UP pep squad rules PSC Games with 4 golds

MANILA, Philippines - The multi-titled University of the Philippines pep squad reigned supreme with four golds at the close of the gymnastics competitions of the POC-PSC Philippine National Games at Rizal Memorial Coliseum last Sunday.

Just two days after returning with  a silver and bronze from the 7th Cheerleading Asia International Open Championships in Tokyo, Japan, the UP bets were in sizzling form  in dominating the event organized by the PSC and the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines.  

They were  led by the dynamic duo of Louie Castro and Marielle Barraza, who showed why they won a silver medal in the partner stunts of the Tokyo event in clinching the gold of the same event with a runaway score of 104 points.

The eight-time UAAP cheerdance champions, who also took the bronze medal in the group mixed stunts in Tokyo, handily won the gold this time in the same event with a tally of 106 points, relegating perennial rivals UST 1 to the silver (85.5).

The Centro Escolar University bets got the bronze (82) in the event sponsored by Ayala Corp., LBC, 7-Eleven, Standard Insurance, Tea Monkey, Summit, Milo, Bala Energy Drink and Procter and Gamble.

As expected, the UP Maroon pep squad added the team cheer mixed (205) and cheerdance (233.5) golds to their haul in completing a sweep of all of their four events as they returned to the competition with a bang after skipping last year’s edition.

In the other events, CEU, the reigning WNCAA cheerleading champion, ruled the all-women’s team cheer (153), Poveda High School the all-women’s group stunts (101), Rhufa’s Army 1 the all-men’s group stunts (102) and Emilio Aguinaldo College the team acrobatics (464.1).

Tournament director Evan Alvia, who is the Cheerleading Philippine Federation president, said that the scores of the champions will be evaluated to see if they can qualify and compete in the World Cheerleading Championships scheduled in Bangkok, Thailand in November.

Alvia explained that is why they tapped foreign judges Yuko Minegishi of Japan, Nontakan Saikalaicham of Thailand and  Ami Sulistyo of Indonesia to judge the competition.

“If their scores are near the silver-medal scores of the last world championships held in Hong Kong two years ago, then we will consider sending them to the Bangkok competition in November,” Alvia said.