EVEN IF you stick around long enough after the final swim, snatch all electronic devices in the vicinity for personal immunity, grab on to sturdy-looking infrastructure and hold on for dear life, nothing can spare you from the inevitable—whether you like it or not, you’re getting soaked.
For the Blue and Lady Tankers, the most authentic and endearing show of camaraderie is being thrown into the pool. So welcoming has the team been that the ritual isn’t reserved for just swimmers, they have been known to toss writers and even photographers into the water. From the mirth on their faces and the skip in their step, any onlooker would think they won the championship. In any case, getting to stand atop the podium on that final afternoon isn’t really why they swim in the first place—their love for their craft trumps all other desires.
Just the beginning
Last September 23 to 26, the Blue and Lady Tankers marched into Trace Aquatic Center in Los Baños, Laguna to compete in the 73rd UAAP Swimming Championships. The men finished with 186 points to nab the second runner-up spot behind UP (201 points) and UST (194 points), while the women amassed 249 points and ended the season a close second to their counterparts from Diliman (263 points). Overall, the Blue Tankers earned eight golds, six silvers, and seven bronzes whereas their female equivalents brought home 16 golds, seven silvers, and four bronzes.
“It wasn’t really what you’d hope for but I’d take third place any time, especially when everyone’s getting stronger and faster. We even beat out the defending champions (DLSU) to the podium, so that has to count for something,” Men’s Team Captain Mike Contreras said.
Though neither team garnered the top spot, their strong showing is a frightening prospect for competing schools. The Blue and Lady Tankers swept all individual awards. Evan Uy, the only Blue tanker headed to the exit, and Lady Tanker Denjylie Cordero garnered the tournament MVP accolades. Lawin Dacera and Jasmine Ong soared above the field, earning the Rookie of the Year awards for their respective divisions. Bringing home a championship, or even a double championship, within the next couple of years is by no means an unreachable dream.
According to Head Coach Archie Lim, “Individually a lot of swimmers stepped up. We just need to bridge the gap between them and our other swimmers dahil medyo kulang nga tayo sa (because we sort of lack in the) quality of swimmers. Next year kaya na siguro (next year we can do it).”
Oxygen is overrated
Roughly 72% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, and in the event of a natural calamity, the Blue and Lady Tankers would do just fine, but it isn’t their skill though which would keep them afloat; rather, it’s passion.
“I had second thoughts about taking a fifth year and swimming again for the team, but since they had holes in the line-up, I decided to go for it,” exclaimed Uy, who ended his UAAP career with three golds, three silvers, one bronze, and two new meet records.
For Ateneo’s leading women, their ardent fervor was more than enough to translate into results. The tournament was the second straight year an Atenean swept all possible events in a single stroke, as freshman Jasmine Ong had five freestyle golds around her neck and three league records in her pocket—emulating and surpassing the effort put on by former Lady Tanker Nicole Santiago last season.
Women’s MVP Cordero remained undefeated in five UAAP events, snatching golds in the 50, 100, and 200-meter breaststroke events and the 200, and 400-meter Individual Medleys. She also set two new records. “I had to sacrifice a lot [of time] for this but it was worth it,” she expressed, while being interviewed by a local news station.
Lonely blue sea
“Puso!” that’s what junior Blue Tanker Chem Ocampo bellowed out after each cheer he led.
Sadly, since UAAP Swimming almost always coincides with the culmination of the basketball season, hardly anyone cares about it—not even the school’s cheerleaders.
Team Ateneo did its own cheering, nearly all swimmers left Los Baños with hoarse voices and painful throats. Though they were often drowned by DLSU’s drums and UST’s mob-like antics, it was the epitome of team spirit, of believing in each other when no one else did.
“We did everything we could and I’m so proud of my team,” Women’s Captain Paui Peña said.
The Tanker’s last—and so far only—championship was two years ago, but with enough hard work and no shortage of belief, they are poised to leave the opposition in their wake in the future. In the world of competitive swimming, one second is an eternity. With the blink of an eye, records are made and dreams are shattered. So keep your eyes open for this team, or you might just miss something spectacular.
