SCHOOL spirit in Season 93 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is further amped up today with the holding of the cheerleading competition at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Set for 3 p.m., participants from the competing NCAA schools are out to bring their high-energy performances all in the hopes of coming out on top and be declared Season 93’s best.
Defending champion Arellano University is one of the squads pegged as a contender along with the University of Perpetual Help.
Also competing and expected to go all-out are the Jose Rizal University Pep Squad, Lyceum of the Philippines University Pepsquad, Emilio Aguinaldo College Pep Squad, San Beda University Red Corps, Mapua University Cheerping Cardinals, Colegio de San Juan de Letran Lakas Arriba Cheerleading Team, College of Saint Benilde Pepsquad and San Sebastian College-Recoletos Golden Stags Cheerleading Team.
In last year’s competition, the AU Chiefsquad displayed clean and tough routines, stunts and tosses, enough to beat the Altas Perpsquad with a cumulative score 218 points to the latter’s 199.50.
The title was the second in Arellano’s NCAA history, the first coming in 2015.
Coming in second last year, Perpetual Help, the competition’s winningest team with nine titles, said it has been working hard in training to get back on top and determined to see its cause through.
“We will give it our very best to preserve the tradition of Perpetual Help in NCAA cheerleading,” said Perpetual Help coach Ruf del Rosario.
In the history of the NCAA cheerleading competition which was first held in 2004, only four schools have won the title, namely Perpetual Help, Arellano, Mapua (2004) and Jose Rizal University (2008). — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
