Ateneo Blue Eagles
The Ateneo Blue Eagles are the collegiate men's varsity teams of the Ateneo de Manila University that play in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the premiere collegiate league in the Philippines. The collegiate women's varsity basketball team is called the Lady Eagles. The Ateneo collegiate men's varsity basketball team was not always called the Blue Eagles. It got the name Blue Eagles when Ateneo adopted the Eagle as its mascot in 1938. Prior to that, from 1914 it was known under different names. Ateneo has fifteen collegiate men's varsity teams that participate in fifteen sporting events of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, its mother league. Twenty five years after playing their last game as Blue Eagles, the Board of Directors of the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame review their playing years as Blue Eagles. Those who meet the criteria are inducted into the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame.
| Ateneo de Manila University | |
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| League | UAAP |
|---|---|
| Joined | 1978 (NCAA founding member – 1924) |
| Location | Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City |
| Team colors | Blue and White |
| Fight song | Blue Eagle the King |
| Women's team | Lady Eagles |
| Juniors' team | Blue Eaglets |
Seniors' general championships | |
Team identity
Team monikers
When Ateneo started to participate in intercollegiate sports in 1914, its varsity basketball teams were simply referred to by the school community as the Ateneo Seniors and Ateneo Juniors. They were later dubbed the Blue and Whites by the sports press in the early 1920s when Ateneo joined sports leagues. When Ateneo adopted the Eagle as its mascot in 1938, the college team was given a new name: Blue Eagles. The Ateneo Blue Eagles are sometimes called the Hail Mary Quintet by the sports press. This moniker was given to the Blue Eagles in 1926 when the sports press reporters noticed that the team would pray the Hail Mary during game time-outs and would win by the skin of their teeth.[1][2]
The first women's varsity basketball team was formed in 1974. It joined the league called Women's National Collegiate Athletic Association (WNCAA) and was named the Blue Eaglettes. This was later changed to Lady Eagles when they transferred to the UAAP. No written article has been found to date to explain why and to provide the exact year this name change happened.[3][4][5][6][7]
Ateneo is one of the four UAAP member schools that participate in all of the fifteen sporting events of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. Since the Eagle is the mascot of all the varsity teams participating in these sporting events all of them are called Blue Eagles.[8] However, the Guidon which is the school's official student publications have given them specific names to differentiate them when news about their games are reprted. They are as follows:
| Sport | Men | Women | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basketball | Blue Eagles | Lady Eagles | ||||
| Football | Blue Booters | Lady Booters | ||||
| Volleyball | Blue Spikers | Lady Eagles | ||||
| Beach Volleyball | Blue Beach Spikers | Lady Beach Spikers | ||||
| Baseball | Blue Batters | No Team | ||||
| Softball | No team | Lady Batters | ||||
| Badminton | Blue Shuttlers | Lady Shuttlers | ||||
| Tennis | Blue Netters | Lady Netters | ||||
| Table Tennis | Blue Paddlers | Lady Paddlers | ||||
| Track & Field | Blue Tracksters | Lady Tracksters | ||||
| Swimming | Blue Tankers | Lady Tankers | ||||
| Fencing | Blue Fencers | Lady Fencers | ||||
| Judo | Blue Judokas | Lady Judokas | ||||
| Taekwondo | Blue Jins | Lady Jins | ||||
| Chess | Blue Woodpushers | Lady Woodpushers | ||||
Mascot and colors
Ateneo has long been involved in intercollegiate sports dating back to 1914. It was a pioneer in Philippine collegiate sports. Ateneo was the first Philippine school to adopt a mascot, and was also the first school to field an organized cheering squad with cheerleaders which was later followed by another first when it introduced a Pep Band to augment the cheerleaders during games.[3][4][5][9]
The choice of an eagle as school mascot holds iconic significance. Conferred with the title "the King", the Blue Eagle is a reference to the "high-flying" Ateneo varsity teams which would "swoop down on the foe and sweep up the fields away" as a dominating force in the field of sports. Furthermore, there is some mythological significance to the eagle as a symbol of power.[5]
The school used to have live eagles as pets in the former Padre Faura campus and later on at the Grade School campus in Loyola Heights. A live eagle would lead the men's varsity basketball team at the start of a game in the NCAA as the team enters the basketball court for their warm-up with the school Band playing the fight song, "Blue Eagle – The King".[5]
Blue and White, being the colors of the school's patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary, were chosen as the school's colors. Thus blue and white are the colors of the uniforms of the varsity teams. Most of the school songs, yells and cheers have the words blue and white.
Athletic associations
Collegiate leagues
The Ateneo de Manila University is a member of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the premiere sports league in the country. It fields teams in all fifteen sporting events of the league. Ateneo was a founding member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which was established in 1924. It left the NCAA in 1978 due to the league-wide violence prevalent at the time, and then joined the UAAP in the same year.[10]
Other tournaments
Aside from the UAAP, the Ateneo Blue Eagles also participates during the UAAP preseason in other sports leagues/tournaments such as the Fil-Oil Flying V Preseason Cup, SMART City Hoops Summer Classic, Breakdown Basketball Invitationals, Philippine Collegiate Championship League (PCCL), Premier Volleyball League, Rizal Football Association (RIFA).
Team sports
Basketball
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Rivals
The Blue Eagles have had several rivalries throughout the years. Before the NCAA was founded and into the early years after its foundation (1924), Ateneo's fiercest basketball rivals were the UP Fighting Maroons (then known as the Maroon and Greens).[4][11] Ateneo won its first NCAA seniors basketball title in 1928 while the San Beda Red Lions won their first in 1927, and the two went on to develop a rivalry during the 1930s that lasted up to the 1970s. The two schools dominated the NCAA as they traded championships, back-to-back and three-peats. When Ateneo left the NCAA in 1978, it had the most number of basketball championship titles in that league at 14 to the 10 of San Beda.
