Surprise!
A PAREF Springdale booter falls to the ground after missing the ball during their championship match against Don Bosco at the La Paz Football Field in Iloilo City.
Iloilo City—The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) accomplished a huge feat in the 20th edition of the Milo Little Olympics Visayas Regional Finals as it topped the secondary division competition, shocking powerhouse and two-time defending champion University of San Carlos-Basic Education Department (USC-BED) here.
For three days, the Magis Eagles were silent in this annual multi-sporting meet but at the end of the competition yesterday, they were shocked to learn they emerged as the top team in the secondary division after the technical committee tallied the points from the 13 sporting events.
SHS-AdC finished with 130 points while USC-BED wound up with 107 in the secondary division. The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) completed the top three schools in the secondary division with 72 points.
This is first time in 20 years that SHS-AdC won the secondary division. The Magis Eagles, though, did win the elementary division title in 2006.
The win came as a surprise even to Magis Eagles athletic director Rico Navarro. He said he didn’t think his “lean and mean” team would achieve such an amazing feat that would actually serve as a special gift to the school that is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
“Who would have thought we will top the competition?” Navarro said. “I am totally surprised because even we were expecting USC-BED to dominate the secondary division again.”
According to Navarro, good planning and the full support of the athletes’ parents played a huge role in the team’s success in the regional meet.
“Before we went to Iloilo, we made sure we selected the best teams and athletes in the sports that we are strong in,” Navarro said. “It’s everyone’s effort. The parents had to spend their own money to let their children compete while coaches dedicated themselves to train the athletes, who also gave their all in this meet.”
The Magis Eagles got a huge lift from their swimming squad, which finished with 50 points. SHS-AdC’s male swimmers topped their event worth 30 points while the girls’ team got 20 for placing second in the competition held at the CPU pool.
SHS-AdC’s secondary girls volleyball also contributed crucial points after finishing second behind USJ-R worth 15 points.
The Baby Jaguars nipped the Magis Eagles, 25-7, 25-17, 25-14, in the finals at the University of Saint Augustine gym.
SHS-AdC also got 20 from its athletics girls’ squad, which placed second in the track and field competition held in the sand track oval of the Oton National High School at the outskirts of Iloilo City.
The Magis Eagles’ boys’ football squad finished with a bronze medal worth 10 points and their girls’ lawn tennis team also claimed a bronze worth seven points.
USC STILL ELEMENTARY RULERS
The Baby Warriors, despite losing the secondary title, still had something to be proud of as their elementary team won a fourth straight title by finishing with 72 points. SHS-AdC also put up a good fight, finishing at a close second with 70 points.
Rounding off the top three in the elementary division was the Subangdaku Elementary School of Mandaue City, which finished with 50 points.
For Visayas delegation head Ricky Ballesteros, USC-BED should still be credited for being able to finish in the top three in both divisions.
“USC-BED fought hard. And for a team that sent just a hundred athletes, it’s not a bad performance,” Ballesteros said. “After all, they prevented an Ilonggo school from topping the competition. They still completed an upset against the host city.”
USC-BED’s elementary squad captured the gold medal in the football event last Saturday by beating SHS-AdC, 1-0, to earn 25 points while its chess team topped both the boys and girls’ competition worth 30 points. Its basketball team lost to Saint Roberts International School of Iloilo City, 39-64, in the championship game but still earned 15 points for the silver medal.
The Baby Warriors also ruled the elementary football competition while their elementary swimming girls’ team won the gold medal worth 30 points.
USC-BED, though, lost the girls’ volleyball title to the powerhouse Catmon Integrated School, 19-25-20-25. Catmon, thus, regained its crown after losing it to the Subangdaku Elementary School last year.
Catmon Integrated School of North Cebu is a perennial Palarong Pambansa champion and a four-time volleyball champion in the National Milo Little Olympics.
Meanwhile, USJ-R dominated both the girls and boys’ volleyball competition. Aside from beating the Magis Eagles for the girls’ title, its boys squad also escaped the Dumangas National High School of Iloilo City, 25-16,19-25, 25-12, 23-25,15-10, to win the title.
PAREF Springdale also retained its title in the secondary boys’ football after beating the Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC), 1-0.
The winning schools, teams and athletes here will make up Team Visayas that will compete in the 7th National Milo Little Olympics to be held in Santa Cruz, Laguna in October.