The UST Growling Tigers, Tigresses, Tiger Cubs and Tigress Cubs are the collegiate men's and women's, and high school men's and women's, respectively, varsity teams of University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. They hold the most UAAP Overall Championships with 47 Seniors' Overall Championships (out of 76 seasons) and 23 Juniors' Overall Championships (out of 28 seasons).[2]
Gold and white: UST's school colors.The Bengal tiger's gold, white and black stripes closely resemble UST's school colors. The Growling Tiger has been the school's official mascot since 1992.
The gold and white colors of the flag of Vatican City were adopted by the University of Santo Tomas for their school colors because of its Pontifical status.[3]
They were known as the Glowing Goldies until a name change in 1992. UST Rector Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, who was appointed in 1991 recalled in a speech to the school's administrators and faculty members during his 2007 Rector's Report on how UST's present Growling Tigers moniker came to be.
It was during the parade of school mascots in the opening ceremonies of Season 54 (1991–92) when an embarrassing incident occurred. Unlike the other member schools, UST had no mascot to represent their varsity teams and it gave the host school a hard time in coming up with a suitable representation for the Glowing Goldies. A “fat Dominican friar” who was carrying bags of gold had come out with the other mascots and drew a lot of laughter from the crowd in attendance.
Fr. De la Rosa later instructed PE moderator Bro. Rolando Atienza to conduct a naming activity for a new mascot.[4] Mrs. Felicitas Francisco, directress of the PE department, suggested the tiger as the new mascot due to its gold and white colors.[5]
When it was UST's turn to be host in Season 55 (1992–93), the new growling tiger mascot debuted in the opening ceremonies. Since then, Mrs. Francisco always donned her tiger-striped coat when she attends UST playoff games.[5] The High School boys' team followed suit by changing their name from the "Golden Nuggets" to the "Tiger Cubs".
The Manila Central UniversityPurple Owls once used the tiger mascot (with purple and gold colors) when they participated in the UAAP from 1952 until their pullout in 1962.[6]
Varsity team monikers
The names of the University of Santo Tomas collegiate varsity teams that participate in the 15 UAAP sporting events are shown in the table below.
The UST men's and boys' basketball teams were first formed in the year of the NCAA's foundation in 1924. UST won their first and only NCAA men's championship in 1930.
In the UAAP, they have the most combined championships with 40 from the men's, women's and boys' teams. The men's total of 18 titles is tied with the UE Red Warriors' for the second most championships behind FEU's 20.[7]
In 1994, the men's, women's and juniors' teams won the UAAP Season 57 basketball championship in their respective divisions. This was the only time that a triple championship was achieved in the UAAP. UST also won double championships in Seasons 58 and 69 with the Growling Tigers and the Tigresses winning both their division titles in both years.
UST's off-season training includes participation in summer basketball tournaments. The Tiger Cubs regularly join the MILCU Summer Showcase, Smart City HOOPS, Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup juniors tournament and the PCABL Freego Cup. The Tigresses recently played in the Fr. Martin Cup Summer tournament and Breakdown Basketball Invitational tournament, while the Growling Tigers continue to participate in the MILCU Under-25 tournaments, the PBA D-League, Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup, Breakdown Basketball Invitational, Fr. Martin Cup Summer tournament, the Millennium Open Basketball championship, as well as pocket tournaments in the provinces such as the Kim Lope Asis Invitational Basketball Tournament in Bayugan, the Kadayawan Basketball Invitational in Davao City, and the Republica Cup collegiate tournament in Malolos. They have also competed in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League, an annual postseason tournament for schools that topped their respective leagues.
The UST Tigress Cubs girls' basketball team were declared co-champions with Adamson in Season 82's inaugural exhibition tournament after the deciding Game three of their finals series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tigresses finished second in the four-team eliminations with 4 wins and 2 losses behind the Lady Falcons' perfect 6–0 record.[10]
Beginning in Season 82, the 3x3 competition is set to become an official tournament in the UAAP. The sport, with the participation of all eight UAAP schools will begin in March 2020.[14]
The UST Tiger Spikers have 19 UAAP men's volleyball championships, while the Golden Tigresses have 16 women's volleyball crowns and the Junior Tigresses have six girls' volleyball titles. The Tigresses were champions for seven consecutive years from Seasons 47 thru 53,[15] while both the men's and girls' teams achieved a three-peat in Seasons 70, 71 and 72. The Junior Tiger Spikers have one UAAP crown which they won in Season 80.
