Three cheers for Bulldogs!

MANILA, Philippines - Six months of hard work paid very handsome dividends for National University as it swept its three events in the 2015 National Cheerleading Championships at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The NU Bulldogs, also the reigning UAAP champions, triumphed in the all-girls group stunts, co-ed group stunts and college coed, the centerpiece event.

When the winner in the college coed was announced, the Bulldogs and their supporters rejoiced, most of them in tears.

It also felt like winning at home since the Bulldogs have the Henry Sy family, owners of the SM Group, as their chief benefactor.

It was the fifth NCC crown for NU, and third under the coaching staff headed by Ghicka Bernabe, a former cheerleader from FEU.

“We are all very happy. This is a sweet victory for us,” said Bernabe, who also has former FEU cheerleaders in her staff.

“This is all for National University. The students worked very hard for this,” said Bernabe amid all the celebration.

She said the Bulldogs trained for six months – five days a week and three to four hours a day. As the competition grew closer, they trained six days a week.

For winning, the Bulldogs bagged the trophy and all the bragging rights.

Asked what’s in store for the Bulldogs as reward, the head coach said it’s up to their benefactors.

“If there’s anything, it’s fine. It there’s none, it’s okay. We’re already very happy with the trophy,” she said.

“It’s all worth it,” said assistant coach Ernesto Ocampo, adding that the students, especially those who are graduating this year, deserve all the credit.

Ocampo said it’s the same cast that won this year’s NCC crown and the one that won back-to-back titles in the UAAP. Eight of them will be graduating this April.

“We will miss them. But we have others to fill in their shoes,” he said.

Finishing second in the college coed was University of Perpetual Help System Dalta followed by Central Colleges of the Philippines.

In the coed group stunts, second and third places also went to the Perpetual Altas and the CCP Bobcats.

Sharing the day’s top honors were the Parañaque High School which won the high school coed division over Las Piñas East and Immaculate Conception Academy, and the TCU Varsity Pep Squad which won the partner stunts over the Altas and the RTU Blue Thunder.

Last Saturday, entries in the junior, high school and collegiate all-girls took centerstage.

Holy Spirit reigned supreme in the high school division with 280 points. Immaculate Conception-Cavite was second (267) followed by Saint Paul Pasig (261).

In the juniors competition, Saint Pedro Poveda was crowned champion with 262 points while in the all-girls college division, St. Benilde bagged its second championship with 287 points.

Marist, a first-timer in the competition, pulled it off, beating 10 other squads for the all-star elite trophy with its 404.5 points.

A total of 73 teams competed last Saturday.