“One for the Ages”: MGCNL’s Astounding Performance in the 11th PCYAA Season

The student-athletes of MGC New Life Christian Academy made historic victories with a total haul of 13 podium finishes in the 11th season of the Philippine Ching Yuen Athletic Association (PCYAA) hosted by St. Stephen’s High School.

The New Lifers brought home ten champion titles, two second-place titles, and one third-place title. Never before has a single school prevailed in every sport, exhibiting MGCNL’s indisputable athletic prowess. 

The boys in green and white ended the seven-year championship drought for the juniors basketball division in a miraculous best-of-three finals series against St. Stephen’s High School (SSHS) with an overtime victory, 75-68. 

The basketball aspirants division also continued to honor their late teammate Gab Gamboa as they clutched their own championship title – the first PCYAA title of this division since the 2016-2017 season. The 14U basketball players seized the win in all of their games, making MGCNL the first school to achieve a perfect run in league history. 

When asked about his thoughts on MGCNL’s PCYAA performance, basketball team captain Karl Yue stated, “Bringing home the championship for MGC[NL] was very fulfilling because we’ve worked really hard and sacrificed a lot of our time to be able to achieve this goal of ours.”

School Administrator Joanna Uy also marvels over the players’ growth from “kids shooting hoops to champions.” She added, “The championship win brought tears to many eyes, as it was a testament to the power of hard work and God's grace. I praise God for allowing me to witness such a beautiful journey.” 

The Lady New Lifers secured perfect win streaks in both the volleyball juniors and aspirants divisions, marking the first time a school remained undefeated in all nine matches. The juniors made an extraordinary four-peat win at their home court as they bested Jubilee Christian Academy (JCA) in a best-of-five match, 25-21, 27-25, 25-14. 

Graduating team captain Angeline Tan is elated that she got to end her volleyball career with the championship title. She described the closeness of the team’s bond and shared, “It definitely feels so good to end my volleyball journey continuing the champion title given all the hard work and dedication we put into it.” 

The members of the MGCNL badminton varsity also bagged wins in their respective divisions as they claimed champion titles in both the girls’ and boys’ aspirants division and the girls’ juniors division. The juniors boys’ division acquired a second-place title after falling to JCA in the finals match. 

With the badminton team’s consistent success in the PCYAA seasons throughout the years, team captain Brianna See said, “Bringing the title back home is a full-circle moment for me since it is now a promise kept from back when the previous seniors graduated. Keeping our winning streak was one of our goals before the games—and the streak was kept indeed.”

The chess team also emerged as overall champions for both the juniors and aspirants divisions as they competed at the SSHS campus. “I guess it makes me feel that training with them all the time was really fun and worth it,” answered team captain Kyle Chua when asked about the team’s success.

The table tennis varsity was also triumphant as the aspirants girls nabbed the championship while the juniors boys seized a second-place win. Meanwhile, the juniors girls and aspirants boys both came out in 4th place.

“While the table tennis team has more places to improve in to get better placings, MGCNL's performance overall this year can be summarized in two words, absolute domination,” shared table tennis team captain Caden Ching. The Olive ABM student then added that this season truly awakened the school pride that had been dormant in previous years.

The MGCNL swimmers also made their community proud when they rose to third place overall and earned 23 golds and 14 silver and bronze medals. Swim captain Aidan Kho mentions that the team “did well, but still needs to keep training hard.”  

The entire school community proudly brandished the school’s logo and green and white colors from the bleachers during every match. From sold-out stadiums to live-streamed games, parents, students, teachers, and even alumni came out to show their support for their fellow New Lifers. 

As succinctly said by Sports Varsity Coordinator Worship Acosta, “The sacrifices of the coaches, players, and parents are really worth it with the said achievements. The support of the school leadership and the whole community really bore fruit.” 

Acosta further congratulated the student-athletes of MGCNL, along with Student Affairs and Welfare Coordinator Rhenee Sy, who has gained a newfound, deeper appreciation for their dedication and passion due to her involvement in the season’s organization. 

 “The climbing was not easy but you made it. And the peak is awesome, right?” MGCNL School Director Helen Villanueva addressed the New Lifers who competed in the league. School Principal Evangeline Co was also excited over the school’s unity and dedication to sports as the students embody the school’s mantra. “This victory is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together, strive for character and excellence, and hold steadfast to our faith,” she added.

To celebrate the phenomenal performance of the MGCNL student-athletes, the school administration declared a “Victory Day” on March 27 and awarded the school community with an extra day of rest.