NU Pep Squad wins the #UAAPCDC2013

(UPDATED) The National University Pep Squad promised to put on a show and that’s exactly what they did Sunday afternoon.

Displaying a flawless, Arabic-inspired performance, the NU Pep Squad reigned supreme in the 2013 UAAP Cheerdance Competition before an electrifying crowd at the jampacked Mall of Asia Arena.

The NU Pep squad emerged as the runaway winner with 696.5 points, in the process bagging the top purse of P340,000 and eclipsing its third placed finish last year.

More importantly, the NU Pep Squad also ended the three-year reign of the multi-titled University of the Philippines Pep Squad, which settled for first-runner up honors with 620.5 points and went home with P200,000.

Completing the podium finishers was the army-inspired La Salle Animo Squad, which garnered 596.5 points and pocketed P140,000.

“Nag-trust lang kami kay God. Nagtiwala rin kami sa sarili at kumapit kay God,” said team captain Adrian Alban.

Their preparation and hard work for the last five months, indeed, paid off for the NU Pep Squad.

“’Yung mga bata sobrang united ngayon. ‘Yun siguro ang sikreto ng team. Hindi sila nag-gi-give-up kung ano man yung pinagagawa namin,” pointed out NU Pep Squad head coach Jhereeka Mae Bernabe.

The NU Pep Squad also seized the throne in the group stunts competition, with the FEU Cheering Squad and the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe finishing first- and second-runners up, respectively.

Meanwhile, La Salle’s Anna de Leon was named as the Samsung Stunner of the Year.

Now on its 19th edition, the annual cheerdance competition drew 20,830 fans–a record crowd at the Pasay City-based venue. (Chris Lagunzad)

The slideshow of the 2013 CDC:

5:49 PM - Complete scores: 1. NU 696.5, 2. UP 620.5, 3. DLSU 596.5, 4. FEU 589.5, 5. Adamson 559.5, 6. UE 559, 7. UST 546, 8. Ateneo 514.

5:19 PM - And the winner of the 2013 UAAP Cheerdance Competition and P340,000 with a total score of 696.5 points is the NU Pep Squad! Congratulations NU! First-ever CDC championship!

5:14 PM - The first runner-up and winner of P200,000 with a total score of 620.5 points is the UP Pep Squad! We will have a new champion!

5:11 PM - The second runner-up and winner of P140,000 with 596.5 points is the DLSU Animo Squad!

5:00 PM - And the 2013 winner of the group stunts is NU! Winners of the CDC will be announced next.

4:59 PM - Second place in group stunts goes to FEU.

4:58 PM - Third place in group stunts goes to UST.

4:54 PM - Winners of group stunts competition about to be announced after they introduce the judges.

4:53 PM - Last year, the rankings were UP, FEU, NU and UST.

4:48 PM - Anna De Leon of DLSU is this year's Samsung Stunner.

4:47 PM - Aya Casim of UP, Micah Javier of NU and Anna De Leon of DLSU are the nominees.

4:46 PM - The Samsung Stunner is about to be announced.

4:29 PM - The group stunts are done. Here are some clips:

4:15 PM - Group stunts now happening. FEU is performing. This is a separate competition.

4:07 PM - All eight schools are done! On social media, many are giving it to NU, but some think UP's performance was more difficult.

4:00 PM - Adamson Pep Squad now performing.

3:53 PM - Ateneo BBB done. The Adamson Pep Squad closes out the competition.

3:45 PM - Announced crowd is 20,830. Next is the Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion.

3:38 PM - Two more major falls by UST.

3:35 PM - Two falls already for UST.

3:30 PM - Up next: the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe

3:28 PM - NU just finished. A rather clean performance. They have a shot at winning it.

3:18 PM - Here comes the NU Pep Squad.

3:07 PM - The DLSU Animo Squad now performing.

3:01 PM - Up next: the DLSU Animo Squad

2:53 PM - The UE Pep Squad now performing

2:47 PM - UP Pep Squad done. One fall during the middle of the routine.

 2:35 PM - Next up is the UP Pep Squad

2:27 PM - Here comes FEU!

2:25 PM - FEU Cheering Squad will perform in a bit.

2:17 PM - hosts announce the prizes: P140,000 for 2nd runner-up. P200,000 for 1st runner-up, and P340,000 for the champion.

2:12 PM  - Alex Gonzaga shows up. She is Boom's co-host this year.

2:09 PM - We're about to start. Mall of Asia Arena still isn't full but crowd slowly trickling in. Boom Gonzalez working the crowd.

2:02 PM - Courtside reporters take turns working their respective crowds.

The order of performance is:

1. FEU

2. UP

3. UE

4. DLSU

5. NU

6. UST

7. Adamson

8. Ateneo