YESTERDAY’s rough weather left three schools competing in the zonals of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) stranded in Cebu but all three will still make it in time for the Visayas zonals today in Ormoc City.
Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) runnerup University of San Jose Recoletos, PCCL wildcard University of Cebu and West Negros University were supposed to leave yesterday morning for Ormoc, but had to postpone their trips today due to the foul weather.
The three will have to catch up in time for the opening tonight, when USJ-R will battle WNU in the lone game at 7 p.m.
USJ-R will be on a vengeful fit today as the WNU eliminated it from the medal hunt in the University Games the other week in Dumaguete City.
USJ-R’s Jabe Delfino said their chances against WNU are a lot better this time around.
“We have prepared well for this and also (Manny) Gabas and (Kurt) Amores will now be with us,” Delfino said. The two big men skipped the University Games.
UC will play its first match tomorrow against AMA Computer College. UC got a wildcard entry owing to its impressive performance against Cesafi third placer University of San Carlos.
The teams are divided into two brackets with USJ-R and WNU grouped with Bohol Institute of Technology.
UC, on the other hand, the fourth placer in the Cesafi was bracketed alongside AMA College and Letran. After a round robin play, the top two teams in each bracket will get slots to the PCCL national finals.
Step forward
The six schools were given the opportunity to take part in the prestigious inter-collegiate championship after organizers decided to hold a qualifying round for the rest of the Sweet 16 spots.
The University of the Visayas was able to take part in the PCCL in the past after winning the regional qualifying where they always battled and won over WNU.
This year, Cesafi officials recommended that UV will automatically get slots to the Sweet 16 to put Cesafi in the same level as that of the Manila-based Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, whose top two schools automatically get berths. (MCB)
