IT WAS not as easy as in previous years as other schools stepped up the competition, but the MMSU Stallions still emerged as overall champion, eleventh time in a row, in the annual regional State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA) Meet and PASUC I Cultural Olympics jointly held this year at the University of the Philippines (UNP) in Vigan City, Jan. 8-13.

Beating its five opponents – DMMMSU, UNP, ISPSC, NLPSC, and PSU, the university garnered a total of 88 points in the PASUC I literary and cultural competitions, and 363 points in the SCUAA I events--a hairline victory over UNP which garnered 82 and 320 points in both respective categories. Unlike in previous years when MMSU ran away from its competitors by a mile, it was not sure until the last day to which the Overall Championship Trophy would go.

The literary and cultural Olympics had seven categories (quiz bowl, visual arts, literary contests, musical contest, dance competition, dancesports, and pageant) while the sports competitions involved 14 disciplines (athletics, swimming, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, sepak takraw, taekwondo, badminton, lawn tennis, table tennis, chess, and beach volleyball).

In the literary and cultural competitions, DMMMSU and PSU tied in the overall third place position garnering 66 points each, while ISPSC and NLPSC placed fifth and sixth, respectively. In the overall standing in the sports competition, DMMMSU landed third place, while PSU, ISPSC, and NLPSC settled for fourth, fifth, and sixth places, respectively, garnering total scores of 251, 204, 142, and 23 points.

MMSU students clinched the gold in the quiz, essay writing, extemporaneous speaking, vocal duet, and choral singing; and placed second in charcoal rendering, dagliang talumpati, pagkukwento, pagsulat ng sanaysay, vocal solo, and in the search for Mr. PASUC.

Although MMSU’s closest rival, the UNP, emerged champion in eight of the literary and cultural events, it lost miserably in other categories where MMSU got impressive scores.

The stallions emerged champion in athletics (W), swimming (M & W), volleyball (W), baseball, softball (W), taekwondo (W), badminton (W), lawn tennis (M & W), chess (W), and beach volleyball (W).

On the other hand, UNP won the championship only in basketball (M & W), volleyball (M), and table tennis (M & W), while DMMMSU bagged the gold in athletics (M), badminton (M), and beach volleyball (M).

In the victory party held Jan. 17 at the MMSU Covered Court, President Miriam Pascua congratulated the various winning teams for upholding MMSU’s reputation of excellence in sports and in the arts. She commended the good work of PESSDO, particularly Director Arsenio T. Gallego, whom she referred to as “leader par excellance.” Moreover, the president admonished everyone not to become complacent and to remain humble in the face of success.

MMSU will host next year’s SCUAA-I Meet and PASUC-I Cultural Olympics. Region I will also host the next National PASUC Cultural Olympics.