THE UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe failed to break free from its 19-year title curse, as it remained outside the podium in back-to-back years during the UAAP Season 88 cheerdance competition on Nov. 29, Saturday, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
With its spooky Halloween-themed “GhoUSTe” routine, the España-based squad garnered 618.5 points to settle for the fifth spot.
The last time UST brought home the UAAP cheerdance crown was in 2006.
For the second straight year, NU Pep Squad ruled the competition, capturing its historic ninth crown with a ninja-inspired routine with 695 points.
NU also broke its three-way tie with UST and UP, becoming the winningest school in cheerdance history.
Salinggawi showed its prowess in the dance categories, topping choreography (104.5 points) and technique (146.5 points), while going second in overall effect (37 points) and group execution (68.5 points).
It is In the cheer categories where UST struggled the most, placing fourth in tumbling (67.5 points) and tosses (75 points). It fell to fifth in pyramids (72 points) and just seventh in stunts (69.5 points),
The Thomasian cheerdancers also had the second-most deductions with 22 points, only behind cellar dweller Ateneo’s 39.
Adamson Pep Squad with its exploration spectacle took silver for the second year in a row (659 points), while FEU Cheering Squad followed closely with bronze after presenting Filipino childhood games.
After dancing to the tunes of Disney’s “High School Musical,” UE Pep Squad landed one spot shy of the podium with 623 points.
The last three spots of the competition were the same as last year. UP’s Filipino Christmas presentation (558 points), DLSU’s baseball exhibition (546.7 points) and Ateneo’s “Sing”-themed routine (436.5 points) ranked sixth, seventh and eighth during the competition, respectively. F