While the Ateneo-San Beda rivalry was ongoing, the seed for a future rivalry was planted after an Ateneo loss to La Salle in the championship game of NCAA season 16 (1939–40). Games between Ateneo and La Salle in the NCAA were always hotly contested but not yet tagged by the sportswriters as a rivalry. When Ateneo and La Salle transferred to the UAAP, San Beda was left in the NCAA. Ateneo and La Salle continued their hotly contested games into the UAAP and the sports press started to write about a rivalry.[11] The basketball games between the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers are the most anticipated matches in every UAAP season. During the 1988 season, Ateneo was the defending champion and they faced La Salle in the Finals. A deep Ateneo lineup ended up winning the crown, triggering a full-blown rivalry. Recently, the intensity of the rivalry has picked up due to Ateneo and La Salle meeting in the UAAP Finals 5 times, in 2001 (won by La Salle), 2002 (won by Ateneo), 2008 (won by Ateneo), 2016 (won by La Salle) and 2017 (won by Ateneo). The UAAP is guaranteed high TV ratings and sold-out tickets, resulting in ticket scalping, when Ateneo and La Salle clash on the hardcourt. These games draw huge crowds of students, school faculty/officials, alums, high government officials such as cabinet members, senators and even a chief justice of the Supreme Court. Former presidents of the Philippines and ambassadors of the United States of America also attend the games.
Records
UAAP and NCAA
The late Fr. Edgar A. Martin, S.J., Ateneo's college athletic moderator in the 1950s and 1960s, once said that "basketball brings glory to Ateneo". The student-athletes of Ateneo share in this belief.[12] As of the year 2019, Ateneo has 57 combined NCAA (25) and UAAP (32) basketball titles, which include championships won in men's, women's, juniors' and midgets' divisions. This is more than the total number of combined titles in men's, women's, and juniors' divisions held by the University of Santo Tomas, which has 42 (40 UAAP and 2 NCAA), San Beda College, which has 45 NCAA titles, Far Eastern University which has 41 titles (40 UAAP titles and 1 NCAA title), Colegio de San Juan de Letran with 29 NCAA titles, De La Salle University, which has 27 (11 in the NCAA and 16 in the UAAP), and Mapúa Institute of Technology with 29 NCAA titles.
Championships
| Blue Eagles | |
|---|---|
| NCAA (14) |
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| UAAP (11) |
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| Lady Eagles | |
| UAAP (2) |
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In men's basketball, the Ateneo Blue Eagles have won 24 titles as of 2018, 14 in the NCAA and 10 in the UAAP. The Lady Eagles have won two UAAP titles.
Consecutive Championships
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The Blue Eagles have won back-to-back titles eight times. Four were won in the NCAA and four in the UAAP. The Blue Eagles became three-peat champions when they won the NCAA title in 1931, 1932 and 1933. They also accomplished a three-peat sweep by going undefeated in these three consecutive seasons, a record which has not been surpassed much less duplicated by any team in the NCAA and UAAP. They were again three-peat champions when they won the championship in 2008, 2009, and 2010, their first in the UAAP. They were the first collegiate team to accomplish a three-peat in both the NCAA and UAAP. In 2011, they joined an elite group in the UAAP when they won the 2011 UAAP Men's Basketball Championship. They became the fourth UAAP team to be four-peat champions, joining UE, UST and La Salle. In 2012, they separated from this group when they won their fifth consecutive title. They are now the sole team in the five-peat championship bracket.
Elimination Round Sweeps
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The Blue Eagles did sweep elimination rounds when they were still playing in the NCAA. They swept the elimination round of three consecutive seasons en route to the 1931, 1932 and 1933 NCAA titles. This double-feat achievement of a three-peat championship via a three-peat sweep is a record that still stands today and may never be broken. In 2019, the Blue Eagles swept the UAAP elimination round for the first time in school's history and with that they were automatically in the UAAP Finals that season where they defeated the UST Growling Tigers in two games making them the first team in UAAP history to sweep the entire UAAP men's basketball season.
UAAP Semi-Finals Appearances
(1993-start of Final 4 format)
| Blue Eagles (19) |
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|---|---|
| Lady Eagles (7) |
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In the UAAP, the Blue Eagles hold the record for the longest consecutive Semi-Finals appearances. They made 14 Semi-Finals consecutive appearances from 1999 to 2012 to La Salle's 12, which is the second longest.
The Lady Eagles have made seven Final Four appearances as of 2015.
Final 4 Triple Appearances
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The Blue Eagles, Lady Blue Eagles and Blue Eaglets made it to the Final Four in the same season six times.
UAAP Finals Appearances
| Blue Eagles (15) |
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|---|---|
| Lady Blue Eagles (5) |
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The Blue Eagles made fifteen trips to the UAAP Finals, and the Lady Eagles had five trips.
Blue trivia
The Blue Eagles hold the record of winning in the most lopsided game ever in both NCAA-UAAP seniors division history. In NCAA Season 6 (1929), Ateneo blew the NU Bulldogs off the court by the score of 97–9.
The Eagle was not always the King. Up to the 1970s, Ateneo had the most number of collegiate basketball championships in the NCAA. The Blue Eagles had fourteen championship titles when they left the NCAA in 1978. San Beda, their closest rival, was second with only ten championships at that time. When Ateneo transferred to the UAAP, it struggled to soar high as it did in the NCAA. It took the Blue Eagles eleven years to win a championship again. After this back-to-back (1987 and 1988) championship, Ateneo had to wait another fourteen years for their next championship which happened in 2002.
Other Leagues and Tournaments
In addition to the NCAA and UAAP championships, recent victories of the Blue Eagles include the back-to-back titles (2008 and 2009), the 2011 and 2014 championship in the annual Philippine University Games, the championship of the Fr. Martin Summer Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2012, and the 2008 Nike Summer League. The Blue Eagles also won championship in the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup in 2011 and 2018. These were won since participating in 2007. In 2018, the Blue Eagles participated in the SMART City Hoops / 1st Collegiate Summer Classic Tournament and the Breakdown Basketball Invitationals where they won the championships.
