Mapúa Cardinals

Mapúa Cardinals

Mapúa University
League	NCAA
Joined	1930
Location	Intramuros, Manila (Srs.) Pandacan, Manila (Jrs.)
Team colors	Red, gold and black
Juniors' team	Malayan Red Robins
Seniors' general championships
NCAA: 5 (1949-50, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1965-66, 1981-82, 1991-92)
Juniors' general championships
NCAA: 8 (1964-65, 1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71, 1972-73, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1994-95)

Mapua Institute of Technology

Logo used from 1989 to 2015.

The Mapúa Cardinals are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) basketball team of the Mapúa Institute of Technology.

The Mapúa Cardinals holds the NCAA record for the most number of General Championships in the seniors division with a total of 20—the last of these championships was won in 1993. At distant second is the Colegio de San Juan de Letran which has 8 seniors titles.

Of the total Seniors GC's won by the Cardinals, 10 were hauled from the 1980s to the mid-1990s in addition to 3 (out of a total 8) in the juniors division over the same period, a testament to the distinguished leadership of the legendary Valerio "Amang" Lopez as Athletic Director.

Name

The Cardinal in the name Mapua Cardinals was adopted from the American baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals of which Don Tomas Mapúa, the founder of the Mapúa Institute of Technology was an avid fan. The Juniors (high school) team adopted the moniker, Red Robins.

Basketball

Notable players

• Tacing Tanquintic - The original and first "King Cardinal" who led the MIT team to its first ever NCAA seniors basketball crown in 1940.
• Carlos Badion - Member of the 1956 and 1960 Olympic teams, MVP of the 1960 Asian Basketball Confederation Championship and Philippine Basketball Hall of Fame awardee.
• Atoy Co (BSChE) - Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)'s 1979 MVP, member of the 1972 Olympic team, the 1973 Asian Basketball Conference champion team, the legendary Crispa Redmanizers, the PBA's Hall of Fame and honored as one of the PBA's 25 All-Time Greatest Players.
• Freddie Hubalde, NCAA 1973 Seniors Basketball MVP, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)'s 1977 MVP, member of the legendary Crispa Redmanizers and one of the PBA's 25 All-Time Greatest Players.
• Joel Banal (BSMIE) - Former basketball coach of the Mapua Cardinals-NCAA champion teams of 1991 and 1992, and Ateneo Blue Eagles-UAAP champion team of 2002.
• Leo Isaac (BSMIE) - NCAA 1981 Seniors Basketball MVP, Former Philippine Basketball Association player; former coach of the Arellano University Chiefs and the Mapua Cardinals senior basketball teams; former coach of the Barako Bull Energy Boosters in the PBA.
• Junel Baculi (BSCE) - Former basketball coach of the Philippine national basketball teams which won the 1996 Champions Cup in Malaysia, the 1997 Champions Cup in Manila and the 2007 Seaba Games
• Bong Ramos, (BSMIE) - Member and top scorer of 1981 NCAA champion Mapua Cardinals. Former coach of the Indonesian national basketball team. Former Head coach of FedEX Express in the PBA. Former Head coach of Mapua Cardinals. Former assistant coach of Barangay Ginebra (PBA), former assistant coach of Talk n' Text Phone Pals (PBA). Head coach of CLS Knights Surabaya Indonesia Basketball League (IBL).
• Jesusito D Legaspi (BSCE) - NCAA 1979 Most Exciting Player Of The Year.
• Alvin Patrimonio (BSCE)- Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)'s four-time MVP winning the award in 1991, 1993,1994 and 1997; member of several Philippine national basketball teams and one of the PBA's 25 All-Time Greatest Players.
• Benny Cheng (1991 NCAA MVP),
• Allwell Oraeme - NCAA MVP (2015, 2016), NCAA Defensive Player Of The Year (2015, 2016), NCAA Rookie Of The Year (2015)
• Other former Mapua Red Robins and/or Cardinals who eventually played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) include: Israel Catacutan, Ricardo dela Peña, "Bong" dela Cruz, Paolo Hubalde, Menardo Jubinal, Rudolph Kutch, Eric Leaño, Eugene Leano, Romulo Mamaril, Jay Mendoza, Kevin Ramas (1990 NCAA MVP), Ricky Relosa, Johnny Revilla, Reuben dela Rosa (1993 NCAA MVP), Omanzie Rodriguez, Victor Sanchez, Jack Santiago, Rudy Soriano, Mark Telan, Japeth Aguilar, Chito Victolero and Marvin Ortiguerra.
• Yousef Taha

Mapua Cardinals NCAA Season 94 Men's Basketball Roster

Mapua Cardinals roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # POB Name DOB (yyyy-mm-dd) Height Year Course High School PG 4 Biteng, Exeqiel A. – 5'9" (1.75m) 3nd – National University PG 5 Isit, Carlos J. – 5'9" (1.75m) 2nd – Vaughan Secondary School F 7 Villaseñor, Ronnel – 6'3" (1.91m) 2nd – Malayan High School of Science G 8 Que, Stephen – 5'9" (1.75m) 2nd – Fremont High School (Sunnyvale, California) PG 11 Nieles, John Paul – 5'7" (1.7m) Rookie – Chiang Kai Shek College F 12 Serrano, Justin Oliver F. – 6'3" (1.91m) 2nd – Malayan High School of Science F 13 Aguirre, Denniel Jay – 6'1" (1.85m) Rookie – Malayan High School of Science F 15 Braña, Mark Jayson C. – 6'3" (1.91m) 4th – RTU F/C 16 Layug, Raphael Joesh P. – 6'4" (1.93m) 4th – University of Baguio G 17 Dela Rosa, Buenaventura – 6'1" (1.85m) Rookie – – C 18 Raflores, Buenaventura Jr. – 6'4" (1.93m) Rookie – Adamson University	Head coach Atoy Co Assistant coach(es) Ed Cordero Randy Alcantara Legend (C) Team captain Injured

Volleyball

Track and field

Another sport where the Mapua Cardinals and Red Robins have demonstrated their dominance in the NCAA is in track and field. Prior to 1953, relay and track and field events were counted separately although Mapuan athletes have already demonstrated a winning tradition. Since 1953 when these events were formalized, MIT has won a total of 25 titles in the seniors division and 6 in the juniors division. Ateneo de Manila follows at a distant second with 17 juniors and 6 seniors titles.

