Team Glory B cagers who can make the jump
By Jaime D. David
RAFFY VERANO and Jolo Mendoza’s ineligibility for the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 means that Ateneo’s rotation will need significant reshuffling. But the void left by these two key cogs doesn’t necessarily have to be filled by external additions—change can come from within. As such, these three Team Glory B players have a chance to break into Coach Tab Baldwin’s plans this year.
Patrick Maagdenberg (6’ 5” PF/C)
Maagdenberg has the ability to turn heads with his stellar passing and surprising mobility despite his size. Should he crack the lineup, the crafty Kiwi’s imposing stature will make him a force to be reckoned with, providing an intimidating physical presence in place of Verano.
Jason Credo (6’ 3” SG/SF)
In Team Glory B, Credo showed the ability to guard all five positions, impressed with his vision and passing, and exhibited a solid stroke from beyond the arc. These key assets could provide Coach Tab with another plug-and-play option in his arsenal of guard weapons in lieu of Mendoza.
Troy Mallillin (6’2”, SF/PF)
Mallillin’s tenacious rebounding and energy would do well to help fill Verano’s void. The former National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Juniors Most Valuable Player is also an elite athlete. Mallillin’s athletic prowess allows him to guard three to four positions, potentially making him a valuable asset on the defensive end.
Ateneo Rowing Team: A rising tide
By: Apa D. Aquino
IN THEIR 30th year of aquatic expertise, the Ateneo Rowing Team has increased their international presence following multiple medal hauls, a band of promising new recruits, and an unprecedented chance to compete with the highest level of talent in the international rowing scene.
The past two years have seen the team garner four silver and three bronze medals from three competitions: The Malaysia Varsity Boat Race in 2018, the 14th Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Championship held in the same year, and the 15th CUHK Championship in 2019. As a result of these accomplishments, the Ateneo Rowing Team earned an invitation to represent the school in the Olympic-laden World Rowing Coastal in Thailand this September.
Team Captain Pao Reganit reflected on how far the team has come. “Even if the World Rowing Coastal and Hong Kong [Championships] have a high level of competition, it’s a big step for the team from competing against other universities to [ competing in] the big leagues of international waters today,” remarked Reganit.
With the stage set for the team to voyage further than ever, there is no better way to celebrate 30 years of rowing excellence than the opportunities of the present. There’s nowhere to go but up for the rising tide that is the Ateneo Rowing Team.
Table tennis rookies on the rise
By Jeremy L. Chua
WITH THE next University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season on the horizon, a new breed of talent will don the Blue and White for the Ateneo table tennis teams. These three new faces are out to bring the Lady and Blue Eagles back to contention.
Ann Gella Borbon
Borbon, a standout from the Ateneo Juniors Table Tennis team, made noise in the high school level after bagging a total of two Individual Champion medals in the 2013 and 2016 editions of the Palarong Pambansa. She also has national team experience to boot, having represented the Philippines in the 6th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Doubles Championship in 2014.
Kaela Deine Aguilar
Like Borbon, Aguilar donned the country’s colors in the past as a representative in the Southeast Asia Table Tennis Association in 2016. More recently, Aguilar ranked first in the 2018 Philippine Super League Table Tennis Tournament as a highly-touted prospect from Paco Citizen Academy Foundation.
France De Asis
The Men’s Team also has an exciting rookie joining the ranks as it welcomes France De Asis, a champion player from the University of the East Junior Table Tennis Team. Back in 2016, he was a Mixed Doubles Champion in the Batang Pinoy Nationals. De Asis also bagged silver in the recently concluded Uni-Orient Cup 2019.