At the national level, the Blue Eagles won the title of the 2007 Collegiate Champions League, and its successor, the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) in 2009, 2010, 2018 and 2019, giving it the distinction of having the most titles among the tournament's winners.
The Blue Eagles also competed at the 2018 William Jones Cup,[13] an international tournament in Taiwan for both club and national teams.
The Blue Eagles were in the Final Four in every year during this period. These eleven appearances are part of Ateneo's fourteen Final Four consecutive appearances which is the standing record in the UAAP for the longest Final Four consecutive appearances. During the Blue Era, they made eight Finals appearances and won the championship in six of their appearances. The Lady Eagles made six Final Four appearances and three appearances in the Finals where they won two championships.
The Blue Eagles were presented the 2012 Athlete of the Year Award by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA), oldest media organization in the Philippines, last March 16, 2013, for achieving a five-peat championship in the UAAP. This is the first and so far the only five-peat championship by a collegiate varsity basketball team in a major league in the third millennium.
The Blue and White varsity basketball teams have also won championships in pre and post season tournaments during this period.
Year – Champions
- 2005 – Lady Eagles – National Students Basketball Championships / Home and Away Invitational League
- 2006 – Blue Eagles – Fr. Martin Summer Cup
- 2007 – Blue Eagles – Collegiate Champions League
- 2008 – Blue Eagles – Philippine University Games / Nike Summer League
- 2009 – Blue Eagles – Philippine University Games / Philippine Collegiate Champions League
- 2010 – Blue Eagles – Fr. Martin Summer Cup / Philippine Collegiate Champions League
- 2011 – Blue Eagles – Philippine University Games / Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup
Men's Division
- Japeth Aguilar
- Rich Alvarez
- Rabeh Al-Hussaini
- Ford Arao
- Francis Arnaiz
- Nonoy Baclao
- Ryan Buenafe
- Paolo Bugia
- Bernardo Carpio
- Gec Chia
- Justin Chua
- Ricardo Cleofas
- Arthur dela Cruz
- Baby Dalupan
- Paquito Diaz
- Nico Elorde
- John Paul Erram
- Macky Escalona
- Larry Fonacier
- Frank Golla
- Wesley Gonzales
- Alfonzo Gotladera
- Vince Hizon
- JC Intal
- Padim Israel
- Robert Jaworski Jr.
- Doug Kramer
- Jojo Lastimosa
- Moro Lorenzo
- Magnum Membrere
- Emman Monfort
- Ogie Narvasa
- Chris Newsome
- Edgardo Ocampo
- Ambrosio Padilla
- Von Pessumal
- Kris Porter
- Olsen Racela
- Ignacio Ramos
- Kiefer Ravena
- Thirdy Ravena
- Chot Reyes
- Jai Reyes
- Nico Salva
- Marte Samson
- Greg Slaughter
- LA Tenorio
- Richie Ticzon
- Juami Tiongson
- Chris Tiu
- Enrico Villanueva
3x3 Basketball
Ateneo won the UAAP Season 81 3x3 Basketball tournament on its second and final year as a demonstration sport before it became an official sport in UAAP Season 82.[14][15]
Volleyball
The Ateneo Volleyball Program enjoyed a modest success in the NCAA, having won a total of nine championships during a ten-year period from 1967 to 1976. The men's team had two titles and one from the women's, while the juniors team had won six titles. Ateneo dominated NCAA volleyball in the mid-1970s. In the UAAP, Ateneo has won five championships so far since transferring from the NCAA in 1978. These titles were won by the Lady Eagle Spikers in Season 76 (2013–14) and Season 77 (2014–15) and by the Blue Eagle Spikers in Season 77 (2014–15), Season 78 (2015–16) and Season 79 (2016–17), finally ending a title drought of more than 30 years in UAAP volleyball.
Championships
| Blue Spikers | |
|---|---|
| NCAA (2) |
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| UAAP (3) |
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| Lady Eagles | |
| NCAA (1) |
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| UAAP (3) |
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Double Championships
| Blue Spikers / Lady Eagles | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Season () | |
| UAAP Season (1) |
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Elimination Round Sweeps
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UAAP Semi-Finals Appearances
(1993-start of Final 4 format)
- Season 77 (2014–15)
| Blue Eagles (6) |
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| Lady Eagles (10) |
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UAAP Finals Appearances
| Blue Eagles (5) |
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| Lady Blue Eagles (6) |
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The Ateneo Blue Eagles Volleyball Team
The men's volleyball team were back-to-back champions in NCAA Seasons 51 and 52, and were 3-peat champions in UAAP Seasons 77 to 79. The Blue Eagles were also able to achieve a perfect season in the UAAP Season 79 men's volleyball tournament.[16]
The Ateneo Lady Eagles Volleyball Team
Men's Division
Football
The Ateneo varsity football teams have won a total 19 championships, 9 in the NCAA and 10 in the UAAP. In the NCAA, the seniors have won 6 titles. The Blue Booters were the first to win a football championship in the NCAA when they won the title on the maiden season of the NCAA in 1924. They also won their first back-to-back (1953 and 1954) championship in the NCAA. In the UAAP, the seniors (men) have won 8 titles. The Blue Booters were three-peat champions after winning in Seasons 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06, a record that still holds today. Football was introduced in the UAAP Juniors Division as a demonstration sport in season 70 (2007–08) and declared a regular sport in season 72 (2009–10)
Football Championships
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Blue Booters
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Blue Booters
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Lady Blue Booters |
The football seniors (men) team in the UAAP did not have much success until the mid-1990s, when they reached the UAAP Finals 4 times in a row, from 1996 to 1999. Months after winning the 1995–1996 Chipper Afable Cup (beating NAVY FC in the finals, 3–0, with the help of then HS '97 MVP, Vincent Hubert V. Reyes), the Blue Booters won their first ever UAAP title in 1996, by beating arch-rival La Salle in the Finals by 2 goals to 1. In the following two years, they lost in the Finals to the Green Archers, but were able to regain the title in 1999.
