Throughout the UAAP Season 87, various UP teams demonstrated the UP brand of honor and excellence, nabbing top spots in their respective sports.

Leading the UP Men’s Athletics teams to victory were UAAP CAC Season 81 Rookie of the Year Ed Deliña and rising star Clint Niño Neri.

Deliña won two of UP’s four gold medals with an impressive throw of 14.86 meters in the shot put event, as well as a 49.41-meter throw in the hammer throw event. Neri netted two more golds, defending his title in the long jump and nabbing the top spot in the triple jump.

In an interview with Tiebreaker Times, Neri shared that his successes came from both hard work and tough life lessons.

“I got injured last December during the Philippine National Games. It happened during the 4×100 relay. Sobrang laki ng lessons na nangyari nun, and andami ko din lapses. I took it as a lesson na lang. Instead of getting disappointed in myself, ginawa ko na lang siyang motivation to come back stronger.”

UP head coach Rio Dela Cruz expressed his surprise and joy for the win in an interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer. “Hindi namin ‘to inaasahan pero ito naman talaga ‘yung goal namin. Before mag-start, sinabi ko na sa kanila na, ‘I think we have a chance if you give your all.’ Alam namin na nag-prepare naman kami and i-enjoy lang nila. And true enough, nangyari naman ‘to.”

Meanwhile, the Lady Maroons Shuttlers claimed the championship in the Women’s Badminton Tournament Finals, going head-to-head against the Ateneo Lady Eagle Shuttlers in both singles and doubles matches..

This win marks a new era for the Lady Maroon Shuttlers, following the team’s last win from Seasons 77 to 79, spanning Academic Years 2014 to 2017.

“Lahat kami nag-sacrifice para makamit itong kampeonato na ito. Lahat sila binigay iyong puso para makuha nila itong championship na ito, kasi matagal na nilang hindi nakukuha. Lahat nag-work hard para rito, kaya siguro ito iyong reward sa kanila,” said first-year UP Women’s Badminton Team’s head coach Ariel Magnaye in an interview.

Finally, the UP Fighting Maroons reclaimed the top spot in Men’s Basketball for the season, dethroning the previous winners, the La Salle Green Archers.

The Fighting Maroons overpowered the Green Archers in a close Game 3, with 66-62 on the board. This win was made possible by big man Quentin Millora-Brown’s 14 points and 10 rebounds, as well as Francis Lopez, who added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Season 84 standout JD Cagulangan, who contributed 12 points.

Fighting Maroons Coach Goldwin Monteverde attributes this second win in his term to the hard work of the team. “I’m very thankful, especially to the players. From the start of the season, after our loss last year, they worked hard every single day,” said Monteverde in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, “I’m very proud of how they handled our ups and downs throughout the season. I’m also grateful to the coaching staff for their tireless efforts. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do my part.”