The College of Saint Benilde Blazers are the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
senior varsity team of
De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde
De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (Filipino: ''Dalubhasaan ng De La Salle San Benildo;'' French:'' Collège De La Salle de Sainte Benilde''), also known as Benilde and abbreviated DLS–CSB or simply CSB, is a private, Catholic research c ...
.
The Blazers were formerly a member
National Capital Region Athletic Association
The National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA) is an athletic association in Metro Manila (National Capital Region), Philippines established in 1993. It is primarily held during the second semester of a school around November until Febru ...
(NCRAA) before they applied and were admitted to the NCAA in 1998. They then went on to win their first NCAA seniors basketball title in 2000 was the fastest for an expansion squad.
The other senior varsity teams may also be referred to as the Blazers. The juniors team are the CSB–LSGH Junior Blazers (officially the
CSB–LSGH Greenies) of
La Salle Green Hills
La Salle Green Hills ("LSGH") is a private Catholic school run by the Philippine District of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. It was established in 1959 by the D ...
, while the women's teams (
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
and
taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...
) are the St. Benilde Lady Blazers.
Almost all sports program of the Blazers excel in their events, leading to the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde winning its first General Championship honors in
NCAA Season 81
NCAA Season 81 was the 2005–06 season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines). Colegio de San Juan de Letran was the season's host.
To usher in the new season, Letran and the other NCAA member schools performed the openi ...
, and again in
NCAA Season 83 NCAA Season 83 is the 2007–08 Season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines).
José Rizal University is the host of the 2007–2008 season, with this year's theme " Soaring High and Free at 83". NCAA Season 82's commissione ...
,
NCAA Season 84
NCAA Season 84 is the 2008–09 season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines.
Mapua Institute of Technology is the host of the 2008–2009 season, with the year's theme being "To The Fore at 84: Building Bridges Th ...
,
NCAA Season 89
NCAA Season 89 is the 2013–14 season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines). The season, hosted by De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde opened on June 22, 2013 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Basketball
Seniors' tournamen ...
, and NCAA Season 90.
Name
As homage to the school which introduced several pioneering courses in the country, the college adopted the ''BLAZERS'' as their moniker. It is a short term for ''Trail Blazers'', which emphasizes the college's commitment to set a standard for innovative quality education as well as sports development.
With the La Salle Green Hills Greenies
When
De La Salle University
De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...
selected
De La Salle Santiago Zobel School
The De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, also referred to by its acronym DLSZ or De La Salle Zobel (Filipino: Paaralang De La Salle Santiago Zobel), is a private Catholic basic education institution for boys and girls run by the Philippine District ...
as its junior affiliate team when it entered the
UAAP in 1986,
La Salle Green Hills
La Salle Green Hills ("LSGH") is a private Catholic school run by the Philippine District of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. It was established in 1959 by the D ...
was left without membership in either the UAAP or the NCAA, thus starting a 17-year drought in a major collegiate league since its formal withdrawal from the NCAA in 1981.
De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, a member school of the
De La Salle University System
De La Salle Philippines (DLSP) (''incorporated as De La Salle Philippines, Inc''), established in 2006, is a network of Lasallian educational institutions within the Lasallian East Asia District established to facilitate collaboration in the La ...
, applied for admission to the NCAA through the efforts of the System President
Br. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, the Greenies were selected as the junior team by then LSGH President Br. Bernard Oca FSC. Both De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and La Salle Green Hills were admitted to the NCAA in 1998.
The
La Salle Greenies
The La Salle Greenies (officially the CSB–LSGH Greenies in the NCAA, although sometimes incorrectly called the La Salle Green Hills Junior Blazers, or the La Salle Green Hills Junior Archers) is the varsity team representing La Salle Green Hil ...
(officially the CSB–LSGH Junior Blazers in the NCAA) is the junior affiliate team of the St. Benilde Blazers. Since DLS–CSB is not directly connected with its high school affiliate, except that they are both administered by the Lasallian Christian Brothers, LSGH labels "St. Benilde" instead of "La Salle" on their jerseys.
The Blazers' senior varsity uniforms added the initials 'LSGH' in their uniforms, starting with Season 89, and during games, the CSB Green Pepper Squad began to distribute clappers with 'La Salle' written on them. These were done to further connect both schools and their Lasallian roots.
In addition, beginning with Season 86, the Blazers replaced black with green as their primary uniform color, in time for the centennial anniversary of
Lasallian education in the Philippines. Black remains an accent color.
With De La Salle Zobel in WNCAA
In contrast to their men's junior counterparts, DLSZ represents
College of St. Benilde in the WNCAA since the NCAA didn't have women's basketball in their scheme.
The De La Salle Lady Junior Archers have been the WNCAA Junior Division Champions for eight straight years, from 1993 to 2000 and again in 2004.
Saint Benilde - San Sebastian Rivalry
This short-lived rivalry sparked when DLS-CSB, who joined only in 1998, met
San Sebastian College–Recoletos (or simply Baste) in the finals of 2000, and 2002. CSB won in the Finals of 2000, bannered by what is dubbed as the best CSB Blazers team ever assembled. With former NCAA MVP
Sunday Salvacion
Sunday Salvacion (born December 17, 1978) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He played the small forward and shooting guard positions. Salvacion played college basketball for the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) ...
