Holds 'Back 2 the Bonfire' party

MANILA – Aside from the double championship victory of the Ateneo Blue Eagles and Eaglets, the Ateneo de Manila University takes pride in its other sports teams that brought home the bacon this year.

Ateneo held the “Back 2 the Bonfire” to celebrate its multiple athletic championships last Saturday at the Loyola Height Campus in Quezon City.

Students, teachers, alumni and fans of Ateneo’s sports teams trooped to the Ateneo Grade School Complex to join the celebration.

An anticipated mass was held at the Irwin Theater before the Bonfire.

It was not all celebration, however, as the school set up an Ateneo Task Force Ondoy booth which welcomed check and cash donations.

Ateneo is celebrating its sesquicentennial or 150th year anniversary this year.

Multiple crowns

For this year, Ateneo has six championships to date, including the Blue Eagles’ University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men's basketball back-to-back crowns.

The Eaglets, meantime, are the UAAP back-to-back champions in the juniors division.

The Ateneo Men’s Judokas are also back-to-back champions while the Ateneo Juniors’ Judokas are 4-peat champions.

Meantime, the Ateneo High School Swimming Team achieved a 5-peat championship.

The Ateneo Grade School Small Basketeers, on the other hand, are the 3-peat Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) NCR champions.

In addition, the Ateneo Men's Golf Team won the Samsung Inter-Collegiate.

No rest for Eagles

The Eagles will reportedly go to Boracay and could even take an Asian Cruise, The Philippine Star reported.

They clinched their back-to-back titles after beating the University of the East Red Warriors, 71-58, last Thursday in Game 3.

The men’s basketball champions, however, will have to shape up soon for the Uni Games slated on Oct. 23.

Coach Norman Black told the Star’s Joey Villar that they will begin practice on Oct. 19. – With a report from Joey Villar, The Philippine Star

Photos by Christian Almendarez