The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Athletics Team secured a bronze medal in the Track and Field Tournament of #NCAASeason99 from June 6 to 8 at the PhilSports Complex Track Oval in Pasig City.
The standout athlete of the Taft squad, Kyle Bontuyan, secured the team’s lone award, a bronze medal. Bontuyan competed fiercely in the finals of the seniors division of the 400 meters dash, clocking in an impressive electronic time of 49.57 seconds. Outperforming competitors from the University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta (UPHSD), Jose Rizal University (JRU), Arellano University (AU), and San Beda University (SBU).
In an exclusive post-tournament interview with The Benildean, Coach Joseph Sy appealed to the Benildean community, stating, “Thank you for the support that we are receiving from you, [but] hopefully we could help our student-athletes. This statement is not only for the athletics team, but for Benilde’s entire sports program.”
“Before the pandemic, athletes were provided with Php 8,000 food allowance, however the school decreased it to Php 4,000 insufficient to support their (athletes) nutritional needs. Sometimes it would even go lower than Php 4,000 because the school factors in holidays,” he explained.
Coach Sy then said, “Hopefully, the alumni or other stakeholders of the Benilde community would help us patch up this problem. We are grateful for the community’s support, faith, and prayer.”
Preparation for NCAA 100
Coach Sy shared the team’s preparation towards the NCAA’s centennial season, which includes recruitment and request for continuous support.
He explained, “We are recruiting new athletes because after the current roster graduates, we will have eight athletes left. [In] athletics, teams are allowed 22 +3 athletes, so we need to [recruit] the remaining 14 athletes to complete our team. We aim to build a competitive and quality team, but other schools offer better privileges.”
“Hopefully, the school will support us, because without good materials, we cannot provide good results. We plan to participate in more tournaments to prepare our athletes better and gain valuable experience,” Coach Sy said.
Benilde concluded their campaign in the track and field tournament with a single bronze medal, placing last in the standings. Meanwhile, the JRU Track and Field team secured their third consecutive championship, placing first in the overall standings.