,
Jondan Salvador
Jondan Y. Salvador (born October 12, 1980) is a Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Marikina Shoemasters of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He was drafted by the Purefoods Chunkee Giants in the 2005 ...
, and Al Magpayo, the Blazers beat the formidable
San Sebastian Stags
The San Sebastian Golden Stags (also known as SSC-R Stags) are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) basketball team of the San Sebastian College – Recoletos.
Their 5 consecutive NCAA seniors basketball championships was th ...
and won their first NCAA seniors basketball championship title, despite joining the league a season earlier. This marks the fastest win for any new school in the league since WWII.
However, the Stags avenged their defeat and defeated the Blazers in the Finals of 2002. The Golden Stags, led by graduating players Christian Coronel, Nurjanjam Alfad, Paul Reguerra, Roy Falcasantos, and Bernardo Mercado, swept the Blazers, 2–0. Mercado later joined the SSC-R's coaching staff as an assistant coach.
Leomar Najorda
Leomar S. Najorda (born February 16, 1982, in Bangui, Ilocos Norte) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Koponang Lakan ng Bulacan in the Pilipinas Super League. He was drafted ninth overall by the Red Bull Barako in the 2005 PBA ...
was adjudged as the 2002 NCAA Finals MVP.
NCAA General Champions
As of 2015, the CSB Blazers earned five General Championships, winning three of these in a span of four years, being runners-up to
PCU in the 2006–07 season. They won double championships with
LSGH in
NCAA Season 83 NCAA Season 83 is the 2007–08 Season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines).
José Rizal University is the host of the 2007–2008 season, with this year's theme " Soaring High and Free at 83". NCAA Season 82's commissione ...
(2007–08 season) and
NCAA Season 84
NCAA Season 84 is the 2008–09 season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines.
Mapua Institute of Technology is the host of the 2008–2009 season, with the year's theme being "To The Fore at 84: Building Bridges Th ...
(2008–09 season). The Blazers won more Seniors General Championship in
NCAA Season 89
NCAA Season 89 is the 2013–14 season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines). The season, hosted by De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde opened on June 22, 2013 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Basketball
Seniors' tournamen ...
(2013–14 season) and NCAA Season 90 (2014-15 season).
Their junior counterparts, LSGH, won two General Championships as
De La Salle College and the other eight General Championship as LSGH. As the DLS–CSB juniors team, LSGH won four General Championships.
NCAA Season 82 Hosting
De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde served hosting rights for the first time in 2006–2007 season of the NCAA, with the theme "Proud and True at 82: Blazing Beyond Limits." Under the leadership of the Sports and Development Office (SDO), the Benildean community flocked to fill the Araneta Coliseum at opening day. The number of Benildeans in the arena was only rivaled by that of the NCAA 2000 finals, as the Dome was rocked by chants of "Animo Benilde!".
The College again hosted the NCAA after one rotation, in Season 89 (2013).
Blazie, the official mascot of the 82nd NCAA season, was created by DLS-CSB Multimedia Arts Student and Marketing Communications Office (MCO) student staff Charmaine Collen Hao.
CSB pep squad and NCAA cheerleading competition
The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde's pep squad has been officially known as the CSB Green Peppers (from 2005) and then later on as the CSB Pep Squad (since 2007).
Since the inception of the event, the CSB Pep Squad has always placed last (7th) from 2004 and 2005, were suspended by the school in 2006, 6th in 2007, and then placed their highest rank ever as second runner-up in 2008.
Select members of the CSB pep squad, along with the
DLSU
De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private, Catholic coeducational research university run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Chri ...
,
LSGH and
DLSZ
The De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, also referred to by its acronym DLSZ or De La Salle Zobel (Filipino: Paaralang De La Salle Santiago Zobel), is a private Catholic basic education institution for boys and girls run by the Philippine District ...
pep squads, performed together at halftime of
Game 1 of the La Salle-Ateneo UAAP Finals on September 18, 2008, in commemoration of Saint Benilde's 20th anniversary, De La Salle Zobel's 30th anniversary, and the incoming 100th anniversary of the De La Salle schools in the Philippines in 2011.
Basketball
Notable players
*
Sunday Salvacion
Sunday Salvacion (born December 17, 1978) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He played the small forward and shooting guard positions. Salvacion played college basketball for the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) ...
- 1999 NCAA Rookie of the Year, 2002 NCAA Mythical Five Selection and Most Valuable Player
* Alejandro Magpayo - 2000 NCAA Rookie of the Year, 2003 NCAA Mythical Five Selection and Defensive Player of the Year
* Mark Magsumbol - 2000 NCAA Finals Most Valuable Player
*
Jondan Salvador
Jondan Y. Salvador (born October 12, 1980) is a Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Marikina Shoemasters of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He was drafted by the Purefoods Chunkee Giants in the 2005 ...
