ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY (PIO) — Graduating student-athletes from the different sports programs of the university, carried and lit the torch filled with pride and emotions as their journey is about to conclude this school year of 2025-2026, held during the opening ceremony of the ZPPSU Sports Festival this week.
After four years of thriving and bringing the glory of the university at local, regional, and national levels of sports competitions, now, it’s their time to gain wins for their future.
A fourth-year Bachelor of Physical Education (BPED) student and multi-awarded swimmer, expressed her mixed emotions of fulfillment and sadness about ending her race for the institution.
“I’ve been competing my whole life since I was in elementary. Now, I’m feeling great but, at the same time, sad because it’s my last playing year. I am very grateful to ZPPSU for bringing me here in a Mindanao-wide and national competition,” Ms. Marianne Mae C. Elopre said in a random interview held in Oroquieta City.
To note, Elopre is a gold-medalist, known for her diligence and passion for swimming, and she just recently bagged five gold medals in her last play in the Mindanao Association for State Tertiary and Schools (MASTS) Friendship Games this year.
Meanwhile, the torch-lighting ceremony symbolizes the passing of energy, determination, and sportsmanship from one athlete to another, as well as to inspire all athletes to give their best, compete fairly, and uphold camaraderie throughout the entire duration of the Sports Festival.
ZPPSU Sports Development Officer Dr. Dexter T. Paclibar, showed his appreciation for the leadership of the seniors and commended the bravery of the student-athletes for representing the name of Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University. (JRA/ABC/Photos: JBM/Public Information Office)