by Lianna Roc and Glaiza Salanio

From December 17 to December 19, 2024 and January 8, 2025, Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) students across all strands represented their classes and strands as they competed for this year’s Sportsfest hosted by the Athletes’ Council (AthC).

The majority of the sports events, such as volleyball, badminton mixed doubles, basketball 3×3 (girls), basketball (boys), and chess, were held at the Formation Learning Center building, while football, track and field, and ultimate frisbee were played in the Ateneo Junior High School Football Field.

On December 17, the juniors officially opened the AthClympics, with each class participating in the sports of chess, track and field, badminton, men’s basketball, volleyball, and football. On the other hand, Grade 12 students opened their Sportsfest on December 18, playing the same set of sports.

For the juniors, ABM’s 11-Borja stole the spotlight as they were crowned champions in the sports of chess, badminton, and the track and field sprint—yielding the most victories of all junior sections.

Beaming with pride toward his section, Borja student and track and field champion Aiori Aquino had this to say: “The Sportsfest definitely brought our class closer… Whether we were competing or cheering for each other, there was a strong sense of unity. It taught me how important teamwork is and made me appreciate how everyone’s effort played a role in our shared success.”

Following the track and field event was the football finals, which saw 11-Bellarmino and 11-Angelis clash for a thrilling neck-and-neck battle—with 11-Angelis coming out on top.

To further prove their excellence on the pitch, four Angelis players composed the Mythical 7, including Gianni Villamor, Enzo Altuna, Matin Bendicion, and Most Valuable Player Andres Hizon.

In basketball, 11-Escribano walked away triumphant—winning against bronze medalist 11-Fontoura in a down-the-wire showdown to punch a ticket to the finals and then beating 1st runner-up 11-Brebeuf to snatch the championship.

Escribano’s Jay-M Leal was awarded the Most Valuable Player, joining his fellow classmate Bugsy Lavarro in the Mythical 5, alongside Raffy Tayag and Xavier Castillo of 11-Brebeuf, as well as Jared Magpoc of 11-Fontoura.

Meanwhile, 11-Fontoura found the top step of the podium in volleyball, as they edged out 11-Grande to seal the gold for their class. The Mythical 6 consisted of Alfonso Sinvian, Kim Anthony Rivera, and Ethan Rivera of 11-Fontoura, along with Nat Ochoa of 11-Grande, Xavier Castillo of 11-Brebeuf, and Ray Pascual of 11-San Vitores.

Despite missing out on a podium finish, Mythical 6 member Ray Pascual still lauded his class’ tight-knit bonds. “[Even if] we placed 4th, to think that we were the 4th best out of 21 [sections] is already an achievement… We strengthened our camaraderie as a class, [because] even when we were on the verge of losing, our class was [still] there to cheer us on and boost our confidence.”

On the other side, a different story played out for the Grade 12 students, as almost each sport saw a different section bring home the championship.

Individual sports of chess and track and field saw 12-Beyzym and 12-Pro emerge victorious, while the pair from 12-Geronimo came out on top for badminton.

In the football finals, 12-Sullivan, led by Most Valuable Player Adriano Sias, alongside fellow Mythical 7 members Craig Coronel and James Del Valle, triumphed over the class of 12-Beyzym in a seesaw battle.

In volleyball, the mighty team of 12-Bobola went up against 12-Anchieta in the finals, perfecting their play to claim the championship. 

Composing the Mythical 6 was the duo of Rian Ardidon and Kevin Gabia of 12-Bobola, Annika Lim of 12-Pantalia, as well as the triad of Satya Torres of 12-Acquaviva, Sebastien Tubio, and Most Valuable Player Ken Harvey Nicolas of 12-Anchieta.

However, 12-Bobola did not stop at simply one championship, as they went on to beat the class of 12-Evans in the finals of men’s basketball.

Showing off their athletic prowess, Job Lim of 12-Bobola was crowned as the Most Valuable Player, joining his fellow classmates MJ Imson and Gabe Jorge, as well as Enzo Urro of 12-Anchieta and TJ Delos Santos of 12-Evans in the Mythical 5.

Aside from these events, the Sportsfest also held a strand-based 3×3 Women’s Basketball tournament, where every class from each strand joined forces. For Grade 11, STEM B and STEM A claimed 3rd and 2nd place, respectively, while GA, led by Most Valuable Player Matia Molina of 11-Escribano, outshined the others to win the championship.

For the seniors, HumSS and ABM took 2nd and 1st runners-up, while STEM B was crowned as the champion, as Most Valuable Player Francesca Pangilinan of 12-Walpole led them to victory.

Last but not least, the seniors participated in a strand-based frisbee event, with GA and ABM taking 3rd and 2nd place, as STEM took the top step of the podium.

After the championship matches of all sports, the whole ASHS community gathered on the third floor Formation Learning Center (FLC) for the awarding ceremony, where some classes were given their rightful recognition for their outstanding performances.

For AthC’s Sports Club Co-Coordinator Alexis Santos, witnessing the awarding ceremony served as a culmination of the council’s efforts. He shared that despite the busy schedule, it was still a ‘surreal’ experience working on one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. 

“…Watching and participating in the various matches made me appreciate the fruit of our labors as a council, and observing my seniors’ approach in tackling different aspects of the Sportsfest has been nothing short of awe-inspiring,” he said.

With this, he hopes that the whole ASHS community was able to appreciate this year’s Sportsfest as much as he did, stating, “The entire AthC core hopes that through the hard work and preparation put in these past few months, the student body was able to think that AthClympics was not a mere event but a showcase of what the council can do when given an opportunity as big as this.”