NU Pep Squad bags fourth straight UAAP Cheerdance gold

NU Pep Squad claims UAAP Cheerdance Championship anew. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

National University sought for flawlessness and perfection was executed Saturday.

The NU Pep Squad claimed its fourth straight UAAP Cheerdance title with a performance that left a packed Smart Araneta Coliseum crowd breathless.

“This is one of our sweetest victories,” said NU coach Ghicka Bernabe, whose team garnered 711 of the possible 800 points. “It was a good comeback for us after that controversial win last year. This is what we want to prove to everyone that we can really win the championship.”

“This is to affirm, after what happened last year that was controversial, that we are truly, truly the champion,” said team manager Jun Gaw.

NU wanted to show it is way ahead of the competition with its futuristic theme and true to its words, the squad was in rarefied air.

Four-peat for NU! #UAAPCDC79 pic.twitter.com/HF0TD3nwgD

— Mark Giongco (@MarkGiongcoINQ) November 19, 2016

Its closest rival didn’t even come near in the tally sheet with Far Eastern University a distant second with 658.5 points. The FEU Cheering Squad, which had a Broadway-inspired performance, made its first podium appearance since placing first runner-up in 2012.

From spellbinding stuns and pyramids built with ease, even the eagle-eyed will have a hard time spotting flaws in NU’s routine.

READ: GALLERY: 2016 UAAP Cheerdance Competition

“The routine is very different from last year because we changed our sequence. This time, we mixed it up,” said Bernabe.

NU is now a title away from matching University of Santo Tomas’ five consecutive championships from 2002 to 2006.

This year’s cheerdance missed powerhouse University of the Philippines, which decided to skip the competition reportedly over a junked protest it filed after finishing third last year.

But the show didn’t lack in luster with the Adamson shining in its own right and deservingly ending up with its best finish in 15 years.

The Adamson Pep Squad, which placed second in 2001, landed in third place with 655 points with a clean, Luau-themed routine.

While the top three finishers celebrated, the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe had an emotional evening after settling for fourth, a disappointing result considering the team wound up in second last year.

University of the East put up a decent showing to finish in fifth for the second year in a row with 645 points while La Salle followed with 560.5 points.

Ateneo, which totaled 511 points, placed last for the fourth straight time. The Blue Babble Battalion had the most deductions and penalties with 30.

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