- 2001 NCAA Mythical Five Selection
* Ernie Jay Sagad - 2004 NCAA Mythical Five Selection, 2005 NCAA Most Valuable Player
* Lou Gatumbato - Played with
Air21 Express
The Air21 Express were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) that debuted in the 2011–12 season. The team debuted as the Shopinas.com Clickers during the 2011–12 PBA Philippine Cup. In 2014, the fra ...
and
Barako Bull Energy
The Barako Bull Energy were a Philippine Basketball Association team that began in 2002 as the FedEx Express.
From its first season until 2005, the team was dubbed as the FedEx Express before changing to Air21 Express. From the 2009 PBA Fies ...
* Ron Capati - Played with
Coca-Cola Tigers
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
and
Saigon Heat
The Saigon Heat is a Vietnamese professional basketball team based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since the 2014 season, the Heat's home games are played at the CIS Arena on the campus of the Canadian International School in District 7. Saigo ...
* Estilitus Mendoza - 2000 NCAA Champion
*
Carlo Lastimosa
Carlo Dan Lastimosa (born September 3, 1990) is a Filipino professional basketball player for Pasig City MCW Sports of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He was drafted 20th overall by the Barako Bull in the 2013 PBA draft.
Early ...
- current
NLEX Road Warriors
The NLEX Road Warriors is a professional basketball team owned by NLEX Corporation, a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, currently playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) since the 2014–2015 season.
The Roa ...
player.
*
David Licauco
David Alexander Sy Licauco (born June 15, 1994), more popularly known as David Licauco (), is a Filipino actor and model. He is known for portraying Malik for GMA television drama ''Mulawin vs. Ravena'' (2017) and Fidel de los Reyes y Maglipol ...
- Kapuso teen actor
Coaches
* Adriano "Bong" Go (1998–2000)
*
Dong Vergeire (2000–03)
* Tonichi Yturri (2003–05)
*
Caloy Garcia
Carlos Jose "Caloy" Garcia is a Filipino professional basketball coach and former TV host. He is currently serving as team consultant for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Early life
Caloy Garcia was born ...
(2005–07)
*
Gee Abanilla
Gelacio "Gee" Abanilla is a Filipino basketball player, coach, and executive who currently serving as the Team Manager for the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Playing career
He played for the DLSU Green Archer ...
(2008–09, on leave for the 2009 season and former head coach of the
De La Salle Green Archers
The De La Salle Green Archers (also known simply as the Green Archers) are the men's varsity teams representing De La Salle University in the Philippines. The women's varsity teams are generally referred to as the De La Salle Lady Archers. The s ...
during the
2012–13 season)
*
Richard del Rosario
Richard del Rosario (born August 25, 1970) is a Filipino former basketball player who is currently serving as an assistant coach for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel of the PBA. He was drafted in 2nd round by Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs, traded t ...
(2009–2013)
* Gabby Velasco (2013–2016)
*
TY Tang (2017–2021, former PBA player and member of the
De La Salle Green Archers
The De La Salle Green Archers (also known simply as the Green Archers) are the men's varsity teams representing De La Salle University in the Philippines. The women's varsity teams are generally referred to as the De La Salle Lady Archers. The s ...
team that won the championship in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
)
* Charles Tiu (2021–present)
WNCAA Senior Division Women's Basketball
The 1997 line-up of the Lady Blazers basketball team holds the honor of giving College of Saint Benilde its very first championship in women's basketball by beating rival Lyceum College on October 12, 1997. The following year, they were crowned WNCAA's back-to-back champions.
*
Notable players
* Jean Cruz- 2016 Women's PBA 3x3, Played with Blackwater
Coaches
*Antonio "Tatang" Mendoza (1994–1996)
*Cholo Martin (1996-1997)
*Angelina "Piao" Fedilliaga (1998–2009)
Volleyball
On January 28, 2016, the CSB Lady Blazers women's volleyball team claimed their first NCAA women's volleyball championship since they joined the league in 1998 after beating the thrice-to-beat
San Sebastian Lady Stags
The San Sebastian Golden Stags (also known as SSC-R Stags) are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) basketball team of the San Sebastian College – Recoletos.
Their 5 consecutive NCAA seniors basketball championships was th ...
in 4th sets on the do-or-die Game 4 of the Season 91 finals series.
Women's volleyball roster
; NCAA Season 98
Coaching staff
* Head coach: Rogelio Getigan
* Assistant coach:
; NCAA Season 95
Coaching staff
* Head coach: Jerry Yee
* Assistant coach:Jose Roque
* Former head coach: Michael "Macky" Cariño
* Former head coach:Jerry Yee
Men's volleyball roster
; NCAA Season 93
* Head Coach: Arnold Laniog
Junior's volleyball roster
; NCAA Season 91
Beach volleyball
; NCAA Season 93
Men's
* Jan Arianne Daguil
* Melanie G. Torres
* Maritess C. Pablo
Men's
* Issah O'Neal S. Arda
* Ruvince O. Abrot
* Owen O. Bacani
Juniors
* Raymund Marc Cadevida
* Carlos Xavier Delos Reyes
* Vittorio Panaguiton, Jr.
References
{{Premier Volleyball League
National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) teams
Former Philippine Basketball League teams
College sports teams in Metro Manila
Spikers' Turf
De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde