IN CELEBRATION of the recently concluded year full of athletic activities, the Office of College Athletics and The GUIDON hosted the annual Athletes’ Night last May 17, Friday at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater. Afterward, in honor of the Blue and White, the Ateneo administration ignited the Blue Eagle Bonfire at the Ateneo Grade School Parking Lot.
Athletes’ Night Awards
To gracefully kick off the event, 2023 Ambrosio Padilla Awardee and Ateneo Women’s Swimming Team veteran Marjorie Manguiat led the invocation. Shortly after, Vice President for Mission Integration Benjamin Tolosa, PhD imparted words of support and encouragement to the athletic community, emphasizing the spirit of magis and the value of fighting with heart.
The awarding began with Sam Dela Fuente being named as the GetBlued-Student Manager of the Year. Her steadfast commitment to the Blue Babble Battalion made her a consecutive titleholder following her exceptional service to the squad over the last two years.
The Ateneo Women’s Table Tennis Team was then hailed with the Comeback of the Year after impressively overthrowing Far Eastern University (FEU) in a twice-to-beat semifinal, and orchestrating a valiant comeback to enter the final round.
Upholding the same resilience was sophomore sensation Junize Calago, whose consistent standout performances and Mythical Five distinction this season for the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team booked him Breakout Athlete of the Year honors.
Every sport’s Rookies of the Year were then given recognition in a special video for their notable achievements in the recent season. Afterward, the Firefly-Most Improved Team award was handed to the Ateneo Men’s Chess Team for showing an admirable display of determination and grit in jumping from fifth place to second this season.
Pole vaulter of the Ateneo Women’s Track and Field Team Jia Kawachi’s final track appearance was declared the Performance of the Year. She clinched the award after delivering the highest University Athletics Association of the Philippines’s (UAAP) women’s pole vault record in its history at 3.61 meters.
Before the second leg of awards resumed, the Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADs) energized the audience with a special number on-stage during intermission.
In the second set of awards, the Ateneo Men’s Badminton Team’s tough duel against the National University (NU) Bulldogs was dubbed the Game of the Year, after the Blue and White dethroned the Manila-based squad by ending their 60-tie win streak.
Continuing the festivities, each team gave recognition to the Most Valuable Players that rose to the occasion this year.
Afterward, Ateneo Women’s Badminton phenom Mika De Guzman received the Makabayan Award for her phenomenal performance on the international badminton stage as the country’s top female badminton player. She would also later be crowned Blue Eagle of the Year alongside two-time UAAP Men’s Swimming MVP, Wacky Santos.
Ateneo-wide Bonfire
Shortly after the conclusion of the Athlete’s Night Awards ceremony and dinner, the program for Ateneo’s 2024 Bonfire started with Fr. Kit Bautista SJ, who led the Ateneo community in an opening prayer.
Continuing with the festivities, co-hosts Allison Co and Julia Vargas gave recognition to this UAAP season’s award recipients, first acknowledging those who achieved individual success.
First on this list were Blue Eagles’ Calago and Kacey Dela Rosa, who both achieved Mythical Five honors for the UAAP Women’s Basketball tournament. Next up was the Men’s Football Team’s Kofi Agyei, who received the Golden Boot award. Aside from Agyei, both the Men’s and Women’s Football Teams would be recognized for their exemplary sportsmanship this season after both winning the Fair Play Award in Season 86.
Following this was Track and Field standout Jia Kawachi, who was recognized for her UAAP record-shattering pole vault performance.
After the individual honors were celebrated, Co and Vargas called on stage the squads that bagged podium finishes for the Blue and White. In the collegiate division, the Men’s Chess, Men’s Tennis, Women’s Swimming, and both Table Tennis teams were celebrated for achieving silver finishes. Finally, both Badminton teams and the Men’s Swimming Team were spotlighted for their championship campaigns.
The celebration continued with the lighting of the bonfire accompanied by a chorus of Ateneans singing the Song for Mary. Following this, a dazzling fireworks display and performances from the Ateneo Musicians Pool bands like Indiesposable, Pookiebears and All Organic Milk Goodness sent the Ateneo community home with a memorable conclusion.
