 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ana Maria Santiago |
| National team | Philippines |
| Height | 152 cm (5 ft 0 in) [1] |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Softball, Slow-pitch softball |
| Position | Head coach |
| University team | Adamson Lady Falcons (1995–2001) |
Ana Maria Santiago is a Filipina softball coach for the Adamson Lady Falcons, who won the last 12 UAAP Softball Championships. [2] [3] [4] [5]
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. [6]
She has played for the Philippines women's national softball team and has won at least a gold medal at the SEA Games as a player. [7]
Santiago and Jenny De Jesus-Cabrera would later become Adamson's assistant coaches. [8]
The Lady Falcons racked up more championships from the time Santiago assumed the head coaching job from Codiñera in 2004. [9] 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. [10] 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. [11]
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. [12]
She coached the Philippines co-ed national slow-pitch softball team to a silver medal finish at the 2023 Co-Ed Slow-Pitch Softball Asia Cup. [13] [14]
Santiago is arguably the greatest active head coach in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines as Adamson won 16 titles under her belt. [1] 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. [15] [16]
Santiago was inducted into the Adamson Athletes Hall of Fame in 2012. [17] In 2024, Santiago was given a special citation as a softball coach at the PSC-PCW Women in Sports Awards. [18] [19]
Ana Santiago is the youngest of six children of Manolito and Shertita Santiago. [1]