Revisiting sports awards

Some weeks back, we featured 12 of the 26 individual recipients of the De La Salle Alumni Association (DLSAA) Lasallian Sports Achievement Award who were recognized during the Sports Recognition Night. Fourteen of the other individual awardees are either De La Salle or non-DLSU alumni/ae while four teams were recognized for their contributions to La Salle or national sports.

Heading the list of non-student awardees/alumni was businessman Dr. Mikee Romero, Harbour Centre team owner, manager of the Philippine teams to the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Thailand in December 2007 and to the Southeast Asian Basketball Association championships, main supporter of the Taguig Global City squad in the Liga ng Pilipinas and director of the SBP, the governing body of basketball in the country.

In his acceptance speech on behalf of the non-student awardees, Romero, a former varsity player of the De La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP shortly after De La Salle was accepted into the league, thanked the DLSAA for acknowledging the accomplishments of each of the awardees in various sports fields.

Romero added that “without the Lasallian teachings and guidance, we your fellow Lasallians would not even reach an inch of where we are now. Be assured that we, your 2008 sports awardees, will continue to raise the La Salle banner high and bright on every playing field we are on.”

In receiving the award, Romero found himself in good company.

Ralph Waldy Soguilon, of athletics and 2005 graduate of Electronics and Communications Engineering, was cited for his record-breaking performances in the 100- and 200- meter runs. On April 13, 2007, Soguilon broke the 10.57-second national record of Rogelio Onofre set in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, or 45 years ago. Soguilon clocked 10.49 seconds at the Azusa Pacific-University Track Meet in Azusa, California.

Soguilon later broke his own record on May 5, 2007 with a time of 10.45 seconds at the Claremont Invitational in California.

In the 200-meter dash, Soguilon broke the 25-year-old Philippine record of Isidro del Prado on March 10, 2007 with a time of 21.39 seconds during the Ben Brown Invitational at the Mt. San Antonio College in California. Eight days later, on March 18, Soguilon erased his own new record from the books with a time of 21.31 seconds during the 29th annual Aztec Track and Field meet at the San Diego State University in San Diego, California.

On April 7, Soguilon again broke his record with a time of 21.24 seconds at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational. Finally, on April 15, Soguilon again established a new Philippine record in the 200 meters by clocking 21.17 seconds at the Mount San Antonio Community College relays.

Soguilon therefore broke the Philippine record in the 100 meters twice and established four records in the 200 meters four times.

Sheena Atilano, who studied at both the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod and DLSU Manila, was also honored. Atilano broke the Philippine record in the 100 meter hurdles established in 1991. She clocked 13.65 seconds in the 2007 at the Asian Athletics Grand Prix (3rd leg) in Pune City, India on June 27. Atilano also won a gold medal in the 2007 Singapore Invitational Meet in September 2007.

Earl Benjamin Yap, a graduate of production design at the College of St. Benilde (CSB), captured the gold medal in the 15th Asian Archery Championships in Xian, China in September 2007. In addition to setting new national records, Yap won the silver medal in the SEA Games in Thailand in December 2007.

International bowling veteran Liza del Rosario was honored for her various local and international victories for several years.

Another non-student and non-alumnus honoree was coach Ramil de Jesus who guided the DLSU women’s volleyball team to three straight UAAP titles from 2003–05 and two championships in the Shakey’s V-League women’s tournament. The Lady Archers won the 2005 UAAP competitions without losing a single game and won eight more titles, including the UNIGAMES from 2003 – 05.

Other awardees were Stephen Fernandez (taekwondo); Hans Smit (football); Ramil Endriano (fencing); Joseph Orillana (baseball); Ana Imelda Tanpinco (golf: silver medal in the SEA Games in December 2007 and champion, 2007 Philippine Amateur Golf Championships); Tyrone Tang: basketball and first DLSU Presidential Awardee); Frederick Arejola (national basketball team co-manager) and Edmund Baculi (men’s basketball).

Team awards were given to the DLSU men’s badminton team, football team the DLSU golf team that won the 1st National Inter-collegiate championships and the CSB for winning the season 83 General Championship of the NCAA. 

Truly, it was an enjoyable night which I’m certain is repeated in other universities and colleges that recognize and honor achievement and performance.