UAAP: Animo Squad lands third in CDC

​In a battle for the most-coveted title of being the best cheering squad in the league, the DLSU Animo Squad stood tall as they finished second-runner up in the UAAP Cheerdance Competition (UAAP CDC) held on September 15 at the Mall of Asia Arena in front of a massive crowd of 20,830 people.

​With a total score of 596.5 and bringing home P140,000 in addition to individual Samsung-sponsored packages, the Animo Squad’s third place finish is a comeback victory for the team, two notches higher than their fifth place standing in the previous year. Topping the other contenders were the UP Pep Squad, concluding the competition at first-runner up, and the NU Pep Squad who were hailed as champions for the first time in UAAP history. The top two teams scored 620.5 and 696.5, respectively.

​Coming into the floor in camouflage army outfits, and complementing their routine with rifle props that were converted into nun chucks later in the routine, the Animo Squad saw a clean performance run with only one fall. The squad started their routine with their signature dance to accompany traditional La Salle cheers and mimicked traditional military exercises in their dance routine. Things heated up further as the squad executed well-timed stunts and tumbling passes, and brought the crowd to their feet with impressive pyramid sequences.

​In second place was the UP Pep Squad who stormed the floor with disco balls and a song mix reminiscent of the 70’s disco era. The Champion NU Pep Squad meanwhile donned Arabian reds and lifted lamps in a dance sequence to end their difficult, but well-executed routine.

​Teams were judged on two criterion, namely dance and cheerleading, with a different set of judges for each category. The dance criterion is subdivided into over-all effectiveness, choreography, technique and execution, while cheerleading is subdivided into tumbling, stunts, and pyramids.
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The UAAP CDC Stunner award, prejudged by the board and given to the most charming member of all the pep squads, was also received by an Animo Squad member, Ana de Leon (III, BS-PSYC).

“I didn’t really expect it… but I feel overwhelmed and happy to have won it for our team,” shares De Leon. She adds that the team is already thankful for the win, “Sobrang happy kami na nag-place kami kahit third lang. Sobrang proud ako.”

​Animo Squad senior member and former team captain Tasha Mendoza (IV, BS-MKT) expresses joy and gratitude for the win, “We went through a lot of injuries, a lot of difficulties. It was hard because this year, the rules were different. We really had to improve and all of us had to step up.”

​The last time DLSU made a finals appearance in the UAAP CDC was in 2011 when they were named first runner-up. Mendoza says, “We really wanted to show the UAAP that La Salle can compete and we really wanted to come back from our 2011 second place.”

​This year’s win is the Animo Squad’s second bronze and sixth medal won since the competition began in 1994. DLSU has yet to claim a championship in the UAAP CDC.