Knights end Blazers reign, claim NCAA overall plum

MANILA, Philippines - Letran reigned in four sports and went on to capture its first general championship in seven years at the close of the 85th NCAA recently.

The Knights amassed a total of 325 points to beat the back-to-back champion St. Benilde Blazers, who wound up with 321.60 points.

It was actually the Muralla-based athletes’ eighth general championship, next only to the Mapua Cardinals’ 21 titles.

Letran relied on its victories in men’s volleyball, chess, men’s beach volleyball and lawn tennis to win the overall championship.

With no victories after the first semester, the Blazers fought back into contention by topping football and women’s table tennis but fell short of their three-peat bid as they settled for runner-up honors in women’s volley and beach volley.

“Our program and philosophy in sports is very effective, its quality participation,” said Management Committee chair Fr. Vic Calvo, OP, of Letran.

“Although we don’t have complete teams, we were still able to emerge as overall champions,” he said.

San Sebastian, which will host Season 86, dominated athletics to finish third with 306 points.

The Stags earlier bested the San Beda Lions in basketball and their lady counterparts ruled women’s volleyball and track and field.

San Beda ended up fourth with 289 points after ruling taekwondo, swimming and men’s table tennis while Perpetual Help came in at No. 5 with 213 points after topping women’s beach volleyball.

Arellano, one of the three guest teams this year, wound up seventh place with 156 points.

The Chiefs, together with the Emilio Aguinaldo Generals, will be the league’s regular members on probationary basis starting Season 86.

Mapua finished sixth with 153.60 points while Jose Rizal (129), EAC (90.60) and Angeles U Foundation (82) ended up eighth, ninth and 10th places, respectively.

In juniors action, SSC captured its first general championship in three years with a 295-point haul to likewise end CSB-La Salle Greenhills’ two-year reign.