UAAP: La Salle favored to win another GC

After racing out to a 16 point lead over UST, their closest rival in the UAAP General Championship (GC) race over the first half of the season, DLSU is poised to win its second GC in a row. Backed by five first place finishes out of a possible 15 tourneys, La Salle stamped its class on the rest of the league and surprised many after their poor performance in the first half during the prior season.

“We’re very happy, we’re elated about it. I really knew that we would be on top [at this point] and I think that we will make it,” shares Edwin Reyes, one of DLSU’s representatives to the UAAP Board.

Entering the second half of the UAAP, where La Salle is traditionally dominant, there is an increased sense of optimism in the community that the GC will once again be taken home by the Green-and-White. Seven sports with two divisions—male and female—will be played in the upcoming months and the collective results will determine the fate of the GC race.

“Our teams just have to be consistent for the second half, if we just achieve the number of points that we did last year in the second half we’ll be okay, kahit bumaba pa ng konti,” says Reyes on the school’s chances for another GC.

Leading the defense

Raring to defend their championships from UAAP Season 75 in the second half are the Lady Spikers, Lady Tennisters and Lady Woodpushers who led La Salle’s late surge to the GC. All eyes will be on the Lady Spikers who aim to win their fourth straight UAAP crown despite the departure of key players and the improvement of their rivals.

Meanwhile, the Lady Booters will seek to finally get over the hump and win the UAAP Women’s Football championship after finishing second last season. The Green Fencers, Lady Fencers, Green Spikers, Green Tracksters, Green Tennisters and Green Woodpushers on the other hand, will aim to improve on their third place finishes last year and finish with a higher spot on the podium this time around.

When asked who La Salle’s biggest competitor to the GC this year is, Reyes quickly replied saying, “It’s really UST still.” As a matter of fact, last year’s GC victory by La Salle snapped UST’s 14 year reign as the General Champions and this year, they will continue to pursue their lost crown and they remain close in the standings at second place.

All out support

Athletes may be the participants in sporting events, but the community plays a major factor as well in their tournaments. With the GC in balance, every advantage counts and in this case, the support of the Lasallian community at sporting events may help turn the tide in the favor of DLSU.

Reyes encourages Lasallians to come out and support the athletes in their quest to win another GC and he states, “It is free to watch most of the games anyways. For example, you can always watch the football team play in FEU Diliman where there is a beautiful new turf. Volleyball costs money to watch now but not much, I mean you can bring your girlfriend, boyfriend or parents for an afternoon of collegiate sports.”

Aside from supporting the athletes, Reyes encourages the members of the community to accompany the DLSU Animo Squad as well and he quips, “Keep our pep squad company as well. Kawawa our pep squad, they are the unsung heroes of this. I try to make it a point to go up to them because these people are heroes. They’re the real heroes for me in all the events and they don’t get anything from this.”

Though he encourages Lasallians to support the athletes, he does not impose his will and even provides a witty metaphor. “I cannot force you to eat chicken adobo if you don’t like chicken adobo. I can’t force people to watch a sport if it’s not their cup of tea. What I can ask everybody to do is to have a sense of school pride,” shares Reyes who adds that their support has to come from the heart.

The support that the members of the community give to the athletes goes a long way in helping them boost their morale, and having a good crowd behind them definitely helps the athletes. As the second half of the UAAP begins, the battles will have even more pressure as more people become aware of the looming GC and the implications of each match to the final tally.

The members of the community can have a say in it though and can help out in their own way as Reyes concludes by saying, “We hope to see everybody there and when we ask athletes if it matters if people are there cheering for them, they say it really does and it really helps.”