The UAAP Season 87 Cheerdance Competition champion National University. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.

Romwel Anzures

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1733064897518IMG_5791.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The UAAP Season 87 Cheerdance Competition champion National University. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The UAAP Season 87 Cheerdance Competition champion National University. <em>Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</em></span></span></span>MANILA — National University once again ruled the cheerdance scene of the UAAP.</div><p>The NU Pep Squad was close to perfection in their Season 87 Cheerdance Competition performance on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the Gabby Bajacan-mentored team executing a routine that was as clean as it could get.</p><p>This completed the story of redemption not only for the now eight-time titlists, but also for Bajacan who took over their program just a year ago.</p><p>“Yung last year po is siguro ano lang talaga, it was a test,” he said after their victory on Sunday.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2024/12/1/nu-pep-squad-goes-out-of-this-world-to-reclaim-uaap-cheerdance-crown-1822">READ: NU Pep Squad goes &#x27;out of this world&#x27; to reclaim UAAP Cheerdance crown</a></div><p>Before Bajacan took over the program in Season 86, National U was coming off its seventh CDC championship in Season 85 under former mentor <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/10/22/coach-ghicka-bernabe-bids-nu-pep-squad-goodbye">Ghicka Bernabe</a> — the architect of all the seven titles of the squad from Jhocson Street until her retirement in late 2022.</p><p>That is why Bajacan, who absorbed a silver finish in Season 86 as Far Eastern University ruled the tilt, admitted that their loss put a lot of weight on him from that point on.</p><p>“Sobrang… Every night ko po yun iniisip kasi it was a pressure sa akin personally, yung last year,” he bared. “Ang daming nangyari sa team namin na yun. Ang daming nawala, may nadagdag, tapos hindi pa kami magka-jive nung ibang coaches pa kasi sobrang bago lahat yung iba doon. Ang hirap noon, nag-dwell talaga ako ng sobrang tagal doon.”</p><p>“Natatakot ako kasi yung ginawa ng mga previous coaches, sila Coach Ghicka at yung kasamang coaching staff also, yung pressure na ibibigay na sayo yung baton na yun. Sobrang bigat,” he continued.</p><p>This eventually led to NU practicing for the Season 87 festivities as early as February 2024, and what resulted was a laudable performance that produced one of the most impressive routines in recent years.</p><p>“Sobrang thankful po kami kay Coach Carl Babilonia. Thank you so much sa inyong creativity,” he said of the pyramid that saw some of its members spin just like a propeller.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1863137540569776343&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2024-12-01T14%3A47%3A28.998408%3A0e9829d1-76cc-4aff-b9e8-4f64a8ff228e%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=9d5674f573168c0a6b97e6785aff917b4d291d34&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:322px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1863137540569776343"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>“Kami kasing coaches, hinahati namin yung task namin doon, and it&#x27;s working talaga na yung creativity namin na bawat isa ay nailalabas namin sa canvas na yun. They [athletes] are the canvas of our work talaga. Sila yung gagawa ng masterpiece namin. So yung creativity ni Coach Carl, thank you so much, coach.”</p><p>Asked what that particular pyramid is called, Bajacan said to identify it as ‘Ferris wheel.’</p><p>“Walang [name] actually. Kung ano i-pangalan niyo na lang, ferris wheel pyramid. ‘Di rin namin inexpect na magugustuhan ng lahat yun. O kaya helicopter pyramid, pero siguro it&#x27;s the Ferris wheel pyramid. So salamat po sa pag-appreciate ng ginawa namin. Maraming salamat po,” he pointed out.</p><p>Moving forward, what Bajacan wants is not only for NU to continue with their success in the UAAP, but also in international competitions such as the ICU World Cheerleading Championships.</p><p>“Yung pagkapanalo namin, hindi pa rin talaga ako makapaniwala na nangyari tong eight-time champion na yung NU Pep Squad,” he said. “Hopefully, mag tuloy-tuloy sa nine, 10, 11, 12, kasi kung kaya po talaga namin, we will do so.”</p><p>“We also want to compete outside the country again, represent the Philippines, kung hindi sa ICU, IASF, sa Worlds. We want to challenge ourselves, and bring Philippine cheerleading to the world itself. Ipakita ulit kung ano meron ang Philippines talaga in terms of this sport,” he added. <strong></strong></p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABRKVBnVzAJ2kHc8&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script><div><br/></div>

UAAP: Record-tying 8th cheerdance crown only makes NU Pep Squad hungry for more | ABS-CBN

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UAAP: Record-tying 8th cheerdance crown only makes NU Pep Squad hungry for more

UAAP: Record-tying 8th cheerdance crown only makes NU Pep Squad hungry for more

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 01, 2024 11:42 PM PHT

|

Updated Dec 02, 2024 01:33 AM PHT

Read More:

Cheerdance

ABSSports

ABSNews

UAAP Season 87

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UAAP Cheerdance Competition

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