UP Pep rules CDC

Photo by Jenner Ong

Epitomizing the concepts of freedom and equality, the University of the Philippines (UP) Pep Squad bagged its third consecutive University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Cheerdance Competition title at the jampacked Mall of Asia Arena today.

Clad in beige uniforms and with all members sporting semi-bald haircuts, State U displayed grace and stability in its androgyny, from floor routines to tosses and mounting pyramids, despite a fall suffered by one of their top girls in their final lift—a difficult three-level shoulder stand.

“Natakot kami kasi ang labanan sa UAAP perfection. Nagtrust kami na makikita ng judges yung difficulty,” UP Pep coach Laurence Bautista said after the competition, commenting on the last-second spill while emphasizing the need to meet the “international standards” of cheerdancing, given the tournament’s international panel of judges.

The Far Eastern University Cheering Squad, showcasing again its members’ mastery of gymnastics, placed second while season hosts National University Pep Squad landed at third place—its first podium finish in cheerdance history.

The group stunt competition, a one-minute, five-man cheerdance stunt contest, yielded the same results while the cheerdance stunner award went to Nicolette Ambulo of the UP Pep Squad.

Unlike in previous years, UP Pep used minimal props and a minimalistic concept, plainly displayed its theme by using the same uniforms and hairstyle for both male and female members. One notable sequence in their routine was when they mimicked the monikers of the other member schools.

UP Pep bagged its eighth cheerdance title, tying the University of Santo Tomas Salinggawi Dance Troupe with the most number of cheerdance crowns in the UAAP.

This year, the results of the tournament were based on judges’ votes instead of a scoring system.