Athletes of UC, together with their parents and coaches, celebrate the success of their sports program in 2018 in a thanksgiving party organized by athletic manager Jessica Jawad-Honoridez (right most, in blue dress).
LITO TECSON
Webmasters gather to celebrate successful year in sports
With a new athletic manager on board, the University of Cebu (UC) has had one of the most successful years in sport in 2018.
The Webmasters celebrated this feat in a hearty thanksgiving celebration last Sunday at the Cebu Coliseum.
Present were the 348 athletes from both high school and college teams and with their parents and coaches.
The party was organized by Jessica Jawad Honoridez, the former table tennis coach of UC who has taken the role of athletic manager this year.
Many from the Webmasters camp credit the team’s success to Honoridez, saying her “motherly” care was a huge factor in improving their performances.
But for Honoridez, it was a team effort.
From the coaches, athletes and more importantly, the parents of the athletes.
“What’s the most important thing for me, is that I sent a simple message to the parents of our athletes, giving them the gratitude that they deserve because without them, UC would not be here enjoying success in sports,” said Honoridez.
How successful was UC this year?
The Webmasters clinched the secondary and elementary titles to emerge as the overall champions in the 2018 Milo Little Olympics Visayas Regional Finals held in Cebu last September, the first time they accomplished that kind of a feat.
They also topped the Cebu City Olympics last November.
The Webmasters cemented its status as the undisputed team in the secondary division of the Cebu City Olympics after defending its title for five straight years.
Aside from Milo Little Olympics and Cebu City Olympics, UC’s other notable victories were from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) competition.
It swept the Cesafi table tennis and the taekwondo events, and ruled the secondary girls’ athletics competition.
UC also had two weightlifters in Elreen Ann Ando and Dexter Tabique who qualified to the Southeast Asian Games next in 2019 after successful campaigns in the 6-in-1 National Weightlifting Championships held in Cebu in December.
Honoridez said aside from the parents, the coaches also played a huge role in the improvement of UC’s sports program this year.
“Our coaches have the heart for our athletes. They are very dedicated and we also accepted the challenge of the parents to entrust their children to us. We will prove to them that they did not make mistake so we are expecting the athletic department to improve,” added Honoridez.
And don’t expect UC to rest on its laurels just yet.
Not with Honoridez holding the athletic manager post.
She said she feels the team will get stronger and bigger in the coming years.
“We feel that we are getting stronger. There is excitement, there is a reason our coaches have to look forward to. We are very positive of our future,” said Honoridez.
Loyalty awardees
Meanwhile, former athletic manager Atty. Baldomero Estenzo received the Honorary Service Award for his service to the athletic department of UC that paved way to the countless success of its student-athletes.
UC’s sports consultant Dr. Danilo Villadolid also received a service award for serving the school for the past 32 years.
Other loyalty awardees were UC coaches Pericles Gutierrez (karatedo), Caleb Gawangon (basketball), Eilyn Palahang (track and field), Eriberto Impuesto (table tennis), Rolando Alvarez (swimming), and Ilde Banzon (track and field).