‘Big Three’ share top spot in BBEAL allied games

SUMMER Capital’s biggest three schools continue to lord it over in the allied games as the first phase of the Baguio–Benguet Educational Athletic League season 26.

Host University of Baguio, University of the Cordilleras and Saint Louis University are once again in close encounter in a race to win the overall crown of the annual collegiate competition in this part of the country.

Fresh from retaining the men’s basketball, including the distaff side, the UC Jaguars are off to a rousing start as it won its first title in chess after the men’s squad did the feat and finally ending the school’s 25-year drought in the board games.

The Jaguars also came out stronger as it reclaimed the men’s archery title after losing it last year to erstwhile rival SLU Navigators.

“Our athletes really wanted to win kasi ayaw nilang mapag-iwanan nung ibang sport kaya what they do is that every athletes from UC also supports the other kung wala silang laro,” said UC athletic director Ruel Costina.

Host UB Cardinals, after failing to bring back the men’s basketball crown remains a force to reckon with as it continue to top the swimming competition for both men and women and at the same time winning the men’s table tennis and women’s badminton diadem.

“We are the only school (aside from PMA) that has a swimming pool kaya I think yun yung malaking factor,” said UB athletic director Ed Laureano.

The Navigators, despite losing the women’s basketball title retained the crown in women’s archery, women’s table tennis, women’s badminton and women’s chess.

SLU also failed to land a spot in the semis of men’s basketball after finishing fifth, one of their worst seasons in the BBEAL.

BBEAL’s other school members include Baguio Central University, Baguio College of Technology, University of the Philippines-Baguio, Philippine Military Academy, Pines City Colleges and the Benguet based Benguet State University and Cordillera Career Development College.