THE ATENEO Blue Battalion finished seventh in the University Athletic Association (UAAP) Season 82 Cheerdance Competition (CDC) on Sunday, November 17, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. 

The National University (NU) Pep Squad finished on top once again after delivering a patriotic cheer routine. The squad from Sampaloc were first in stunts (81 points), tosses (89.5 points), and pyramids (96 points) for a total of 722 points. They also aced the group stunts category, placing first in both stunt execution (96 points) and stunt difficulty (76 points). 

In second place was the Far Eastern University (FEU) Cheering Squad with 706 points. FEU’s Michael Jackson-inspired routine was reminiscent of Ateneo’s 2009 UAAP CDC piece under the same head coach, Randell San Gregorio, who also led the Blue and White to a silver medal that year. FEU also finished second in the group stunts category, scoring a total of 223 points.

The Adamson University (AdU) Pep Squad rounded out the podium places with 658.5 points despite being flagged with 12 penalties and deductions. AdU also took home another bronze medal in the group stunts with 206 points. 

Clad in snappy blue and white onesies, the Blue Babble Battalion’s Around the World in Six Minutes routine earned them 593 points in a near flawless run with just one penalty. Ateneo ranked seventh in all aspects of the competition: 66.5 points for tumbling, 55 for stunts, and 322.5 for dance. Ateneo was strongest in tosses and pyramids, earning 73 and 77 points, respectively.

For the first time since 2011, the Katipunan-based squad competed in the group stunt category. Scoring 59 points for stunt execution and 50 for stunt difficulty, Ateneo placed seventh in the event with a total score of 47 points. 

Blue Babble Battalion CDC Team Captain Shawn Nagrampa was proud of his team’s performance, praising their dedication and spirit in spite of their relative inexperience. “There are more rookies than there are veterans this year,” explained Nagrampa. “What we showed today was the hard work we did with these rookies that were so willing to train every single day.”