THE ATENEO Blue Babble Battalion competed in the National Cheerleading Competition (NCC) National Finals 2018, themed “Breaking Barriers” on Thursday, March 1, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The second day of the NCC Finals saw the squad take home first prize for the Open All Girl Stunts Division, and second place for the All Girl Pom Division.

All Girl Pom Division

In their first time to take part in the All Girl Pom Division, the Blue Babble Battalion admitted that they had to adjust to a few changes in their training.

“We had to learn different techniques such as vertical jumps and turns,” Team Captain Pat Gamaru shared. “We also had to define our movements and make sure that our movements are sharp.”

The team of fifteen (Danielle Jardin, Toni Maceda, Patricia Gumaru, Sari Tiaoqui, Mia Ordillas, Ellabelle Caparas, Franny Balburias, Julia Casal, Chloe Reyes, Duanne Maala, Miuccia Cajucom, Cassandra del Castillo, Kaila Magat, Mikee Turano, and Ira Santos) marched onto the hardcourt with girl power, showcasing a variety of dance moves to well-known Beyonce tunes such as, “Who Run the World,” “Single Ladies,” and “Sweet Dreams.”  

The Blue and White scored 78.5, 71.5, 69.5, 25 for choreography, technique, execution, and overall effect, respectively. They finished with a total of 244.5 points, seating them right below the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Salinggawi Dance Troupe, who bagged first place with a total score of 261 points.

“I feel that we did our best and as newcomers to the division. We showed what Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion is really about,” rookie Sari Tiaoqui said, after their performance.

Open All Girl Stunts

Maala, Cajucom, Del Castillo, Magat, Turano, and Santos stepped back onto the mats to represent Ateneo in the Open All Girl Stunts event. Coming off a third place finish last year for the division, the team hoped for better results this time around.

The Katipunan-based troupe notched 89, 74.5, and 67.5 points for stunt execution, stunt difficulty, and overall performance, respectively, ultimately claiming the top spot for the division.

The team expressed their pride after the stellar finishes. “I can say how proud I am of the improvement that the team has achieved. This a good start,” Gamaru shared. “I hope that we continuously go up from here.”

Catch the Blue Babble Battalion compete in the third day of the NCC National Finals 2018 for the Open Co-ed Group Stunts Division at 2:30 PM on Friday, March 2, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

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