Under Armour marked an important milestone in the Philippines with the launch of the UA COMBINE on November 19, 2023, at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall. Here, Tess Jones (Women’s Competition) and Ryant Erwin Relos (Men’s Competition) also made history as the country’s first-ever champions.
The region’s largest fitness competition held its debut in the country following its inauguration in 2022, which saw 1,200 participants take part in the competitions held across four countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia.
UA COMBINE aims to establish the ultimate athlete performance benchmark and challenge participants to push their limits. Over 249 Filipino athletes from diverse sports and training disciplines competed for a shot at the total cash prize pool of Php 680,000. They challenged their skills across eight stages that tested their agility, stamina, vertical, power, endurance, strength, speed, and cognition while wearing Under Armour gear, proving that Under Armour performance gear is what helps them excel and perform at a high level.
Pushing boundaries
Athletes competed individually or in groups to test their limits in a series of physical and mental tests developed by Michael Watts, Under Armour’s global head of athlete performance.
These tests focused on:
- AGILITY: Agility Star Drill
- STAMINA: Pull-up Beep Test
- VERTICAL: Vertical Jump Test
- POWER: 20m Sled Push
- ENDURANCE: 20m Beep Test
- STRENGTH: 3RM Bench Press
- SPEED: 40 Yard Dash
- COGNITION: Reactive Intelligence Wall
The Philippines’ first-ever UA COMBINE saw significant changes to the tests as part of Under Armour’s ongoing efforts to define athletic performance better.
Last year’s Sargent jump test was replaced by the standing vertical leap test, which assessed competitors while they utilized force plates. This accurately measures an individual’s upward propulsion force.
The cognition test uses the same Reactive Intelligence Wall used by athletes in Formula 1 and the National Basketball Association or NBA. In this station, six light pods are positioned on a vertical wall. Competitors must tap out as many blue pods as possible in 30 seconds, measuring reaction time, decision-making, and attention skills.
Points were awarded for each completed test, and athletes were ranked according to their final results.
Medals and cash prizes of Php 200,000, Php 100,000, and Php 40,000 were awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place athletes in both the men’s and women’s divisions. The highest team score brought home Php 80,000 worth of Under Armour gear.
Champions were joined by the following winners in each category:
Women’s Competition
Individual Tests
- SPEED Test: the 40 Yard Dash
- With a final score of 4.98 seconds the winner is TESS JONES
- AGILITY Test: the Agility Star Drill
- With a final score of 37.46 seconds the winner is TESS JONES
- POWER Test: the 20 metre Sled Push
- With a final score of 7.18 seconds the winner is CHAMEL MELO
- COGNITION Test: the Reactive Intelligence Wall
- With a final score of 38 targets the winner is MADDIE IBUNA
- STAMINA Test: the Pull-up Beep Test
- With a final score of 12 reps we have a tie and the winners are
- JANNELA GIZETH EVORA
- GABRIELLA VENTURINA
- With a final score of 12 reps we have a tie and the winners are
- STRENGTH Test: the Three Rep Max Bench Press
- With a final score of 70 kgs, the winner is KYLA GANCAYCO
- VERTICAL Test: Vertical Jump
- With a final score of 51cm , the winner is JOANNE SOLOMON
- ENDURANCE Test: the 20 metre Beep Test
- Reaching level 11.03 the winner is TESS JONES
Overall Winners
- In THIRD place with 1472 points is DEANNE NICOLE MONCADA
- In SECOND place with 1484 points is JANNELA GIZETH EVORA
- With a total score of 1528 points and therefore your UA COMBINE 2023 Philippines Women’s Division CHAMPION, is TESS JONES
Men’s Competition
Individual Tests
- SPEED Test: the 40 Yard Dash
- With a final score of 4.59 seconds the winner is ARIS AFRICA
- AGILITY Test: the Agility Star Drill
- With a final score of 27.56 seconds the winner is CHRISTIAN FERRER
- POWER Test: the 20 metre Sled Push
- With a final score of 5.81 seconds the winner is VICTOR ALIWALAS
- COGNITION Test: the Reactive Intelligence Wall
- With a final score of 42 targets we have a tie, the winners are
- MAURO LUMBA
- JEREMIAH BUENAFE
- With a final score of 42 targets we have a tie, the winners are
- STAMINA Test: the Pull-up Beep Test
- With a final score of 21 reps we have a tie and the winners are
- DERRICK CARLO MERCADO
- ERICKSON ERLANO
- With a final score of 21 reps we have a tie and the winners are
- STRENGTH Test: the Three Rep Max Bench Press
- With a final score of 150 kgs we have a tie and the winners are
- RYANT ERWIN RELOS
- JEMMELE ALBERT LEYESA
- With a final score of 150 kgs we have a tie and the winners are
- VERTICAL Test: Vertical Jump
- With a final score of 69cm , the winner is RYANT ERWIN RELOS
- ENDURANCE Test: the 20 metre Beep Test
- Reaching level 14.03 the winner is RICO REFIA
Overall Winners
- In THIRD place with 1455 points is MAURO LUMBA
- In SECOND place with 1456 points is JOSEF MAXIMILLAN VALDEZ
- With a total score of 1459 points and therefore your UA COMBINE 2023 Philippines Men’s Division CHAMPION, is RYANT ERWIN RELOS
Commitment to the Philippines
Under Armour has established its roots in the Philippines with a wide network of stores and events.
The performance brand has held Train to Win sessions at local partner gyms nationwide including Pretty Huge, Avante Garde Fitness, Sentro Fortis CrossFit, Lokal Aktive, and FNB CrossFit.
Under Armour will also open its first store in the Visayas region at SM City Cebu this November. The store will feature a 3D mural wall made by SHYETE Collective, a Cebu-based group of artists. It will feature the city’s history and culture and how Under Armour makes athletes better, stronger, and more focused. Under Armour’s Brand Ambassadors, Mhicaela Belen and Camilla Lamina of the NU Lady Bulldogs Volleyball team, will be making an appearance on the store’s opening day on November 21, 2023.