TEAM MMSU will form the bulk of the Region I delegation to the 2011 State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA) National Olympic Games and Sports Meet to be held Feb. 21-25 in Isabela Province. One hundred sixty-four MMSU athletes, officials, coaches, trainors, chaperons, and support staff comprise half of the regional team.

The opening ceremonies will be held Feb. 21 at the Melanio Singson Sports Complex in Ilagan Town with Vice President Jejomar Binay keynoting the event that is expected to gather at least 10,000 participants from 119 state colleges and universities representing 15 regions across the nation.

It is all systems go as a final briefing was held Feb. 16 at the Teatro Ilocandia. Members of the SCUAA-I delegation will travel to Isabela morning of Feb. 19 and will be billeted at the Sports Village inside the Singson Complex. Vitamins were provided by the University Clinic for all the athletes competing in 14 events: baseball, soccer, swimming, softball, lawn tennis, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, athletics, sepak takraw, taekwondo, badminton, chess, and dance sports. A search for Miss National SCUAA will also be held. Angelica Fandag (BSN-III), reigning Miss MMSU, will represent the region along with another contestant from the University of Northern Philippines.

The Province of Isabela, in close coordination with Isabela State University, is confident with its preparations for the national meet, having played host in 1993 to the Palarong Pambansa, the country’s biggest student competition. Sports facilities have been refurbished for the event.

Prof. Arsenio Gallego, PESSDO director, expressed confidence that the athletes, given enough training and due support, will deliver the goods. Mr. Robert Barangan, sports chief, welcomes the event as an opportunity for the MMSU-powered team “to set benchmarks of excellence.”

MMSU captured the SCUAA-I Meet championship in December last year. It was the Green and Gold’s eighth title in eight consecutive years, a record unmatched in the history of the annual athletic meet.

The last national meet of SUCs was the 2006 PASUC Olympics held in Marikina, from where MMSU students brought home gold medals in basketball women, basketball men, shotput, and chess.