La Salle Green Hills tankers Cabana, Mojdeh keep NCAA campaign blazing
MANILA, Philippines — The La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) swimming team continued its relentless surge at the NCAA Season 102 swimming competitions at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, with standout performances from Kristian Yugo Cabana and Behrouz Mohammad ‘Madi’ Mojdeh turning the championship pool into a stage for grit, redemption, and personal triumph.
After missing out on the gold standard on opening day, Cabana roared back with a vengeance, capturing two golds and a silver. Mojdeh added to the medal tally with a silver and a bronze, proving that the LSGH tankers are a force to be reckoned with.
“I was pretty confident coming into the finals because my preliminary swims were solid, and I was ranked first in both the 100m butterfly and 50m backstroke,” Cabana shared.
Cabana dominated the pool to capture gold in the 100m butterfly, clocking an impressive 56.74 seconds.
“I was really happy with my 100m butterfly. I've been working for almost a year to break my personal best of 57 seconds, and finally getting into the 56-second range was a huge achievement for me,” he said.
The LSGH tankers completed a sweet podium sweep in the event, with teammates Gilbert Gonzalo (58.82) and Gerald Esquivel (59.69) securing the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Cabana then teamed up with Esquivel, Titus Rafael Sia, and Rafael Ubiadas to seize the gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay with a time of 3:43.22.
Though Cabana narrowly missed a triple-gold sweep—settling for silver in the 50m backstroke (28.49) behind San Beda University’s Earl Baguistan—he took the razor-thin defeat as fuel for the future.
“I was really aiming for a double gold, so narrowly missing the gold in the 50 back was frustrating. My dive was a little too deep, and in a 50-meter race, even the smallest mistake can cost you everything. There's barely any time to recover because it's just one lap,” Cabana admitted.
“Of course, I wanted both gold medals, but I'm proud of the progress I've made. Every race teaches me something, and that just makes me more determined to come back stronger.”
Conquering self-doubt
Meanwhile, Mojdeh—the reigning NCAA Season 101 Rookie of the Year—showcased incredible versatility by claiming silver in the 200m breaststroke (2:30.87) and bronze in the 400m freestyle (4:23.63), bringing his running tally to one gold, two silvers, and a bronze.
It wasn't an easy climb for Mojdeh, who had to battle mental hurdles and physical exhaustion.
“I was really disappointed with my preliminary times, especially in the 400m freestyle. I’ve been focusing so much on my butterfly events that I somehow lost my rhythm and pacing in the 400 free. My mom reminded me not to panic or doubt myself, but to trust my training and all the hours I’ve put into the pool,” Mojdeh revealed.
Those words of wisdom paid off. In the 200m breaststroke, Mojdeh finally shattered a personal barrier that had eluded him for months.
“I finally managed to break my personal best. It wasn't a huge improvement, but I had been stuck at around 2:33 for almost a year, so seeing progress again meant a lot to me,” he shared.
Managing his energy after a grueling back-to-back schedule was another test of character.
“The 200 breast and 400 free aren't really my strongest events, so my goal was simply to make the podium. I came into the preliminaries seeded sixth in the 400 free, and by the finals, I had just finished racing the 200 breaststroke. I knew I had to be smart with my energy.”
Drawing inspiration from his sister, national swimming team member Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh, he leaned into his natural strengths: “I focused on feeling the water, controlling my pace, and saving enough for a strong finish. I'm naturally a back-end swimmer, just like my sister, so I trusted that strength and gave everything I had in the final lap.”
Walking away with new personal bests in events outside his comfort zone, Mojdeh proved that growth happens when athletes dare to push past their limits.
“I'm really happy that I managed to achieve another personal best and finish on the podium. It reminded me that even in events outside my comfort zone, I can still surprise myself if I trust my training,” he smiled. TMT
