Sunday, May 11, 2008 Past and present crop of SWU athletes pit skills today
SOUTHWESTERN University’s sports stars of the past meet the present.
Although it had taken years before the SWU athletic program produced another noise, this year had been a productive one for SWU with its beach volleyball and basketball teams taking home national crowns.
“SWU has prided itself to have produced top-caliber athletes in the past both in volleyball and basketball and we want to showcase that along with our present crop of talents,” said SWU athletic director Ryan Aznar.
Today, athletic prowess will collide in what could be a battle between the past and the present in the SWU Cobras Challenge 2008 Reunion Exhibition matches this morning at the Aznar Coliseum.
In the basketball competition, the former Cobras, who were once threatening forces will be divided into two teams and will square off with the new SWU Cobras.
The White group will be led by former PBA players Calvin Tuadles, Nonoy Gonzaga, Peter Naron, Mark Tallo and Danilo Gendrauli with Rey Potot, Maynard Padilla, Arnold Ciabo, Dilber Ompad, Roel Natividad, George Aznar, Alvin Paudin, Fermin Baure, Danilo Aying, Eric Espino.
Blue team
The Blue team will be made up of Cesar Ortega, Edwin Kitane, Eddie Espinosa, John Flores, Arnold Contorno, Lamberto Lawas, Bong Begontes, Ahmed Lozano, Rey Eduave, Bebot Ompad, Elmer dela Cruz, Joel Rosales, Jerome Acebron, Edgar Dionson and Roy Galon.
The SWU Cobras just returned from a basketball trip to Xiamen, China to play against the top teams there as a reward for their winning the National Students Basketball Championship title. The team also won the second place in the Visayas Amateur Athletic Association.
In volleyball, former SWU standouts led by former RP team members and Grace Antigua and Thelma Barina Rojas will collide with the current SWU volleyball squad. Antigua is a Cebu Sports Hall of Famer and is the current coach of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. grandslam champions USJ-R.
The two will be joined by Zenaida Ybańez, Aileen Suson, Yolanda Rizarri, Rosemary Molit, Chandrina Tumabang, Joy Padilla, Joreen Sanchez, Jackilou Jimenez and Janeth Ponte.
The SWU spiking Cobras will be led by recently-crowned Nestea Beach Volleyball champions Janelle Tabio and Florian Gutierrez. (MCB)
