UP Diliman rules inter-collegiate frisbee challenge

University of the Philippines-Diliman defeated Ateneo to emerge as the first ultimate champions of the inaugural Inter-College Frixbee Championship at the muddy UP Sunken Garden Saturday.

UP and Ateneo topped their respective groups on Day 1. The Diliman-based squad defeated La Salle while Ateneo humbled University of Santo Tomas to book a "Battle of Katipunan" in the finals. The Blue Ninjas initially led the game but UP countered with their own offensive plays to finish off Ateneo, 15-8. "More than winning, (what matters is) the fact that lots of teams joined the tournament," said UP captain Carlos Marin. "For me, I like that other university teams' level (of performance) are high." Ateneo captain Lyra Dietrich said reaching the finals, with a team formed only last month, is already an achievement. "To be able to get silver and get as many points as we could against UP was great." Meanwhile, UST won third place after a 7-5 decision against La Salle. "We came in the tournament with no expectations," said UST team captain Jeff Loveranes, who admitted that they hope to win the title "like all competing teams." Non-qualifiers for the championship round from Day 1 were grouped in Pool B for Day 2, where College of Saint Benilde emerged as the top team. Eleven teams joined the two-Saturday tournament organized by the UP Diliman Ultimate Organization. De La Salle University-Canlubang, Far Eastern University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Makati and University of the Philippines-Los Baños were the other competing teams. Ultimate, also known as ultimate frisbee, is a non-contact seven-a-side disc sport. A goal is scored when a player makes a successful catch at the endzone. The sport is also known for being a self-officiated game: players referee themselves in the name of sportsmanship and fair play. - JVP, GMA News