Tradition… Culture… Talent… Excellence…

Ask the Negrense about Collegiate Sports in Negros Occidental and the first institution that comes to mind is West Negros University home to the Mustangs.

In the country’s premiere sport the Mustangs have earned the distinction other than a Cebu school, the University of Visayas as the other school outside Metro Manila to win a National Students’ Title in basketball. So dominating were the Manila based sports programs that such a feat eluded provincial teams for the past sixty years.

School year 2005-2006 is the year of the Mustang. This feat was achieved twice -- in a succession of national tournaments. In the National University Games held in the USLS Gym in Bacolod the Mustangs clobbered the St. Francis College a program that has produced numerous players like Yancey and Ranidel Ocampo now in the PBA. A few months later the Mustangs showed up in Legaspi City, disposed the Asoro-Fernandez tandem of National University in the semi-final crossover match and edged another Division A team; the Perpetual Help University Altas in the Basketball Association of the Phils. (BAP) National Students’ Finals. This achievement overshadows the six-peat or six successive (going on seventh) Negros Occidental Private School Sports Cultural Educational Association (NOPSSCEA) Men’s Basketball Championship titles!

Football may not be the premiere sport in the Philippines but in Negros and Bacolod it is THE SPORT. Evident to his is the jam-packed estimated crowd of 40,000 people that squeezed themselves into the Pana-ad Stadium during the Football Events of the Southeast Asian Games held in Bacolod.

Norman “Nonoy” Fegidero, Afredo Dioso, Melo Sabacan, Loreto Kalalang, Jezurel Tono, Joshua Fegidero, Richard Canedo… the list goes on… Mustang Pride… all prominent national players. These are national soccer players that have served the country through the Philippine Football Federation (PFF). Nonoy Fegidero holds the distinction as the only national player to score a goal for the country in the SEA Games semi-final level (1991) against the mighty Malaysian team.

Miguel Lizares, Arnel Sagansay, Loreto Guanzon, Mari Cabalfin, Michael Mustre, Django Rivera, Richard Mendoza, yves Dignadice, Jaime Noblezada…

The WNU having won two national football titles in the past and numerous regional titles aside having produced numerous international caliber players is reason to agree that they’re on top. Being the current NOPPSSCEA Men’s Football Champion SY 05-06 the Mustangs are on course to achieve more.