RAIN OR shine, the newly installed blue track oval that wraps around the Moro Lorenzo Football Field always seems to have busy occupants. These determined men and women performing their rigorous drills and workouts are the Blue and Lady Tracksters.

Last season, both teams placed sixth in their respective categories. Despite this, Blue and Lady Tracksters are optimistic about their upcoming University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season.

Big Blue Oval

Up until this year, the Blue and Lady Tracksters were making use of the PhilSports Athletics Stadium in Pasig as their training facility. With that training arrangement, their biggest problem was always the distance of the stadium from the Ateneo. And because the stadium is located in such a traffic jam-prone area, the team lived on a strict routine of juggling academics, training and their social lives.

“We had to work with a schedule where we had to come home late [but] still be able to do our school work,” says Lady Tracksters Captain Poly Villar.

With the inauguration of the new track oval, however, the team is able to train in peace within the confines of the Ateneo. “The new oval is godsend,” says Blue Tracksters Captain Miko Perez. “We don’t have to travel to [the PhilSports Athletics Stadium] anymore. We can start early and end early,” he adds.

Although the oval is not totally operational yet, the team is very grateful for finding a home inside the campus. Perez shares that other teams have to cram themselves into the Rizal Memorial Stadium and share the venue with other schools, including those who compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

To the rest of us, it may seem like just an ordinary track oval. But for the Blue and Lady Tracksters, they finally have a place that they can call their own. More importantly, the convenience it brings will be greatly beneficial to the team in the long run.

Experience and youth

Though both the Men’s and Women’s teams lost a number of players in the off-season, they will still be going into this season with a talented crop of athletes. Aside from remaining core members from the previous years, there are also several promising rookies looking to make their mark in their first UAAP competition.

This year’s Blue Tracksters will be without multiple event gold medalist Miguel Sibayan, who has maxed out his playing years. The team also lost junior national pole vault record holder EJ Obiena for academic reasons. Despite these losses, however, the Men’s team is still stacked with great talent.

According to Perez, the team has strong sprinters, though their throwers are still in development. The team also has a good chance in jump events, with team captain and Season 75 double bronze medalist JB Capinpin leading the way. The 5k and 10k race walks will also be events to look out for because of veterans Jeremy Esguerra and Rex Reyes as well as promising sophomore Jethro Alba, who won bronze at last season’s 10,000m race walk.

For the Lady Tracksters, the graduation of double bronze medalist Cess Trinidad is a notable loss.  However, the team still poses a significant threat in the hammer and discus throws. Their relay team, which is a mix of rookies and veterans, is also a strong contender in their event. In race walking, veteran Chris Benedicto is hoping to graduate with a medal after missing out by a single spot last season.

Villar also shares her personal goal for her final year. “I missed the finals last year by one place,” she says. “[This year] I am not aiming just to make it to the finals, but to really make history and win the first heptathlon medal for the school.”

ON TRACK. The Blue and Lady Tracksters won fifth and sixth place respectively in the UAAP Track and Field tournament. PHOTOS BY CHRISTIE K. LIM AND RYAN Y. RACCA

Practical expectations

It is said that the higher you fly, the harder you fall—but that won’t be the case for the Blue and Lady Tracksters. The teams are aware of their own strengths, but perhaps even more so of their weaknesses. That said, they have psyched themselves up to earn goals that are not far from their reach. They continuously remind each other of the value of humility, of keeping their feet on the ground while ultimately striving to succeed.

The Blue Tracksters are vying for a third place finish at best. Knocking FEU and UST off their pedestals is a Herculean task, even for the other teams. Both schools are known to dominate the events every season, especially those on the track like the sprints, runs and hurdles.

On the other hand, the Lady Tracksters faces the problem of being vastly outnumbered by the rosters of other schools. But that will not shake the team’s determination. Villar shares their game plan, saying, “Given that we are always outnumbered, our strategy then is to highlight individual events.”

With this attitude, they hope to keep morale high all throughout the competition. They can compete knowing that they are doing their best and fighting until the very end, without daunting expectations hounding them.

With modest expectations in place, and with a new place to call home, the team is definitely one to look out for this season. With its mix of experienced and new players, they are well on their way to bringing glory to the Ateneo in UAAP Season 76.