fullcourtfresh.com | NU Pep shows magical performance, grabs first cheerdance crown

Martin San Diego | FCF

It was a historic first for the National University Cheer Squadron, as they upset the four-peat bid of powerhouse University of the Philippines Pep Squad in Sunday’s UAAP Cheerdance Competition at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Arabic-inspired NU Pep executed an almost flawless routine with well-timed tosses, lifts, and floor stunts en route to its first cheerdance crown. They also grabbed the Group Stunts competition, trouncing second placer Far Eastern University Cheering Squad and third placer University of Santo Tomas Salinggawi Dance Troupe.

They score 696.5 points, way ahead of UP Pep’s score of 620.5. The De La Salle Animo Squad finished with 596.5 points for third place.

“Very united sila,” said NU coach Ghicka Bernabe. “Sobrang namaximize nila yung months of training.”

“Nung summer kami nag-start mag-train and that was around four to five months of training. Talagang gusto naming manalo this year,” she added. “Yung top two teams (UP and FEU), sila parati ang nagse-set ng standard every year, pero kami, inisip naming na mag-set ng sariling standard at wag maghabol sa standards nila, kaya talagang less pressure samin that resulted in less errors.”

Martin San Diego | FCF

For UP Pep’s part, member Noelynne Figueroa told Fullcourtfresh.com that NU Pep deserves the championship.

“Sobrang deserve nila ito. This is their time and we are very happy for them,” she said.

UP Pep’s disco-inspired routine started with a high basket toss but their succeeding lifts and pyramids succumbed to at least four falls. The team placed second to NU Pep in four of five categories and was deducted 18 points from errors.

“Masaya pa rin kami at alam naming na hanggang yun lang talaga ang place naming. We’ve worked hard and alam naming we deserve our position,” commented Figueroa’s teammate Bien Indigne.

Martin San Diego | FCF

De La Salle, meanwhile, performed a clean military-inspired routine that featured well-crafted lines and balanced execution of stunts and lifts.

“We wanted to place this year and we’ve achieved our target,” Animo Squad member and Samsung Stunner Anna de Leon told Fullcourtfresh.com.

“Training was physical. One of our members was injured—he had a fracture and we have to replace him last week lang. As for me, I had to train kahit trinangkaso ako during training. Sulit talaga lahat ng pagod,” she narrated.

NU Pep squad upped their cheerdance rank from third place last year. De La Salle Animo Squad, meanwhile, grabbed its second podium finish in three years.

FEU (589.5 points) placed fourth with seven points behind De La Salle and rounding up the cheerdance race are the Adamson University Pep Squad (559.5 points), University of the East Pep Squad (559 points), UST (546 points), and the Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion (514 points).