after its boys team won gold while its girls squad finished second behind Southwestern University (SWU).
The Warriors scrabble team placed third to earn seven points while their table netters got a combined six points from the boys and girls squads.
The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) ruled the scrabble competition in both elementary and secondary divisions.
USC LEADS
While the battle for secondary domination was a virtual dogfight between USC and UC, the elementary competiton was a one-sided affair with USC-BED retaining its crown by tallying 192 points.
USC anchored its title run by sweeping the chess golds worth 30 points, swimming worth 60 points, athletics also worth 60 points and elementary girls badminton worth 15 points following its stunning conquest of perennial champions Banilad Elementary School of Mandaue City. Their lawn tennis, table tennis, scrabble and sipa teams all had podium finishes.
Just like their high school counterparts, USC’s elementary cagers are also battling for gold today.
Severo Duterte Memorial Elementary School of Danao City is in second place with 30 points while Talisay South Elementary School of Negros Occidental is in third with 27.5 followed by Saint John’s Institute of Bacolod and former elementary division champion Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) which have identical 25 points.
Lahug Elementary School and Banilad Elementary School topped the lawn tennis boys and girls elementary competition, respectively.
SHS-AdC is hoping to add more points to its tally after making the final in secondary and elementary basketball against USC and in elementary and secondary football against PAREF Springdale and elementary defending champions, Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC).
Meanwhile, Saint John’s Institute of Bacolod dethroned secondary girls volleyball champion SWU after beating the latter in yesterday’s semifinals, 28-26, 25-23.