BEING A BEDAN athlete has never been more rewarding than this year, as 2023 has been when our athletes’ hard work and dedication paid off, giving honor and fame to the Mighty Red School by being on top of their respective sports in the 99th Season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Red Lions
After finishing NCAA Season 98 away from the championship, the Red Lions went to work at the start of the year with their second stringers, winning the Pinoyliga Next Man Cup back in March. And though they would make deep runs in other pre-season tournaments such as the Asiabasket International Championship and the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup, they would ultimately finish second in both leagues.
However, come NCAA Season 99, the Red Lions would finish strong with a 7-2 record in the first round of the eliminations, which was good enough for a second-place finish in the team standings. But following a rocky start in the second round, with a 1-4 win-loss record, doubts were starting to be cast as the Red Lions were slowly falling off of final four contention.
But that rocky start to the second round was just the beginning of a turnaround for the the team, eventually winning their last four games of the eliminations. Though finishing strong as the third seed, they had to overcome the twice-to-beat advantage of the second-seeded Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) Pirates, who they did beat in dominant fashion, clinching their first finals appearance since 2019.
Far removed from being the favorites to win it all, the Red Lions came into the finals as the underdogs against the first-seeded Mapúa University (MU) Cardinals, who had their number in the elimination round. Game one was more of the same as the Red Lions didn’t seem to be able to crack the code on how to beat the Cardinals. But come game two, with their backs against the wall, the Red Lions forced a decider, ultimately leading to a rubber match in which they prevailed over the season’s favorites and clinched their 23rd NCAA seniors’ title. This fortified their position as the winningest team in NCAA basketball history.
Red Sea Lions
After their return from the pandemic and successfully earning their 19th and ninth consecutive NCAA championship for the men’s and women’s teams, respectively, the Red Sea Lions would keep up their dominance at the Dinagyang Swim Fest last January, scoring their fifth consecutive championship at the said event.
During this NCAA season, the Red Sea Lions still showed why they are unparalleled in the open waters. Besides the men’s and women’s teams winning their 20th and tenth consecutive championship, the Red Sea Lions also set new records in events, such as the men’s 200m breaststroke, men’s and women’s 50m and 100m breaststroke, men’s 4x100m medley and freestyle relay and women’s 4x100m medley relay.
Along with the team’s dominance were the stellar individual performances from Angel Lynn Docabo and Lucio Cuyong II, who broke multiple event records. Additionally, Docabo along with Jake Ellis Evangelista, won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for their respective divisions, while Jindsy Azze Daison won women’s Rookie of the Year.
Red Smashers
After being cooped up due to the pandemic, the Red Smashers were itching for action as the three-time defending champions participated in the inaugural Intercollegiate Badminton Championships last year, nabbing a silver finish in the said event. But they were not so fortunate in this year’s iteration of the event, bowing out to San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R).
But instead of being down about it, the Red Smashers used this as fuel for their training and strategy for NCAA Season 99. And come their time to play, they showed the fruit of their labor as all three teams: men’s, women’s and juniors, made history, all simultaneously making it to the finals.
The men’s team successfully completed their title defense, becoming four-peat champions in the process. Though the women’s and juniors eventually fell to SSC-R, nabbing a silver finish, it still does not overshadow the fact that all three teams made history together with their strong finish.
Red Jins
After being limited to years of virtual events due to the pandemic, the Red Jins were on a mission to be on top once more. Starting from March, the Red Jins would bring gold in the ASEAN Taekwondo Championship and would go on to compete in as many competitions as they can, such as the National New Face Taekwondo Championships last May and the Philippine Taekwondo league back in October, where the Lady Red Jins would clinch a second runner-up finish en route to Season 99.
Come Season 99, the Red Jins would go on to unleash their might upon the competition, finishing as the champions in the men’s, women’s, and juniors’ divisions, making history as the first and only to clinch the championship in all three divisions simultaneously.