The Mapúa track and field team has produced some notable Philippine sports heroes including:

• Henry Dagmil - Member of the Philippine track and field team; 2005 South East Asian Games Gold Medalist and record holder in the long jump event.
• Florentino Toribio Manuel - Member of the 1950,Mapua Cardinals Track and Field.
• Claro Pellosis - Member of the 1936 Olympic team for track and field.
• Simeon Toribio - Member of the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympic teams; Olympic Bronze Medalist in the high jump event at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics; many-time Asian Games gold medalist and recipient of the 1930 World Helms Trophy for being Asia's greatest athlete. The only Filipino to be awarded such honor.
• Miguel White - Member of the 1936 Olympic team; Olympic Bronze Medalist in the 400m hurdles at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
• Rodelio Santos - Member of MIT track and field 1982-1984. First winner of five gold medals in the NCAA for the MIT Red Robins in long jump, triple jump, 400m hurdles, 4x400 relay, and 4x100 relay under Coach Claro Pellosis
• Ruben Nieva -(BSME) Member of MIT track and field 1979-1983. Gold medal in 4x100 and 4x400 relay,Bronze in 100m and javelin throw and bronze in 4x400 relay as a member of the NCAA selection during the annual NCR competition(1979) coached by Claro Pellosis. Team captain of 1983 NCAA Track and Field Champion.

Several other members of past Philippine national teams are also from MIT.

Other sports

Mapúa University has also shown great performances in other sports.

Swimming

As an example, the Mapúa seniors swimming team, coached for many years by Prof. Edilberto Bonus, has won no less than 40 titles in the seniors division and 22 in the juniors. This clearly dominating record is followed only by that of San Beda College with 21 championships in the juniors division but only 8 titles in the seniors events. MIT's tankers last won the seniors crown in 1997 while the last juniors title was won in 1991.

Prof. Bonus, an outstanding Mapuan, is himself a distinguished swimmer having won the Bronze Medal at the first Asian Games that was held in New Delhi, India in 1951. Until his retirement, he was an admired professor of both Mathematics and Physical Education at the Institute. He also served as President of the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association for several years.

Chess

The MIT chess team has produced the likes of Eugene Torre, Asia's first grandmaster as well as International Master Renato Naranja, both of whom represented the country in the 1972 Chess Olympiad. In addition, International Master Ildefonso Datu and several National Masters including Ernesto Encarnacion Jr. and Julius Joseph De Ramos also honed their skills with the seniors chess team. Mapua has won a total of 11 NCAA Chess titles in the seniors division, the last being in 2002, and 6 NCAA juniors titles although the last one was in 1996.

Tennis

MIT leads the NCAA with 16 seniors and 17 juniors titles followed by San Beda with 11 seniors and 14 juniors championships. Mapua's tennis greats include former Philippine and Southeast Asian number one netter Manuel Tolentino who represented the country in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Mapua last won the seniors title in 1994 and the juniors in 1997.

Football

Behind La Salle and San Beda, Mapúa has the third best winning record in football with 7 juniors titles and 12 seniors titles. The MIT football team has produced several players who have played for the Philippine national football team in international competitions.

Taekwondo

It has been founded in 1986 by former Philippine team member and 14th Southeast Asian Games silver medalist middleweight jin, Joal Pamintuan (BSME). Pamintuan was part of the Philippine contingent in the SEA Games which was composed of other notable jins like: Arnold Baradi, Stephen Fernandez, Monsour Del Rosario, Ernie Roque, Jobet Morales, and Bobby Vargas. Pamintuan is also a member of the elite Philippine Taekwondo Association's Taekwondo Blackbelt Brotherhood (TBB) batch 5. The first batch of jins formed in 1986 the Mapua Taekwondo Association (MITTA) and is recognized by the Philippine Taekwondo Association. MITTA officially represented Mapua in various interschool and national championships starting in 1986 where it saw action competitively for the first time in The 1986 National Taekwonwondo Championships. Its best performance was at the 1989 Interschool Championships where it fielded two teams: Mapua Gold and Mapua Red. Mapua Gold won the bronze medal when it defeated the Gray team of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in the quarterfinals. The founding members of MITTA were: Emman Arquelada (BSCE/BSEnSE), Ray Arquelada (BSAR), Egie Paredes (BSECE), Gilbert Apolonia (BSAR), Jay Pamintuan (BSEE), who was also a member of TBB batch 8, Tang Manwai (BSECE), Gilbert Dy (BSME), Richard Tan (BSCE), among others. It has been disbanded in 1992 when most of its members have already graduated, including Joal Pamintuan. Taekwondo is taught again in the school after it was acquired by The Yuchengco Group and is currently developing players to represent the school. It is being handled by Emmar Progelia, a former member of the Philippine Taekwondo Team and an active member of the Elite Taekwondo BlackBelter Brotherhood (TBB).

Cheering at the NCAA

References