Flying high Blue Eagles: Larry Fonacier and Kirk Long
MANILA, Philippines - A certified Atenean all through-out, Larry Fonacier led his junior and senior teams to several titles in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
He, together with team mates Enrico Villanueva and Wesley Gonzales under coach Joel Banal, steered the Eagles to a Cinderella-run to the title and ended Ateneo’s 14-year title drought in the UAAP in 2002 when they won over the De La Salle University Green Archers with a score of 77-70 during Game 3 of their finals series. He was named co-finals MVP, alongside Wesley Gonzales.
“You do not always end on a high- note, sometimes you fall hard but you will soon learn to get up and learn from your fall,” Larry shared his experience when his UAAP career ended with an ACL injury in 2004.
He is now one of the most sought-after PBA players because of his exemplary skills in the sport. “When you want something, go work hard to earn it, the key to winning is team work, treat your team mates like your brothers.”
Kirk Long gained the respect of the UAAP community when he became a hero for the young yet formidable Blue Eagles in their match against then Season 69 defending champions, the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, when he converted a game-winning bucket in the dying seconds of the game. Despite losing to the eventual Season 70 champions, DLSU, in the step-ladder semis, Long’s UAAP stint showed a lot of promise.
A sporting stalwart of Faith Academy in his high school days, this tall, American blonde is slowly making waves in the UAAP with his sweet-shooting styles and skills in defense. “I focus on every game, I don’t give up and I push myself hard”, Long shared his secret on the continued successes of his team. “We were champions last year and I believe we still have the momentum, we are determined, because we all contribute, we are brothers.”
Long was also part of Ateneo’s baseball team last year.
Both Fonacier and Long have one thing in common: they both experienced being crowned as UAAP’s champions, with Fonacier in 2002 and Long in 2008.
Adidas, a firm believer of brotherhood in the UAAP, knows that times change but the brotherhood remains.
