THE BEST and brightest in Solid North sports and culture were unraveled in a round robin tournament and in an awesome festival Feb. 19-21 at the Melanio T. Singson Memorial  Complex in Ilagan, Isabela and at the Cabagan Gym in the same province.

Sixteen state colleges and universities from Regions I and II and from the Cordillera Administrative Region battled for supremacy in both sports and cultural events.

With MMSU at the banner, Region I rammed championship in softball, baseball, women’s chess, and men’s and women’s swimming.  The region settled as first runner up in men’s and women’s athletics, women’s badminton, and women’s lawn tennis.

Of the 29 gold medals given out in the various swimming competitions, 26 of these went to Region I of which 19 were amassed by MMSU.

The region grabbed gold in women’s taekwondo and in men’s discus throw, javelin throw, shot put, and long jump.

In the cultural contests, Region I clinched championship in pep squad/cheer dance, folk dance, dancesport, vocal solo, and dagliang talumpati competitions. It grabbed the first runner up in the vocal duet contest and second runner up in the ethnic dance tilt. All contestants in said events were from MMSU.    

The Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College emerged champion in extemporaneous speaking while the Pangasinan State University got the Ms. Solid North-State Colleges and Universities Athletic Meet.

Physical Education and Sports Development Director Arsenio T. Gallego thanked the university’s administrative council for their support and dynamic leadership.  He bowed to double the feat and maintain the superb performances of the athletes and cultural contestants and to continue to uphold the “banner of excellence for the university and for Region I in general”.

He said MMSU will continue to advocate a “passion for excellence and competitive spirit” which, he said, “will always be personified in our performances”.