The Tiger Spikers also participate in the Spikers' Turf, a preseason league where they finished second in the 2018 Collegiate Conference[16] and third on two occasions in 2016 and 2017. The Golden Tigresses have had better success in the women's preseason tournaments, having won the most titles among collegiate teams in the Premier Volleyball League with six, beginning at the inaugural tournament in 2004 when the league was still known as the Shakey's V-League.[17] The Junior Tigresses have won four championships in the Shakey's Girls' Volleyball League.[18]
The men's team were back-to-back UNIGAMESchampions in 2016[19] and 2017, while the Tigresses have a total of six volleyball championships, beginning in 2009 and capped by a three-peat from 2016 until 2018.[20]
The Lady Spikers made history by winning their fourth-straight UAAP beach volleyball championship in Season 82. They hold the most UAAP titles won with seven. They won back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012 and then they went on to achieve a four-peat from 2016 to 2019 with an undefeated 27–0 win–loss record.
The Tiger Sands have a total of five championships, having won back-to-back in Seasons 81 and 82.
The formation of UST's football team dates back to the early days of the NCAA. The Golden Booters have a combined total of 35 NCAA and UAAP championships.[25] They won four straight NCAA titles from 1926 until 1929. The men's team who were sparringly called the Growling Booters and the Tiger Booters achieved a three-peat in the UAAP from 1991 to 1993. They last won the championship in 2006.
The UST Lady Booters won their first UAAP title in 2009, 14 years after women's football became an official sport in the league.[28] They won the championship again in 2011.
The Juniors team that plays in a small pool of four teams (the number of competing schools increased to five with the entry of Nazareth School in Season 80) have yet to get a podium finish since boys' football became a regular sport in UAAP Season 72.
UST's off-season training includes participation in the UNIGAMES, Ang Liga, the PFF Women's League, the Pinas Cup, and the Metro Manila Girls Football Association.
2019 Mayor Braeden John Q. Biron Collegiate Invitational – Champions
Women
2001 Metro Manila Girls Football Association – Champions
2002 Kick Sand Beach Football Open tournament – Champions
2002 Chris Monfort Memorial Cup – 3rd place
2003 1st Brent Invitational Football tournament – Champions
2003 Globe Gentxt Beach Football National finals – Champions
2003 Metro Manila Girls Football Association – 3rd place
2004 Metro Manila Girls Football Association – 3rd place
2004 UNIGAMES – Runners-up
2007 1st PFL–Ang Liga Filipina Football – Runners-up
2009 Rexona Cup – Champions
2009 Metro Manila Girls Football Association – Champions
2009 UNIGAMES – Champions
2011 UNIGAMES – Runners-up
2013 UNIGAMES – Runners-up
2013 Pinay Futbol League – Champions
2014 PFF Open Women's Cup – 3rd place
2017 Philippine Football Federation Women's League – Runners-up
2018 Philippine Football Federation Women's League – Runners-up
2019 Philippine Football Federation Women's League – Runners-up
Notable players
MVP awardees
Season
Year
Men
Women
69
2006
Ricardo Becite
72
2009
Mary Ignacio
74
2011
Marice Magdolot
Rookie of the year awardees
Season
Year
Men
Women
68
2005
Mary Ignacio
69
2006
Mark David Basa
Louella Amamuyo
72
2009
Christian de Juan
Marianne Narciso
73
2010
Pearl Anjanette Aguilar
79
2016
Mary Joy Indac
Judo
The UST Lady Judokas team, headed by Head Coach Gerald Arce is the defending champion of the UAAP Women's Judo competition. The Lady Judokas won five titles in the 6 seasons, having first won in Seasons 73, 74, and 75. After they suffered a 4th-place finish in Season 76, they bounced-back and became the back-to-back champions of the UAAP from Seasons 77 and 78.[29]
The official Pep Squad and Drumline, the UST Yellow Jackets, and the official dance troupe, the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe have won the UAAP Cheerdance Competition a league-leading eight times and holds the record for the longest championship run for five consecutive years (2002 to 2006). Their closest rival is the UP Pep Squad, which has been a consistent runner-up until 2007 when they snatched the title by a very thin margin from the Salinggawi Dance Troupe, which finished second.[30]
