The Letran Track-and-Field team eyes the championship title in this year's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) season of the Trach-and-Field Championship to be held on February 24 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

This season, team members are expecting a great comeback after gaining more experience and exposure from previous competitions that they participated in, as compared to last year when most of the team members were still a bunch of newbies.

The Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) bagged the championship title last year. San Sebastian College finished first runner-up, followed by College of Saint Benilde, and Letran seating in third place.

"We worked hard to have a greater chance from the title this year." said Thomy De Leon, member of the track-and-field squad. "We are giving all our efforts for the team to be in very good condition and become more consistent. Now let's see who deserves to win."

The team is looking forward to the parting performance of their seniors, like Jeffrey Valeriano who won two gold medals last year. He was one of four athletes in the 4x400-meter relay team who won the gold, the others being Reynante Lugmao, Don Charles Dicolen, and Joey Molenilla.

"We prepared for one whole year for this competition, which will only run for three days," said track-and-field head coach Jerry Atabay, who was awarded the "Coach of the Year" plum last season. "That's how intense it [preparation] is."

However, they cannot avoid suffering injuries due to extremely hard practice. Sophomore runner Anjelo Noah Ordoño, one of the middle distance runners, is still enduring a light fracture in his right shin.

"No matter how painful it is, I will still play with all my heart for our beloved school," he said. "This small thing [fracture] will not stop me."

The team has faith in all its athletes, namely Carlon Dimakiling, last year's bronze medalist Jeffrey Lomuntad, Jonathan Santos, Michael Erpe, Charles Consulta, Anthony Manayao, Jerrick Mariano, Chris Bonifacio, Jomar Madla, Archard Bagsit, Carlo Bernardo, Elcid Cuyugan, Louie De Guzman, and lat year's juniors Most Valuable Player, Randolf Hernandez.

"The last time Letran won the [track-and-field] championship was in 1999," said Erpe. "That was 10 years ago, and we want to end this title drought. Now it's out turn to bring back the glory."