3 named UAAP top athletes as 74th season ends

Benedict Aguilar, Rizza Bernardino and Joaquin Mendoza were named the Athletes of the Year of the 74th UAAP, which closed its season Saturday at the PICC Forum in Pasay City. La Salle swimmer Aguilar, Bernardino of softball titlists Adamson and UST high school taekwondo jin Mendoza were honored alongside the Growling Tigers, who bagged both the seniors and juniors overall championship for the sixth straight year. "Very unbelievable, it's hard to believe. Out of all athletes, to be chosen as the year's best, it's a different feeling," said Aguilar.   Aguilar, who won seven gold medals in the swimming competitions, also led seven other Athlete Scholars in different sports. Ma. Theresa Piza (Adamson, women's volleyball), Antoinette Altomonte (Ateneo, softball), Marilourd Socorro Borja (FEU, women's basketball), Bobby Ray Parks Jr. (NU, men's basketball), Angelo Miguel Carandag (UST, men's swimming), Kimverly Gatpolintan (UE, women's badminton) and Marion Louise de Luna (UP, softball) were the other scholar athletes this season. Aguilar, a consistent Dean's Lister, shattered the Philippine men's 50-meter backstroke record (27.52 seconds) and set two UAAP records in the 100- and 200-m backstroke in last September's swimming tournament.   He again broke that record with a 27.29-second swim in the 26th Southeast Asian Games last November.   Enchong Dee, another La Salle swimmer, was the last athlete to win seven gold medals in the 2009 UAAP season. Bernardino, the softball season MVP from Sta. Cruz, Laguna, scooped four individual awards in Season 74—Best Hitter, Slugger and Pitcher and Most RBI.   The Sports Wellness Management major was the National Open's Best Hitter and was a member of the PHL Blu Girls that competed in the World Cup of Softball and Garuda Cup. Mendoza, a high school sophomore and last season's Rookie of the Year, clinched the season MVP after winning the gold in the boys' lightweight division. — JVP, GMA News