Red Spikers
Returning to the fray during NCAA Season 98 were the Red Spikers, who surprised everyone by coming back to the finals for the first time since NCAA Season 87. Coming into the finals against as the underdogs against the defending champions, the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHSD) Altas, the Red Spikers were given a rude awakening as they were swept in the first game of the finals. But a gutsy five-set comeback in game two gave the defending champs their first taste of defeat. Though eventually falling in game three, what cannot be denied is how far the Red Spikers have come in their post-pandemic comeback.
In preparation for Season 99, the Red Spikers would participate in two off-season tournaments, such as the V-League Collegiate Challenge and the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference. The former would see the Red Spikers be swept in the elimination rounds, ultimately leaving them winless, while in the latter, they saw improvement as the team would go on to finish with a 2-3 record but fail to qualify for the next round of the tournament. Going into Season 99 next year, the Red Spikers will look to finally get over the hump and finish on top.
Lady Red Spikers
The start of the year was not so kind to the Lady Red Spikers, as Season 98 would see them finishing at the bottom of the standings, which was unlike their pre-pandemic form. But a much-needed coaching change in the middle of the year brought in Coach Edgar Barroga to lead the Lady Red Spikers and relieve some of the load of Coach Ariel dela Cruz, who had been handling both volleyball teams at the time. Barroga brought with him a familiar face in his coaching staff, former team captain Justine Lapid, who was also on a mission to improve the Lady Red Spikers’ fortunes.
After a rough patch, finishing winless in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL), they moved on to the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Challenge Cup second in their respective pool, and advancing to the quarterfinals where they would eventually bow out to the eventual champions, the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde (DLS-CSB).
Come the second semester, the Lady Red Spikers look to finish stronger than they did and see where their new program takes them.
Red Booters
Waiting in the wings for their NCAA return, the Red Booters found themselves booting up for a few pre-season leagues, showing off their prowess in the open field after conducting open tryouts to find new faces to join their ranks.
Their first stop was Ang Liga’s 19th season, where they would finish at the upper half of their pool, qualifying for the semifinals. Although they would eventually lose the semifinals to the eventual runners-up, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), they did shave a game off the win column of the eventual champions, Adamson University (AdU), handing them their only loss of the tournament.
After their exit in Ang Liga’s semifinals, the Red Booters would move on to become the champions of the Pacquiao 3-in-1 Challengers League–Men’s Under 23 category, with Marc Pellejo hailed as the Best Goalkeeper and team captain Eldwin Escosora receiving the most valuable player (MVP) award.
Red Woodpushers
Like many other events in the NCAA, the chess tournament only came back recently, unlike other events that already came back in Season 98. This made it a whole four years that the Red Woodpushers did not see action since Season 95 back in 2019.
Red Woodpushers looked to convert their online chess tournament championship and defend the title in this season’s tournament. Ending the elimination rounds strong, the Red Woodpushers would finish second against the UPHSD Woodpushers. The finals of the tournament saw more of the same with the Red Woodpushers falling to UPHSD.
Even ending the tourney at a loss, the Red Woodpushers’ future looks to be bright as they fielded three rookies in their campaign, including freshman of the year Adrian de Luna.
Red Tracksters, Red Corps, & SBU Band
Also coming back from the pandemic during Season 98 were track and field and the cheerleading competition. While the Tracksters did not finish at the podium, they did finish strong despite the limited preparations while being away for the past three years.
While in the case of the Red Corps, Season 98’s competition was tight as they finished fifth in the standings, just outside of a podium finish. Moreover, last season’s competition was so tight since a 12-point difference would mean them clinching a bronze. Nevertheless, the Red Corps, along with the SBU Band, never ceased to rally the Bedan community and its athletes to perform their best as they became staples of every game.
2023 has truly been the year where our Bedan athletes showcased their hard work and talent, and for that they were rewarded with recognition for what they gave. Come 2024, watch out as our athletes won’t rest on their laurels as they strive to be the best in their sport every day.