By Maxine Louise Lagman
Far Eastern University finally made the leap from silver to gold in the UAAP Cheerdance Competition to finally end a 13-year championship drought on Sunday in front of a 12,522-strong crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.
From silver to gold, FEU Cheering Squad dethroned two-time defending champion National University (NU) Pep Squad with their performance in tribute to the band Queen. Donned in dark green outfits with gold linings, the Tamaraws delivered a flawless number that gave them 727.5 points – 39 better than their closest competitors.
“It’s been 12 years since last championship namin. Wala nang mas tatamis pa na nag-pay off ang hard work namin ngayon,” said coach Randell San Gregorio, noting that their first championship was in 2009.
FEU won back-to-back silvers in the last two seasons before finally taking the top spot this year, dominating all five categories in tumbling, stunt, toss, pyramid and dance. With their winning performance, the champs took home P50,000 cash prize, on top of P40,000 from Skechers’ Best Performance award.
NU, which had won six of the last seven competitions, dropped down to third on the podium as their routine paying homage to ’90s music proved to fall short of their high standards. Not as clean and as crisp as they had been before, the Bulldogs wound up with a score of 681, and were rewarded with P20,000, together with P40,000 from the Silka Awra Dance Move special award.
Adamson Pep Squad improved to second place from being third last season, all thanks to their country music that gave them 688.5 points.
UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe finished fourth, followed by the UE Pep Squad, UP Pep Squad, DLSU Animo Squad, and the Ateneo Blue Babble Batallion.
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