The 1999 men's football team holds the record for most goals scored in a UAAP game. They scored 41 goals in a 41–0 win over Adamson University. All eleven Ateneo starters scored in this game. Carlos Leus led the way with 13 goals, Monch Espejo with 9 and Paolo Aquino adding 5.
In season 68 (2005–06), The Blue Booters won their fifth UAAP championship in a dominating fashion. They swept the season, 10–0, on their way to the championship. This is a first in the history of UAAP football and the record still holds for Ateneo.
The Blue Booters hold the record for the longest championship streak in the UAAP. They accomplished this when they won the football title in Season 66 (2003–04), Season 67 (2004–05) and Season 68 (2005–06), a three-peat championship achievement.
The Lady Blue Booters also hold a record, although something that they cannot boast. They have not won a championship in the UAAP and were even the doormat team in Season 74 (2011–12) as they did not win a single game. However, these losing seasons may become a thing of the past. For Season 75 (2012–12), the Lady Blue Booters have three national players in their roster. In the 2012 national University Games, a preseason tournament that is held during the academic semestral break in October that the Lady Blue Booters join annually, they finished as runner-up. The Finals was a tightly fought game which went into a 10–10 silver goal overtime (full 20 minutes). The final score was 1–0 and the winning goal was scored by their opponent only at the last five minutes of overtime. The following year, the Lady Blue Booters won the championship of the 2013 Philippine National Games held in May 2013.
In Season 75 (2012–13), the Blue Booters topped the elimination round, which gave them the top seed in the Final 4 and a twice-to-beat advantage. The Blue Booters did not have to use this advantage as they defeated La Salle, their Final 4 opponent, 4 – 3, in a penalty shoot-out in game one to advance to the Finals for the first time in six years. In the Finals, the Blue Booters swept defending champion UP in their best-of-three series, to win their sixth UAAP championship. Season 75 was a penalty shoot-out season for the Blue Booters. They won all their games in the Final 4 and Finals via penalty shoot-outs.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles football team won the UAAP Season 79 football championship. Javier Augustine "Jarvey" Gayoso was UAAP Season 79 (2016–17) MVP and selected to the UAAP Season 79 (2016–17) Mythical Eleven. Jordan Blair Jarvis was selected the UAAP Season 79 (2016–17) Rookie of the Year and member of the UAAP Season 79 (2016–17) Mythical Eleven.
Notable football players
- Men's Division
Baseball
History shows that Ateneo was not a powerhouse in the sport of baseball despite having American Jesuits who were former varsity baseball players in their youth as mentors in school during the previous millennium. In the NCAA after 54 years of participation, the Blue Batters have won 2 championships. The Blue Batters won in 1927 and 1965. The number of championships can be counted with one's fingers but the consolation is the double championship in 1965. According to UAAP records, Ateneo which joined the league in 1978 won its first baseball title in Season 75 (2012–13).
Baseball Championships
| Blue Batters | |
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| NCAA Season (2) |
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| UAAP Season (4) |
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The Ateneo Blue Batters have the longest losing streak in UAAP history. From 1992 to 2001, the team did not win a single UAAP baseball game. Then on January 20, 2002 (UAAP Season 64), the team finally won its first UAAP game after 10 years by beating National University, 16–9. This was a breakout win for the Blue Batters as they never had a winless season in the next 9 years.
UAAP Season 65 (2002–03) saw the Blue Batters improve on its standing by placing 5th with a 2–8 win-loss record, surpassing the previous year record of 1-9 (6th place). UAAP Season 66 (2003–04) was remarkable as Ateneo defeated La Salle for the first time in over 13 years, 9–8. In Season 67 (2004–05), they finished with a 3–7 record to place 4th overall. It would have been the Blue Batters' first Final Four appearance had UST not swept the elimination round and was declared champions of UAAP Season 67.
The Blue Batters' breakout year was UAAP Season 68 (2005–06) when the team finished tied for 2nd place with a 7–3 record, setting the best win-loss record in its UAAP history. Up until 2011–12, this team was considered the strongest team ever assembled in its UAAP baseball history. In UAAP Season 74 (2011–12), the Blue Batters duplicated the win-loss (7–3) record and second-place finish of the Season 68 Blue Batters. They made the Final 4 as the second-seeded team with a twice-to-beat advantage and batted their way into the Finals for the first time in their UAAP history. They ended the season as runner-up after losing to NU in the Finals. In Season 75 (2012–13), Ateneo and NU met again for the championship. This time the Blue Batters got back at NU and won their first UAAP baseball title.
Baseball Championships
| Blue Batters | |
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| NCAA Season (2) |
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| UAAP Season (4) |
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Past UAAP Seasons Highlights
Season 68 (2005–06)
Thriving on pressure in UAAP Season 68, the Blue Batters won 5 of their games by just 1 run, most of them in come-from-behind fashion. But they also thrashed an opponent, La Salle, in 8 innings, 17–7, in the second game of the season for its first mercy rule victory in more than a decade. The Blue Batters ended the season with a 7–3 record, so far the best in their UAAP history. They became the first Ateneo team in over a decade to beat each UAAP team at least once in a season. They also made history by being the first team to make it to the Final Four.
Ateneo won its first Final Four game in history on February 16, 2006, by defeating UST, 12–5, to set up a do-or-die Game 2. However, Ateneo lost Game 2, 10–5, to end its magical season.
UAAP Season 69 (2006–07)
UAAP Season 69 was a heartbreaking season for the Ateneo Blue Batters as it was found out at the end of the season that star rookie Michael Justine Zialcita, a U.S. citizen, was not able to submit all the required documents for player's eligibility. Thus, he was declared ineligible despite having Filipino parents. A UAAP Board ruling wiped out all of Ateneo's wins that season and forfeited their Final Four slot. Ateneo finished 4th place with a 3–5 record. Despite the 3–1 start in the 1st round, the Blue Batters lost all their 4 games in the 2nd round.
