THE Far Eastern University Cheering Squad’s 13-year wait was all worth it.
“It feels good kasi ilang taon na kaming runner-up and then finally naka-isa rin kami and mahirap talaga ang preparation kasi 15 people lang and three minutes (from the previous 25 performers and six minutes in each performance allowed). Sabi nga nila the struggle is real. We’re just so happy that finally we got over the hump,” FEU head coach Randell San Gregorio said.
“It’s been 12 years since last championship namin. Wala nang mas tatamis pa na nag-pay off ang hard work namin ngayon,” he added.
Clad in dominantly dark green outfits with gold linings in the middle, the Morayta-based team wound up with a near-flawless performance to tally 727.5 points and win it all for the first time since 2009.
FEU ruled all five categories of tumblings, stunts, tosses, pyramids, and dance and did not tally any penalties and deductions, proving to be a worthy champion and take home the P50,000 cash prize, as well as P40,000 as the Skechers Best Performance in the competition held amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fancied National University Pep Squad, which had won six of the last seven tilts, settled for third on the podium as ‘90s music routine proved to fall short of its lofty standards.
Not as clean and as crisp as they had been before, the Bulldogs scored 681 points, and were rewarded with P20,000, together with P40,000 from the Silka Awra Dance Move special award.
The Adamson University Pep Squad soared from third to second behind a country music-inspired performance that was soundly executed for 688.5 points.
Finishing fourth was the University of Santo Tomas Salinggawi Dance Troupe, followed by the University of the East Pep Squad, University of the Philippines Pep Squad, La Salle Animo Squad, and the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
