AS THE curtain falls on the first semester of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80, the Ateneo Men’s and Women’s Badminton teams bid farewell to some of their brightest stars after a phenomenal but bittersweet run for the gold. Signing off with similar second runner-up finishes in the men’s and women’s divisions, Clarence Filart departs from the Blue Eagles, while Lady Eagles Bianca Carlos, Cassie Lim, and Trixie Malibiran take a bow at the conclusion of their collegiate careers.
Clarence Filart
Photo courtesy of Leo Lopez
Unlike most freshman athletes, Clarence Filart opened his UAAP senior career with a gold medal, being one of the five rookies on the championship winning team of UAAP Season 76. “It was amazing because it was my only gold,” says Filart. Additionally, the Blue Eagles found themselves sweeping the season and going undefeated to win the title.
Fast forward four years later, the supersenior finds himself on the verge of going down the hill after a sixteen-year stay at the Ateneo. Although Filart admits that he will find it difficult to bid the UAAP his final goodbye, the heroism and thrill of participating in the final singles match are what he will miss most about the competition.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a game in the eliminations or the top four,” confesses Filart. “When everything is on your shoulders at that point in the game and you manage to get it, [that is] the best feeling that I’ve ever experienced in my UAAP career.”
Recalling the numerous joyful experiences he holds dearest in his five-season career, the graduating shuttler admits that the end of carrying the Blue and White on the court is a sad but sentimental moment that he is undoubtedly thankful for.
“For my teammates, thank you for all of the years that I’ve played with you guys. All the crucial games, all the trainings, all the fun times outside badminton; I’m really thankful for having such good teammates and friends that I know I’ll keep even after I graduate. For the Ateneo community, for the athletics office, for the managers, and team managers, thank you for all the support. Thank you for allowing me to represent the school. One Big Fight pa rin!”
Trixie Malibiran
Admittedly, joining the Ateneo Lady Eagles was not an initial Plan A for Patricia “Trixie” Malibiran, who planned to pursue her college education at the University of the Philippines (UP). But as a member of Asuncion Badminton Center, Malibiran was convinced by Ateneo head coaches Kennie and Kennevic Asuncion to join the Blue and White, leading her to change colors before the start of her rookie year.
Malibiran suited up for Ateneo after graduating from Miriam College High School in 2013, making her debut on the court in Season 76 of the UAAP. As a rookie, she went on to win the UAAP Badminton gold in her first season, marking the buildup of a medal-laden pedigree. Malibiran garnered three consecutive UAAP silvers and a UAAP bronze in Season 80 to cap off a fruitful career with the Blue and White.
The Season 78 Lady Eagles Team Captain retires her wings after five seasons of giving her all on the court.
“The highs of my badminton career as a Lady Eagle would definitely be when I’m placed in the deciding singles matches. Those matches that I’ve won and lost will forever be the moments that I will remember when I look back at my UAAP badminton career,” she says.
Speaking about the team she leaves behind, Malibiran believes that the Lady Eagles are well-equipped to surmount the challenge for higher UAAP honors in the future and are looking to make amends after losing to rivals De La Salle University in Season 80.
“The team that I have left behind is very determined, passionate, and [are] fighters. I know they will make [amends] for the loss we faced this Season 80.”
Cassie Lim
Season 80 Team Captain Cassandra “Cassie” Lim decided it was time to call it a day on her fourth year of playing, hanging up her shoes after four successful seasons with the Blue and White that saw her win three silvers and a bronze.
Joining the team as a rookie in Season 77, Lim found playing for Ateneo quite daunting early on, given that both the men’s and women’s teams had claimed the Badminton gold the year prior to her arrival. In Season 77, the Lady Eagles finished the tournament as runners-up after going down to a strong UP side in a close finals showdown, prompting Lim to work harder to bounce back in her sophomore year.
“It was difficult for me to accept since I felt that we were so close to winning,” shares Lim. “But at the same time, the loss motivated me to do better.”
At the culmination of an incredible collegiate career, Lim looks back with sentimentality and fulfillment. Lim shares that her time as an athlete for the Ateneo went by too quickly, but admits that she prides herself with the fact that she has given everything she has to the team, the school, and the sport.
The departing captain looks upon the team she leaves behind with tremendous hope and gratitude.
“The Ateneo Lady Eagles will remain to be the strong and passionate team that it has always been. I wish the team the best in everything that they do, be it inside the Badminton court or outside. [Finally], I would like to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to play for the Ateneo.”
Bianca Carlos
Bianca Carlos epitomizes the word phenom. Over the course of her five-year Lady Eagles career, she remained unbeaten in the singles category of the UAAP, cementing her legacy as the reigning Queen of Ateneo Badminton. Carlos managed a gold, three silvers, and a bronze medal over her five-year stay in the Loyola Schools, solidifying her reputation for greatness on the court at the end of an undefeated singles run.
Carlos was recruited by Ateneo Head Coaches Kennie and Kennevic Asuncion in 2013 and played her first match wearing the Blue and White in Season 76. Even as a rookie, Carlos carried the weight of a championship team on her young shoulders, playing a crucial role for the Lady Eagles in her first year. With skills on the court beyond her years, Carlos scored a rare feat, winning both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player accolades in her breakout season.
The St. Paul alumnus continued to carry the torch for the Lady Eagles in succeeding seasons, eventually taking the helm as team captain in Season 79. She developed a strong partnership with fellow veteran shuttler Malibiran and Season 79 Rookie of the Year Chanelle Lunod, dominating in doubles matches as well.
After five years of exerting a commanding presence on the court, the Lady Eagle signed off with a final podium finish and was honored in the post-first semester UAAP sports Ateneo bonfire with a touching tribute. While the Lady Eagles phenom will head down from the hill in May 2018, her legacy will live on as Ateneo works its way back up the tables in the hopes of a return to collegiate gold.
The road ahead
Although the Blue and Lady Eagles have undoubtedly lost key players in Filart, Malibiran, Lim, and Carlos, the future still looks promising for both teams as a handful of returning veterans will represent the teams in the upcoming season.
For the men’s team, players such as Hanz Bernardo and Jan Mangubat will likely return to battle alongside remaining veterans Team Captain Carlo Remo, Patrick Gecosala, and Season 79 Rookie of the Year Keoni Asuncion.
For the women’s team, the previous two Rookie of the Year awardees in Chanelle Lunod (Season 79) and Aly Roxas (Season 80), along with veterans Samantha Ramos and Geva De Vera will likely prove to be crucial pegs in Season 81.
In turn, Filart believes that a championship is truly an achievable feat. “For the women’s team, it’s really rebuilding season because we lost a lot of crucial players. For the guys, we still need to rebuild, but I also see huge potential in Keoni, and the other seniors like Carlo and Patrick. I feel that it’s really a strong team but it all depends on how much they are willing to give in order to win.”