UAAP Season 71 (2008–09)
Season 71 was a rebirth for the Ateneo Blue Batters. The team finished with a 6–4 record, second best in its UAAP history. Had the Adamson Falcons not swept the season, Ateneo would have been 3rd seed in the Final Four. Among the notable games was the high-scoring win against La Salle, where the Blue Batters blasted the Green Archers, 27–14.
UAAP Season 72 (2009–10)
Coming from last year's successful run, the Blue Batters looked forward to another successful campaign in Season 72. However, the team ended with a winless season, going 0–10 for the first time since the 2000–2001 UAAP season. This dismal performance was due to the loss of their starting pitcher to injury in their game 1 of the season.
UAAP Season 74 (2011–12)
In October 2011, the Ateneo Blue Batters flew to Taichung, Taiwan for an intensive 10-day training at the Si Yen Baseball School. The training program followed a strict schedule and consisted of rigorous skills training sessions, two to three times a day.
This training has done the Blue Batters good. The Blue Batters swept the first round of the eliminations in the UAAP Season 74 baseball tournament, going 5–0, a first time in Ateneo baseball. They beat all their opponents in convincing fashion: Adamson 11–5, NU 13–3, UP 14-3 (5 innings), UST 8-1 and La Salle 8–4.
The Blue Batters had established a six-game winning streak when they continued to win into the second round of elimination, beating UP, 10–0. The streak ended when they lost to Adamson and NU in their succeeding games. They eventually ended the elimination round with a 7–3 record. This finish gave them the second seed in the Final 4 with a twice-to-beat advantage and tied the best win-loss record set by the 2005–06 Ateneo baseball team.
Ateneo beat La Salle, 13–4 in 8 innings of a rained-out game of the Final 4, on February 16, 2012, to advance to the UAAP Finals for the first time.
In Game 1 of the Finals against NU on February 23, 2012, Matt Laurel blasted a 3-run home run in the 1st inning to help power Ateneo past NU, 11–4. Unfortunately, the Blue Batters lost the next two games of the Finals series. Game 3 was a heartbreaking one as Ateneo lost 5–4, on centerfielder Kirk Long's error that enabled NU to score the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th. They finished Season 74 as runner-up. However, it was a season that the players consider as historic as some of their accomplishments were first-time achievements of a Blue Batter team.
Game 3 also saw one of the biggest Ateneo crowds in the history of UAAP baseball, since their first Final 4 appearance in Season 68. Among those who attended were not only family and friends of the players, but also their softball counterparts the Lady Batters, fellow students and alumni, including former Blue Batters Atty. Kristian Ablan, Stefano Baltao, Carlo Banzon, Christopher Chua, Nikko Dizer, Paolo Padla, Justin Zialcita and Jonathan Sibal. Sports columnist, TV commentator and Ateneo professor Sev Sarmenta was also there to cheer on the blue and white.
For the first time, UAAP Baseball had TV coverage on ABS-CBN's Studio 23, shown on delayed telecast a week after the Finals.
In recognition of the Blue Batters reaching the Finals for the first time ever in the UAAP, they were presented the 2011–12 Breakthrough Team of the Year Award during the Ateneo Athletes' Recognition and Awards Night held on March 8, 2012.
UAAP Season 75 (2012–13)
Before the start of the UAAP Season 75 baseball tournament, the Ateneo Blue Batters went again to Taichung, Taiwan during the semestral break of academic year 2012–13, for an intensive training at the Si Yen Baseball School. This training was productive as the Blue Batters swept the first round of the elimination for the second consecutive year, going 5–0. They beat all their opponents in convincing fashion: Adamson 15–3, La Salle 15–7, UP 14–6, UST 11-3 and NU 9–2. The Blue Batters made it to the Finals as the top seeded team with a win-loss record of 8–2, their best finish in the UAAP. In the Finals, the Blue Batters beat defending champion NU in their best-of-three series to win its first UAAP baseball championship after a 35-year title drought. In the deciding game 3 of the Finals best-of-three series, the Blue Batters shut out NU, 4–0. This was a statement made by the Blue Batters that they have not forgotten their last year's loss to NU in the deciding game 3 of the Finals.
UAAP Season 76 (2013–14)
After attending their annual preseason training camp in Taichung, Taiwan, the Blue Batters went on to successfully defend their crown in Season 76 (2013–14). They swept no. 1 seed La Salle in their best-of-three Finals series. Pitcher Andy Tan garnered the MVP and Best Pitcher awards. The Rookie of the Year award went to Miguel Dumlao. Mat laurel got three awards, namely: Best Slugger, Most Home Runs and Most Stolen Bases.
UAAP Season 77 (2014–15)
As part of their preseason preparations, the Blue Batters joined the 2014 Hong Kong International Baseball Open ("HKIBO") which ran from December 19–22, 2014. The tournament was sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation ("WBSC"). Eight teams from Korea, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong participated. The Blue Batters, representing the Philippines swept the Group B elimination round and beat Group A's top seed Hong Kong in the Finals to emerge as champions of this international tournament.
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Season 77 is a historic season for Ateneo baseball. The Blue Batters won their third consecutive championship in Season 77. They are now a three-peat champion.
UAAP Season 79 (2016–17)
The preseason preparations of the Blue Batters went into high gear when they joined the 2016 Hong Kong International Baseball Open which ran from December 17–20, 2016. The tournament was sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation ("WBSC"). Eight teams from China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Russia and Taiwan participated. The Blue Batters, representing the Philippines swept the Group A elimination round and beat Group B's top seed Hong Kong in the Finals to emerge as the 2016 champions of this international tournament.
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The Blue Batters' participation in the Hong Kong International Baseball Open was an excellent preparation for the UAAP Season 79 baseball tournament. This tournament gave them the opportunity to play at a high level of baseball with teams from other countries. Winning the title was a big confidence boost for them coming into their next UAAP season. They won UAAP Season 79's championship, their fourth in the last past five years.
UAAP Season 80 (2017–18)
As part of the preseason preparations of the Blue Batters, they joined again the Hong Kong International Baseball Open 2017 which ran from December 14–17, 2016. They chose to join this tournament again because they are the defending champions having won this annual tournament last year. The tournament was sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation ("WBSC"). Four teams from Australia China, Hong Kong and the Philippines participated. The Blue Batters, representing the Philippines swept the elimination round of their group and beat the team from Australia in the Finals to emerge as the 2017 champions of this international tournament.
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Bagging the title for the second year in a row, the Blue Batters tuck another gold under their belt, gaining valuable experience and exposure as a team entering a new collegiate season. The Blue Batters will have a different crown to defend heading into the next semester of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Baseball tournament.
Men's Division
Softball
Following season 81 (2018–19) dismal 1-11 outing, the Lady Batters took their very first trip overseas as a team. They went to Taipei, Taiwan for training. While bonding and camaraderie were also an objectives of the trip, softball was the main priority from the get-go. From December 15 to 22, 2019, the team endured a week-long grind of training and playing alongside softball players from the University of Taipei
Training ran from the early mornings up to sundown; the mornings were for technical drills, while the afternoon hours were reserved for matches with the University of Taipei softball varsity team. The improvement of the team was visible as they had several close games, and in those close games, they had so many who stepped up.
Rankings
This is Ateneo's ranking in the team sports in the UAAP since 1986, the year the UAAP became an eight member-school league:
| UAAP Season | Basketball | Football | Volleyball | Baseball | Softball | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's | Women's | Men's | Women's | Men's | Women's | Men's | Women's | |
| 49 (1986–87) | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | ||||
| 50 (1987–88) | 1st | 2nd | 5th | Unknown | Unknown | Unknwon | 5th | Unknown |
| 51 (1988–89) | 1st | Unknown | 4th | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 5th | Unknown |
| 52 (1989–90) | 4th | Unknown | 2nd | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 4th | Unknown |
| 53 (1990–91) | 3rd | Unknown | 5th | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 5th | Unknown |
| 54 (1991–92) | 5th | Unknown | 4th | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 5th | Unknown |
| 55 (1992–93) | 5th | Unknown | 6th | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 6th | Unknown |
| 56 (1993–94) | 6th | Unknown | 7th | Unknown | 8th | 6th | 6th | Unknown |
| 57 (1994–95) | 6th | Unknown | 6th | Unknown | 6th | 5th | 6th | Unknown |
| 58 (1995–96) | 7th | Unknown | 1st | Unknown | 8th | 5th | 6th | Unknown |
| 59 (1996–97) | 5th | 7th | 2nd | 2nd | Did not join | 5th | 6th | 5th |
| 60 (1997–98) | 6th | Unknown | 2nd | Unknown | 8th | Did not join | 6th | Unknown |
| 61 (1998–99) | 6th | 7th | 1st | 4th | 8th | 8th | 6th | 6th |
| 62 (1999–00) | 3rd | Unknown | 2nd | Unknown | 8th | 8th | 6th | Unknown |
| 63 (2000–01) | 3rd | Unknown | 2nd | Unknown | 8th | 8th | 6th | Unknown |
| 64 (2001–02) | 2nd | Unknown | 3rd | Unknown | 8th | 6th | 6th | Unknown |
| 65 (2002–03) | 1st | Unknown | 2nd | Unknown | 8th | 6th | 5th | Unknown |
| 66 (2003–04) | 2nd | Unknown | 1st | Unknown | 8th | 6th | 6th | Unknown |
| 67 (2004–05) | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | Unknown | 8th | 7th | 4th | Unknown |
| 68 (2005–06) | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 5th | 8th | 6th | 3rd | 6th |
| 69 (2006–07) | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 5th | 5th | 4th | 5th |
| 70 (2007–08) | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 4th | 7th | 4th | 5th | 6th |
| 71(2008–09) | 1st | 6th | 6th | 4th | 4th | 5th | 3rd | 5th |
| 72 (2009–10) | 1st | 6th | 4th | 5th | 3rd | 3rd | 6th | 5th |
| 73 (2010–11) | 1st | 7th | 6th | 4th | 6th | 4th | 4th | 5th |
| 74 (2011–12) | 1st | 5th | 5th | 5th | 7th | 2nd | 2nd | 5th |
| 75 (2012–13) | 1st | 4th | 1st | 4th | 6th | 2nd | 1st | 6th |
| 76 (2013–14) | 5th | 8th | 7th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 7th |
| 77 (2014–15) | 4th | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 7th |
| 78 (2015–16) | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 7th |
| 79 (2016–17) | 2nd | 6th | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 7th |
| 80 (2017–18) | 1st | 6th | 3rd | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 7th |
| 81 (2018–19) | 1st | 6th | 1st | 5th | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 7th |
| 82 (2019–20) | 1st | 6th | ||||||
| 83 (2020–21) | ||||||||
| 84 (2021–22) | ||||||||
| 85 (2022–23) | ||||||||
Championships
Overall/General Championships
Ateneo has not won a UAAP General Championship in the seniors division since joining the UAAP in 1978. Its best finish was a third place in Season 75 (2012–13) and Season 79 (2016–17).
