UP Fighting Maroons

The Fighting Maroons is the name of the collegiate men's varsity teams of the University of the Philippines Diliman. The collegiate women's varsity teams are called the Lady Maroons. They compete in all of the sports of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). The University of the Philippines Integrated School is the affiliate juniors school. They play as the Junior Maroons, formerly the Preps.

History

UAAP Founding Member
UP is one of the founding members (1938) of the UAAP. It was also a founding member and the originator of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the year 1924.

UP was a perennial contender for the over-all championship in the NCAA. While in the UAAP, The team last won the UAAP Seniors Overall Championship in the 1997-1998 season, two years before the University last hosted the competitions prior to its centennial.

Name
The word Maroon comes from the Spanish word cimarron which means wild, untamed. The word was used to refer to African slaves who escaped into the hills from the Spaniards when the British invaded Jamaica in 1655. By 1660, the British have wrested control of most of the island from the Spaniards but they continued to fight the Maroons. Though the Maroons were few in number, not more than 2,000 strong, they fought as if they were a large force. This fighting between the British and the Maroons ended when they signed a peace treaty in 1738. (taken from The History of Jamaica) The use of the term embodies the spirit of students of the University to "escape" from the status quo, by trying to bring it to a state of betterment. The adjective "fighting" was added for the athletic team to intensify the eagerness to combat any obstacles to win for the honor of the University. Former names include the Maroons and Greens and the Parrots.

Teams

Championships

The following table shows the number of championships in the UAAP, unless otherwise specified. It can be noted that UP has titles in all the sports in the UAAP program (except the newly-installed beach volleyball, so far) and the University boasts of successful swimming and athletics programs, with 30 and 20 titles apiece in the league (33 for swimming if one includes NCAA). UP also holds the most number of titles in judo (16) and badminton (11) in the UAAP.

Note: Most number of championships in each division is in italics.
* includes both UAAP & NCAA titles
** does not include NCAA titles

Streaks

Double Crowns

A double crown usually refers to winning both the Men's and Women's (Seniors), or Boys' and Girls' (Juniors) championship in the same sport at a single UAAP season.

• Seniors:
  • Swimming: 8 (consecutive: 1939-40 and 1940–41 and 1997–98, 1998–99, and 1999–2000; and 1947–48, 1993–94, and 2010–2011)
  • Badminton: 4 (consecutive: 1997-98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01)
  • Athletics: 3 (consecutive: 1972-73, 1973–74; and 1977–78)
  • Volleyball: 2 (consecutive: 1978-79, 1979–80)
  • Judo: 2 (1995–96, 2007–08)
  • Football: 1 (1978–79)
• Juniors:
  • Volleyball: 3 (consecutive: 1983-84, 1984–85, 1985–86)

The following are "double crowns" of different nature:

• Men's & Girls'
  • Volleyball: 3 (1991–92, 1994–95, 1999–2000)
  • Swimming: 2 (2006–07, 2007–08)
• Men's & Boys'
  • Basketball: 2 (consecutive: 1925-26, 1926–27) (NCAA)

Rankings History

The following tables show the rankings history of the teams in the UAAP.

Seniors Division championships

Juniors Division Championships

Basketball

UAAP Season 74

The Fighting Maroons Basketball Team Roster

Team Depth Chart

Coaching Staff

• Head Coach: Frederick "Ricky" Dandan
• Assistant Coaches:
  • Joey Mendoza
  • Jojo Villa
  • Duane Salvatera
  • Mark Dandan

• Athletic Trainers:
  • Ronnie Dizer
  • Julio Veloso

Team Managers:

• Ponciano Rivera
• Bert Mendoza

Notable Players

• Joe Lipa, former coach, UP Fighting Maroons and Ateneo Blue Eagles
• Fort Acuña, 1968 UAAP MVP and PBA player and coach
• Benjie Paras, only Rookie MVP of the Philippine Basketball Association
• Eric Altamirano, former PBA coach; currently coach of the National U Bulldogs in the UAAP
• Ronnie Magsanoc
• Ryan Gregorio, former head coach, current head coach of Meralco Bolts
• Bo Perasol, current head coach of Powerade Tigers
• Paolo Mendoza, scored 69 points while playing for the Junior Maroons.
• Marvin Cruz, currently playing pro basketball in the PBA
• Jay-R Reyes, currently playing pro basketball in the PBA
• Nestor David
• Yeng Guiao, PBA coach
• Magi King Sison, Smart Gilas Pilipinas member
• Joey Guanio, PBA Coach
• Abby Santos, PBA
• Chito Calvo, former head coach of the DLSU Green Archers
• Bruce Quebral
• Bryan Gahol, played for the Alaska Aces in the PBA
• Robson Bornancin
• Toti Almeda
• Paul Sorongon
• Jireh Ibanes
• Andrew Marfori
• Veejay Serios

See also

• University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)
• UAAP Cheerdance Competition

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} UAAP 59 Web Archive Retrieved 15 October 2007

External links

• UP Fighting Maroons Basketball News and Updates
• UP Fighting Maroons Web Site
• UP Fighting Maroons Unofficial Site
• UP Fighting Maroons at UAAP Season 73