The University of the Cordilleras is off to a roaring start as it holds a 50 point lead against defending champion University of Baguio in the over-all race of the Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League Season 36.
After sweeping the archery competition with 35 and 30 points for their men’s and women’s squads, the Jaguars also took the table tennis crown taking both titles in the men and women and the 35 points each.
The men’s squad had Saint Louis University as runner-up and UB at third place for the corresponding 25 and 20 points, respectively.
The winning streak in the allied sports however was halted after coming up short of sweeping badminton the men’s side to take the top score of 40 points. Its women’s side, however, was humbled by the Philippine Military cadets, forcing the Lady Jaguars to the bridesmaid seat and the 30 points that go with it.
UC’s wushu taolu squad, meanwhile, delivered as the Daniel Parantac-mentored squad led the men’s wushu team to two first places and 40 points. Parantac, a repeat Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and Asian Games medalist, is now in Brunei as coach of the Philippine national junior taolu team.
With the wins, UC has amassed 343 points, 205 from the men’s squads and 138 from the distaff side. The Cardinals, on the other hand, are at 293 points, on the 150 among the men’s teams and a league-leading 143 from the female crews.
UB recently reclaimed the men’s basketball crown after disposing defending champion Cordillera Career development College Admirals, sweeping the tournament from the eliminations that earned them am automatic trip to the finals with a twice to beat advantage while the Lady Cardinals finished the UC Lady Jags to retain the title.
BSU is in the third spot with 210 points with a 110-100 split, leading the league’s biggest member and former powerhouse SLU, which has so far amassed 172 points with a 100-72 split, despite second place finishes in men’s swimming and men’s table tennis and women’s chess, as well as third place finishes in men’s badminton and men’s wushu.
SLU is the third BBEAL competitor with a pool of its own aside from UB and the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), but fell short of the podium in the women’s side in swimming, with the Lady Cavaliers earning second and surprisingly UC at third.
SLU, a former powerhouse in archery, did not field a team this year.
Formerly the champion in sepak takraw, the Navigators fell short of a medal by placing fourth, behind the Cordillera Career Development College, UC, and BSU.
PMA is running fifth with 159 points, while UPB is fifth with 80 points despite entering four events and no teams were entered in sepak takraw, swimming, wushu, and table tennis.
Host Baguio Central School (BCS) is in eighth with 61 points and the league’s smallest member, the Baguio College of Technology (BCT), carries the tail end with 43 markers.
The UB men’s volleyball team will defend its crown, while UB hopes to beat BCT for the women’s title after falling short last May. Roderick Osis