- Seniors:
- NCAA (1) – 1968–69
- 3x3 Basketball Championships
- Blue Eagles: (Tournaments from 2017–18 until 2018–19 were classified as a Demonstration Sport)
- UAAP (1) – 2018–19
- Basketball Championships
- Blue Eagles:
- NCAA (14) – 1928–29, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1937–38, 1941–42, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1969–70, 1975–76, 1976–77
- UAAP (11) – 1987–88, 1988–89, 2002–03, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Lady Eagles:
- UAAP (2) – 2005–06, 2007–08
- Baseball Championships
- Blue Batters:
- NCAA (2) – 1927–28, 1965–66
- UAAP (4) – 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17
- Football Championships
- Blue Booters:
- NCAA (6) – 1924–25, 1941–42, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1967–68
- UAAP (8) – 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2018–19
- Volleyball Championships
- Blue Spikers:
- NCAA (2) – 1975–76, 1976–77
- UAAP (3) – 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Lady Spikers:
- NCAA (1) – 1976–77
- UAAP (3) – 2013–14, 2014–15, 2018–19
- Badminton Championships
- Blue Shuttlers:
- UAAP (6) – 1995–96, 1996–97, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2011–12, 2013–14
- Lady Shuttlers:
- UAAP (5) – 2003–04, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Lawn Tennis Championships
- Blue Netters:
- NCAA (1) – 1939–40
- UAAP (1) – 2000–01
- Fencing Championships
- Lady Fencers:
- UAAP (2) – 2006–07, 2018–19
- Swimming Championships
- Blue Tankers:
- UAAP (7) – 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Lady Tankers:
- UAAP (6) – 2008–09, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Judo Championships
- Blue Judokas:
- UAAP (8) – 1997–98, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18
- Athletics (track and field) Championships
- Blue Tracksters: (Tournaments from 1925–26 until 1952–53 consisted of events in relay and track and field)
- NCAA (9) – 1925–56 (relay), 1934–35 (relay), 1949–50 (T/F), 1960–61, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70
Sports traditions
The Ateneo has rich traditions in things that are related to sports. Most of these traditions have been introduced by the sports-loving American Jesuits after they took over the administration of Ateneo in 1912. However, the sports related traditions that the American Jesuits introduced in the Ateneo were not original ideas but copied from American schools. Team mascot, pep band, organized cheering, cheerleaders and bonfires were all American sports innovations.
Cheering
- The Blue Babble Battalion
Cheering by Ateneo students during games against other schools existed as early as 1914 when Ateneo started to participate in intercollegiate sports. But it was more of an individual or a small group in the Ateneo gallery shouting spontaneous encouragements to the Blue and White team or heckling the opponents. There were no cheerleaders to lead the whole Ateneo gallery to cheer in unison with prepared cheers so as to produce loud and solid-volume cheerings.
Ateneo was the first school to field an organized cheering squad in the Philippines. Inspired by how American colleges made use of organized cheering to bolster their teams' morale, Fr. Austin Dowd, S.J introduced this organized cheering form to the Philippines. He recruited the first three cheerleaders of Ateneo, namely, Leon Ma. "Rah-jah" Guerrero HS '31 AB '35, "Crown Prince" Elpediforo Cuna HS '30 AB '34 and Jumpin' Jess Paredes HS '31 AB '35. During those early years, there were only three cheerleaders each NCAA season and they were fondly called the "Princes of Personality". The name Blue Babble Battalion came much later. There is no official record in Ateneo history when this name was introduced. Ateneo alumni old-timers only recall that this name was already in use in the 1950s. However, cheerleader Jesse Paredes, HS '54 AB '58 (son of one of the pioneer cheerleaders of Ateneo, Jess Paredes), clarified that "the Blue Babble Battalion was the Ateneo gallery, not the cheerleaders. That is why it is a battalion".[4][9][17]
In the 1940s up to the 1980s, the Ateneo gallery that is called the Blue Babble Battalion referred to the Ateneo spectators in the bleachers section of the coliseum or gym because almost all of the Ateneo gallery was seated there. It was composed mostly of high school students, some Jesuit scholastics and faculty.[4] All of the cheerleaders and the pep band were also there. According to the alumni of the 1950s, one of the reasons they watched from the bleachers section was that they were given a 50% discount if they bought their bleachers tickets for NCAA games at the school cashier's office. They paid only fifty centavos for a one Peso ticket.[6] This preference for the bleachers section changed when the UAAP games started to be held regularly at the Araneta Coliseum in the 2000s. Ateneo students watched the games from both the bleachers and upper box sections of the coliseum, resulting in cheerleaders being thinly spread over a wider area. The Jesuits and faculty deserted totally the bleachers section and watched the games from the lower sections of the coliseum. This reference to the Ateneo gallery as the Blue Babble Battalion was lost over time. Alumni old-timers point to the demographic changes in the Ateneo gallery as one of the causes for this loss. The once solid Ateneo gallery in the bleachers is now dispersed and even mixed with the crowd of the opposing school.[4][18]
- The Sixth Man
The name Blue Babble Battalion would be resurrected later but as the name of a student organization. The Ateneo cheerleaders, cheerdancers, cheerlifters and pep band grouped themselves together under the name Blue Babble Battalion.[19] With the loss of this name to the cheerleaders, the Ateneo community started to call the Ateneo gallery as the Sixth Man (in a basketball game).[20][21][22] Sports articles published by the school and Guidon, the official student newspaper of Ateneo, showed that up to the 1980s there were references to the Ateneo gallery as the Blue Babble Battalion, and the name Sixth Man started to appear in sports articles as early as the year 2000.
