Ana Santiago

Ana Maria Santiago, also known as Ana Santiago, is a Filipina softball coach for the Adamson Lady Falcons, who won the last 11 UAAP Softball Championships.^[1][2][3][4] She is arguably the greatest active head coach in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines as Adamson won 16 titles under her belt.^[5][6] In Season 80 opening rites, the collegiate league considered her one of the "UAAP greats," representing Adamson along with her player Queeny Sabobo and other top athletes from seven other UAAP member schools.^[7][8]

Santiago first played for the Lady Falcons in 1995 and was part of the team that won four straight UAAP titles from 1997 to 2001 under head coach Filomeno Codinera.^[9] She and Jenny De Jesus-Cabrera would later become Adamson's assistant coaches.^[10]

The Lady Falcons racked up more championships from the time Santiago assumed the head coaching job from Codiñera in 2004.^[11] She also coached Team Manila, representing the Asia Pacific district, and won over United States West representative Westchester, California to snatch the biggest of her international crowns, the Big League Softball World Series, held in Kalamazoo, Michigan on August 9, 2012.^[12] With that victory, Senate passed a resolution commending Santiago and her team composed of players from Adamson, the University of Santo Tomas, the University of the East, and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.^[13]

After steering the Lady Falcons to their decade of dominance and 19th title overall on March 18, 2023, Santiago said this was her sweetest championship in the UAAP.^[14]

Santiago was inducted into the Adamson Athletes Hall of Fame in 2012.^[15] In 2024 she received the PSC-PCW Women in Sports Awards.^[16][17]

References

1. "UAAP: Adamson clinches another softball crown with comeback win vs. UP". ABS-CBN News. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
2. "Adamson clips UP, secures 11th straight UAAP softball crown". Fastbreak. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
3. "Adamson wins 10th straight UAAP softball title". Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
4. Valderrama, Aeron Paul (March 24, 2023). "The sweetest of championships for Ana Santiago". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
5. Alinea, Eddie (January 30, 2018). "Ana Santiago: PH softball's winningest coach". philboxing.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
6. Li, Matthew (July 6, 2020). "What is Ana Santiago's greatest achievement?". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
7. Cortez, Karla Denisse (September 11, 2017). "Here's What Happened at the UAAP Season 80 Opening". Candymag.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
8. Jacinto, Christian (September 9, 2017). "Olympian Yan Lariba and other top UAAP athletes feted in Season 80 opening ceremony". Spin.ph. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
9. "Up in seventh heaven". Adamson University. July 3, 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
10. Ramos, Gerry (July 26, 2023). "Team Manila treated to Disney trip for job well done in Pony World Series". Spin.ph. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
11. "UAAP: Winning keeps Adamson's softball coach Ana Santiago young". ABS-CBN News. July 6, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
12. "Pinay clouters clinch World Series title". Philippine Star. August 10, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
13. "Resolution No. 119" (PDF). Senate of the Philippines. August 15, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
14. "Adamson softball completes 'decade of dominance'". Rappler. March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
15. "Adamson U inducts top athletes to Hall of Fame". Philippine Star. February 6, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
16. "Softbelles head coach Ana Santiago gets special citation in first PSC all-women sports awards". The Adamson News. March 21, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
17. Andaya, Robert (March 24, 2024). "Philippine Sports Commission: Women In Sports 2024 complete list of awardees". journalnews.com.ph. Retrieved March 29, 2024.