CAMILLE MANALO made the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) proud with her golden performance in women’s taekwondo of the 26th Southeast Asian Games Indonesia is hosting in Jakarta.

Manalo was the UAAP’s Athlete of the Year in Season 73 (2010-2011) while playing out her last season with University of Santo Tomas . On Saturday, she beat to a pulp Vietnam’s Thanh Thao Nguyen, 8-3, in the final of the under 62 kgs division to account for one of three gold medals won by the Philippines at the start of hostilities in the Sea Games.

The UAAP has 19 current athlete-students who are campaigning in Indonesia—seven in basketball, six in taekwondo, four in badminton and one each in judo and swimming.

Season 74 men’s basketball Most Valuable Player Bobby Ray Parks Jr. of National University and Rookie of the Year Kiefer Ravena of Ateneo are on Norman Black’s men’s basketball team that is out to defend the crown.

Also on the men’s basketball team are Greg Slaughter, Nico Salva and Emman Monfort of Ateneo and RR Garcia, the Season 73 MVP, of Far Eastern University. Marilourd Socorro Borja of FEU is on the women’s basketball team.

In taekwondo, the UAAP athletes include Marlon Avenido and Jose Anthony Soriano in the men’s and Jyra Marie Lizardo and Leigh Ann Nuguid of De La Salle, Karla Jane Alava of FEU and Francesca Camille Alarilla of Ateneo in the women’s.

Ateneo has three athletes in badminton—Antonio Benjamin Gadi in the men’s and Gelita Castilo and Dia Nicole Magno in the women’s—while De La Salle has one in the men’s contest in Ronel Estanislao.

UST’s Annie Ramirez is also competing in women’s judo, while De La Salle’s Johansen Benedict Aguilar is vying in men’s swimming.