VERY RARELY do recruits arrive in the collegiate level with sky-high expectations from Ateneo fans, to the point that they elicit comparisons to prodigious athletes of the past. But once in a blue moon, there are some whose reputation strikes fear and piques interest even before they embark on their collegiate careers. 

Kiefer Ravena, one of Ateneo’s all-time Men’s Basketball players, is a prime example. Ravena’s storied high school career earned him the moniker Phenom—a nickname bestowed upon once-in-a-generation Ateneo athletes—even before he set foot in the collegiate ranks in 2011. Not only did he have to deal with the natural comparisons to his father, Philippine basketball great Bong Ravena, Kiefer was also expected to play a starring role as a rookie in the Blue Eagles’ quest for a four-peat. 

But Ravena lived up to the hype—and then some. Two championships and a pair of Most Valuable Player trophies later, Kiefer hung up his jersey in 2015 as one of the greatest players Philippine college basketball has ever seen. 

This year, Ateneo will welcome another name with a prolific high school career and a game reminiscent of legends who came before her—but this time on the hardcourt. 

Superstar in the making

Mika De Guzman has already made a name for herself in the badminton community, coming into Season 82 as one of her recruiting class’ biggest names. The 17-year-old has drawn comparisons to fabled former Lady Shuttler Bianca Carlos, who is notoriously known for finishing her five-year career with an undefeated record for both Singles and Doubles categories. De Guzman’s prowess in the Singles division coupled with her ability is reminiscent of Carlos, who, like De Guzman, hails from St. Paul College Pasig.

De Guzman’s impressive reputation is evidenced by her impeccable track record on the court. From 2010 to 2019, she tallied a grand total of 37 golds, 18 silvers, and 16 bronze medals across prestigious competitions such as the Palarong Pambansa, the National Capital Region Palaro, and the Frederick D. Go (FDG) Cup. De Guzman has garnered international exposure as well with stints in Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia.

Even Women’s Badminton Head Coach Kennie Asuncion-Robles, who has served as one of De Guzman’s long-time mentors since her high school days, can attest to the rookie’s extraordinary potential. “Mika’s level of play is beyond her age group,” she says. “In a recent Singles open tournament [for the FDG Cup], she was able to finish with a bronze, losing [only] to foreign players who took the gold and silver.”

A lineage of badminton athletes

De Guzman’s gaudy list of accolades is no surprise given her family history. She mentions that badminton prowess has always run through her family’s bloodline. In fact, her grandfather, Feliciano Miranda, was a national athlete and consequently served as her very first mentor.

“[My grandfather] taught his children—my mom and her siblings—to play badminton at a young age. His lessons were then extended to all of his grandchildren, including me,” recalls De Guzman. “We played to the extent that my grandfather built a badminton court for our family bonding.” 

In her family, Mika is the newest member to play in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Her elder siblings, Mara and Miguel, also played competitive badminton during their collegiate years, representing the University of the Philippines and De La Salle University, respectively. 

Responding to expectations

With last season’s championship squad still intact, this year’s Women’s Badminton team is bannered by the same set of athletes that delivered Ateneo their first crown in five years. The arrival of De Guzman will bolster Ateneo’s championship-caliber team, especially in the Singles Division. Many will be eager to see if Ateneo’s prized rookie will live up to the lofty expectations set for her. 

Coach Asuncion-Robles believes that the high expectations will only create unnecessary pressure because only De Guzman herself can define her ceiling. But for De Guzman, the comparisons push her to be better. “I think it’s normal to be pressured when being compared, but I am humbled when people compare me to athletes like my ate Bianca Carlos, the number one player whom I look up to. She motivates and inspires me to train even harder,” says the young rookie. 

“They have been winning even before I joined so I know that I can learn a lot from them as well,” adds De Guzman. As for the Badminton starlet, her focus remains the same: continuous improvement both as a student and an athlete, which would allow her to perform at the highest level when the season begins.

In recent years, records have shown that there are some rookies who have lived up to expectations when placed amongst the ranks of exceptional individuals. For instance, both Kiefer Ravena and Bianca Carlos concluded their first season with a UAAP Championship in their respective sports. While it is unfair for a championship trophy to be the sole success indicator of Mika De Guzman’s rookie year, it wouldn’t be a surprise if history repeated itself. The UAAP is set to witness another story unfold—one that only legends are made of.