For the 3rd straight year, hearts of Iskolar ng Bayan were shattered.
In its second bid for title redemption, the University of the Philippines (UP) Pep Squad won the hearts and minds of the UP community but not the nod of the judges.
After repeating a silver finish last year, the UP Pep Squad settled for bronze in this year’s UAAP Cheerdance Competition at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday.
The hosts performed a heartfelt interpretation of their battlecry, “Utak at Puso,” (“Hearts and Minds”) to the delight of their fans and supporters. However, these emotions were not enough to dethrone defending two-time titleholders NU Pep Squad, which now has three titles to its belt.
UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe, meanwhile, placed second.
Although the UP Pep Squad bagged the “Best Toss” and “Best Pyramid” awards from this year’s CDC sponsors, they lagged behind other teams in these categories based on the scorecards.
In fact, UP’s perfect routine made the Pep Squad feel like champions amidst the roaring approval of the Diliman crowd.
“We did a perfect routine. So as soon as we got to the dugout, we were very happy about our performance. We had no falls. No deductions. Zero deductions, as a matter of fact,” said Cam Lagmay, UP Pep’s Captain.
But the bronze medal finish came as a surprise for a team with a decorative trophy cabinet: a league-best 20 podium finishes, and tied with UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe at 9 championships each.
“When we heard that we were called as second runner-up, we took it with a heavy heart. But at the same time, we felt the love of the UP community. We felt that we did our best,” added Lagmay.
The UP Pep Squad hopes to bounce back and avenge its UAAP title drought as the team turns its attention to the 2015 Cheerleading Worlds Championship in Germany this November.
IN PHOTOS: UAAP Cheerdance Competition 2015