Ateneo Cheers, Yells and Songs
Ateneo's cheering tradition consists of cheers, yells and songs that imbibed the Ateneo spirit. They added much to the clapping of hands and stomping of feet by inspiring and willing the school varsity teams to victory time and again. There are no records of when and who wrote the Ateneo's cheers and yells. The cheers are said to have been inspired by Roman traditions. Contrary to popular belief, the cheers themselves have no literal meaning such as Fabilioh and Halikinu, which some mistake for Greek or Latin words. They are just letters put together and have a rhythmic sound.[9][23] The yells of Ateneo are one to three words of encouragement such as "Fight", "Animo Ateneo" and "Get that ball". The Ateneo songs are the opposite of the cheers. They are all intelligible and the composers of some of them are known. After the eagle was officially chosen as the school's mascot, the fight song, "Blue Eagle – The King" was composed by Raul Manglapus (AB '39) in the summer of 1939. The marching song, "Cheer, cheer and Go!" was composed by Lamberto Avellana (AB '37). Some songs like "Hail! Ateneo Hail!" and the Ateneo Cadet Corps March were adopted and modified from cheer songs of American Jesuit schools, such as Fordham. The music were borrowed and new lyrics were written or the proper names were just changed. A cheerbook, titled On Wings Of Blue was published in the 1930s and reprinted in the 1950s and 1987. This first edition contains all the songs, cheers and notes compiled from since the cheering tradition began before the foundation of the NCAA. This small blue booklet featured as well, interesting tidbits about things Atenean such as the colors, shield, motto and the mascot of the school. The 1998 edition has gone through some revisions, including the addition of the Song for Mary.
Ateneo Cheer Rallies
No article has been found so far to establish when Ateneo's historic tradition of cheer rallies started. Alumni old-timers can only remember that they participated in cheer rallies in the 1950s. Cheer rallies were not continuously held. There were periods of several years when the tradition was dormant. The cheer rallies of yesteryears and of today are a lot different in terms of participants and purpose. In the former, only high school students participated while the whole University and alumni participated in the latter. The cheer rallies of earlier years were held to teach and practice the cheers.[24] Today's cheer rallies' main purpose is as a send-off to all the University varsity athletes as they embark on their journey to the battlefield of sports.[25]
- Cheer Rallies of Yesteryears
In the 1950s and 1960s, cheer rallies were held in early June in preparation for the opening of the NCAA season. The cheer rallies were held in the high school covered courts and attended only by the high school students. After the flag ceremony on a Monday morning, classes were suspended for one period to hold the cheer rally which was led by the college cheerleaders. The high school student population was divided into eight groups. Each group was composed of a mixture of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students. Each group would yell the same cheer. There were eight pennants each with an image of different bird species attached to poles. The group that cheered the loudest got the pennant with the image of the eagle, and the group with the lowest noise volume was given the pennant with the image of the crow. Seldom used cheers were practised and the juniors and seniors basketball varsity teams were paraded on the stage. The team captain (King Eagle) of the seniors basketball team gave a short pep talk to the gathered students, promising the school to do their best to win the championship and asking the students to support the team by attending the games.[26]
- Cheer Rallies of Today
Today's cheer rallies are big production events. It even has a name, the Big Blue Eagle Cheer Rally. They have a festive atmosphere. Held at the Blue Eagle gym, there are musical performances by Atenean music bands and video presentations of notable moments of previous season's campaign. Demonstration squads from different sports like volleyball, taekwondo and judo show their techniques on the hardwood. The Blue Babble Battalion is next as the cheerleders lead the crowd in cheering while the cheerdancers perform their cheering moves. The last part of the event is a basketball game between the current Blue Eagle team and an alumni Blue Eagle team. The top officials of the University are in attendance. The university president, vice-presidents and Directors of various school units are present. They are joined by the alumni. It is a University-wide affair. The crowd is composed of students from the grade school, high school and college. All the varsity athletes from said school departments are paraded before the crowd. The affair is ended with an inspirational talk by the university president who wishes the athletes success in their respective campaigns. Finally the crowd sings the Song for Mary.[25][27]
The Blue Bonfire
Just as the Romans welcomed home their victorious army with a big celebration, so does the Ateneo community welcome home their victorious athletes with a celebratory bonfire. Whenever the men's or women's varsity basketball team win a UAAP championship, a bonfire is held in October. This traditional celebration fetes not only the Blue Eagles and the Lady Eagles, but also all the other varsity teams that won championships during the first semester of the UAAP season. Students, alumni, family members and friends of Ateneans, as well as die-hard fans attend the event to cheer their favorite athletes and to have their picture taken with them in front of the bonfire. They also ask the players to autograph their Ateneo shirt, ball, slam book, magazine featuring their favorite player or other belongings. All the players and coaches are formally presented to the crowd by asking them to go up the stage where some of them give short talks. The program emcees ask questions from the team which answers the crowd are interested to hear. There are many food booths to choose from and local bands to entertain. This celebratory bonfire is the culmination of the school's first semester sports season which started earlier in July with a cheer rally. A second bonfire is held in March to celebrate championships won in the second semester.
This bonfire tradition dates back to 1932 or possibly even earlier when the Blue Eagles won their first NCAA championship in 1928. The 1932 bonfire was held at the Luneta Park.[28]
References
- "Ateneo de Manila University". ateneo.edu.
- "Five-peat".
- Roman A. Cruz, Jr. "The Ateneo Story." Aegis. 1959
- "Ateneo de Manila University".
- "Ateneo de Manila University". Archived from the original on 2011-02-14.
- "bleachers brew".
- "bleachers brew".
- "Blue Eagle flying high". The GUIDON.
- "Ateneo de Manila University".
- History 2006–2007
- The Guidon, July 1993.
- Ateneo Alumni Guidon, 1990.
- Lozada, Bong (6 July 2018). "Ateneo to represent PH in 2018 Jones Cup". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
- https://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/news/2019/03/03/ateneo-tames-ust-take-place-king-uaap-81-3x3-54067
- https://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/news/2019/09/01/3x3-basketball-now-medal-sport-uaap-season-82-60500
- https://sports.inquirer.net/247442/marck-espejo-ateneo-blue-eagles-beat-nu-bulldogs-win-uaap-season-79-volleyball-title
- "Atenean Night".
- "Spread wide". Archived from the original on 2013-06-19. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- "Blue Babble Battalion".
- "Sixth man Rises".
- "UAAP Finals".
- "Ateneo de Manila University".
- "Behind the Babble". theguidon.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03.
- Ateneo Alumni Guidon, 1989.
- "2005 Rally" (PDF).
- Alumni guidon
- "Prepare for Glory!".
- "bleachers brew".