A silent storm has been steadily gaining strength within the four walls of De La Salle University—one that could soon make waves across the UAAP swimming landscape. Signs of this surge emerged last year, when the DLSU Green and Lady Tankers displayed notable improvements in the UAAP Season 87 Swimming Tournament.
At the core of this resurgence is a standout rookie class composed of Lady Tankers Mika Talosig and Ashley Wong, and Green Tankers Bryce Barazza and Juaquin Medenilla. These promising novices are armed with the grit and determination to take the Green-and-White to the promised land.
But like all fresh experiences, their humble beginnings came with their own set of challenges and lessons.
Unfamiliar territory
The Tankers’ rookie journey in the past year has been a rollercoaster ride. From arduous challenges in their academic lives to more competitive training environments, the Lasallian rookies endured a tough adjustment since joining the Green-and-White. Medenilla shared that his overall lifestyle has shifted this past year, “My first year has been hard, especially [with] the change of schedule in my training. When I was [in] high school, [training] was after class, so it was [in the] afternoon. But now it’s before class at 5 am, which I’m not really used to. And I guess it affected my performance in academics at the start.”
On the other hand, Talosig swam past numerous challenges on her way to winning the UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year award. The General Santos City native not only fought against the demands of her studies, but also in acclimating herself to an unknown environment. “I had a hard time adjusting since [I came] from a province and then [transferred] to a city. It was hard adjusting [to] the academics, mostly the swimming part; the athlete part was the same.”
Rising up
While the transition to college life has been difficult for the rookie Tankers, the weight of carrying DLSU’s name has added to their adjustment to the team. Wong shares the standards of representing the Green-and-White, “Being a rookie in La Salle is really challenging and different compared [to] other universities because La Salle is one of the most prestigious universities.” Barraza adds that the reputation of the competition adds to the obstacle of their rookie year, “I think [the] UAAP is one of the biggest stages of swimming here in the Philippines as well. You’re competing with the best of the best athletes. So it’s really challenging, especially na parang first year, ‘yung confidence parang wala pa rin don.”
(So it’s really challenging, especially during your first year when your confidence is still developing.)
But despite the challenges, the rookies had their seniors to guide them as they unleashed their talents. “They made me lean on them. I learned to open up and depend on my seniors,” Talosig shared. Barraza doubled down on the support that they received from their teammates and coaches, which led to their successful rookie stints, “[The] coaches and teammates, they help us get through pressure [and] they help us build up the confidence that we needed.”
Brick by brick
Annually, a fresh set of faces enters the University’s sports development facilities, eager to have their names etched among Lasallian legends. In years past, the Green and Lady Tankers rookies have carried on this honored tradition. They have trained relentlessly in the pursuit of the UAAP glory and beyond.
As their stint in the UAAP Season 88 commences, the rookies have prepared well—resulting in having high expectations about the future of their teams. Wong, for instance, participated in local competitions under her club team, which has helped her prepare both mentally and physically—especially when going up against familiar opponents in a tight-knit swimming community.
“I think we know how fast we are, what we need to improve, and what we need to do to be the best. Not only [to become] better, but [to] be the best. [However,] I feel like our only goal is to become the best for ourselves and not compare ourselves to other teams and people,” said Wong.
Talosig also looks to build off her stellar performance that won her the Rookie of the Year honors by intensifying her training in the coming months and expecting more from herself and her team in the process. “Hopefully, maka-podium talaga ang Lady Tankers. Pero for me, [I’m hoping for even] more medals,” said Talosig.
(Hopefully, the Lady Tankers will really make a podium finish. But personally, I’m hoping for even more medals.)
In Medenilla’s eyes, the key factor to ensuring the team’s success is for the Lasallians to do their best to improve themselves individually. “I know everyone has their own goals and everyone’s aiming to get [on the] podium. Sumusunod lang talaga ‘yung team achievements when everyone else gets their medals,” said the Marketing major.
(Team achievements follow when everyone gets their medals.)
As long as the Green-and-White continue to foster their winning culture, which Barraza describes as “an environment [where] everyone would improve,” the Taft-based swimmers could very well be on track to reclaim their place at the UAAP’s mountaintop in the near future.
