Mico University College are the 2023 Inter-collegiate Netball Champions after a comfortable 53-37 win over GC Foster College at the Leila Robinson Courts on Saturday.

The teams were tied at 10-10 after the first period before the Connie Francis-coached outfit won the second quarter 16-8 to enter halftime with a 26-18 lead.

The third quarter saw Mico increasing their lead to 12 at 39-27 before completing the rout.

Church Teacher’s College won the intermediate title 27-14 over UWI “B” while Shortwood Teacher’s College won the Junior title after their opponents Mobay Community College failed to show up.

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and UWI Volleyball Club emerged as the respective male and female winners at the 2023 MOSA Classic Volleyball Tournament.

The event, a precursor to the national club league, was played on Saturday and Sunday at the MICO University College Auditorium.

On the female side, UWI were dominant throughout the two days, winning four matches out of five, with their only loss coming against Masters Volleyball Club in straight sets on day one.

The final gave them an opportunity to exact revenge on Masters and they did just that, winning by three sets to none. They sped to a 25-12 first set win before Masters put up more of a fight in the second set, eventually losing 19-25. The third set was closest of all with UWI prevailing 25-22 to come away with the title.

The men’s tournament saw JDF go unbeaten over the two days, with the final against UWI “A” proving to be their toughest test.

JDF took the first set 25-17 before UWI “A” rallied to tie proceedings at one set all with a 25-21 triumph in the second. The third set was won by JDF by a score of 25-20 before UWI “A” win the fourth 25-22 to push the final to a fifth and deciding set.

In the end, JDF held their nerve to pull out a 15-7 fifth set victory and crown themselves as champions.

MOSA Volleyball Club took home third place in both the men’s and women’s tournaments.

They defeated JDF (24-22, 21-9) in the women’s tournament and beat Venus Volleyball Club (21-17, 21-13) in the men’s tournament.

The Most Valuable Player of the female tournament was Erica Harris of UWI while JDF’s Mark Blake took home MVP honors on the male side.

The MICO University College, with a rich history of nurturing both academic and athletic talents, has embarked on an inspiring five-year plan to revitalize its sports program, with the vision of becoming the premier collegiate sports program in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

This exciting development was unveiled last week during a special ceremony where MICO announced a significant milestone in this journey: the offering of a four-year scholarship to World U20 100m hurdles silver medalist, Alexis James, generously funded by Island Grill. James will pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education and Sports at the institution.

Speaking at the event, Karren Foster, Dean in the Faculty of Education, elaborated on the strategic plan they have initiated to reinvigorate the sports program at MICO. She highlighted the first four hurdles of this ambitious nine-hurdle plan four of which were already being executed.

MICO has already entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Jamaica Football Federation under which 30 MICO students will become elite football referees. “These referees will officiate in local football and potentially on regional and international stages, significantly contributing to the growth of football in the region,” Foster revealed.

The plans also include the recruitment of world-class athletic talent.

“MICO's commitment to training and certifying outstanding athletes is exemplified by the inclusion of Alexis James, the world-renowned 100m hurdles silver medalist, into this institution,” she stated with confidence. She added that this can only be achieved through the engagement of the best coaches.

 “MICO is proud to have hired some of the best coaches in Jamaica for their sports program,” Dean Foster revealed. To date, MICO has hired national volleyball coach Gatasheu Bonner, former national netball coach Connie Francis, who recently guided Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls to the bronze medal at the Netball World Cup in South Africa.

MICO has also brought on board Shane Brooks, the national women’s cricket coach and Mr. O’Neil Brown, Jamaica’s national basketball coach.

“These coaches bring a wealth of experience and expertise to nurture the next generation of sports stars,” Dean Foster said.

The next phase, she said, is only just beginning but is a critical part of the over-arching plan.

“We face the challenge of securing nutritional sponsors to enhance their athletes' performance. Many of these dedicated athletes, who excel both academically and athletically, rely on work-study programs to meet their financial obligations. Corporate support in the form of financial assistance, technological resources, and apparel sponsorship is essential to empower these talented individuals,” the dean explained.

The other phases will include engaging partners to provide nutritional support, financial support, technological support and apparel support.

“By doing so, MICO aims to foster not only successful athletes but also individuals committed to serving their communities and contributing to the nation's growth and development,” Dean Foster said.

This plan became a reality, Dean Foster explained, by bringing in the necessary personnel that would help establish a platform from which they would launch this ambitious initiative.

“What happened is that we have changed our personnel. We brought in a sports manager. That personnel have been tasked to develop a strategic plan for the sports program.  So there's a structure in place and there is an operational plan in place to facilitate the movements in that department. We can see what the budget should be, what is it we need to do from month one to month two, if you will, to be successful,” she explained.

“They are developing a five-year plan. They have identified what the goals are. We need the assistance of the outside support groups to make this a reality. So we are at three and we have since today (last Wednesday) crossed over into four, somewhat.

“We at the MICO, we offer some scholarships which are very costly to the institution because, remember now, we are a government-funded institution. Government doesn't give us money for these things, not a cent for these things.

“And so we have to creatively source funds to help these students who come from some very challenging backgrounds, who want to make good of themselves and their God-given talents.”

 In a heartwarming ceremony held at the MICO University College campus on Marescaux Road in Kingston, Island Grill, the renowned chain of fast-food restaurants, awarded Carifta 100m hurdles champion Alexis James a four-year scholarship. James, a former student of Petersfield High School in Westmoreland, is pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree in Physical Education and Sports.

The MICO University College freshman will also be Island Grill’s first ambassador.

James, who has turned professional and will train with the Racers Track Club, has made her mark as a rising star in Jamaican athletics, notably as the 100m hurdles champion at the 2023 Carifta Games and as a silver medalist in the 100m. Her impressive journey also includes winning a silver medal in the 100m hurdles at the 2022 World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.

During Wednesday’s ceremony, Dr. Thalia Lyn, the founder of Island Grill and Chairperson of the NCB Foundation, expressed her pride and excitement over sponsoring James’ academic journey. She highlighted the significance of the occasion, not only in empowering a remarkable young athlete but also in reinforcing Island Grill's commitment to nurturing future leaders who will contribute significantly to Jamaica's betterment.

Dr. Lyn commended James not only for her athletic prowess but also for her dedication to academic excellence. "My Island Grill family is honored to gather here with you today along with my NCB Foundation colleagues because our hearts are bursting with pride and excitement, we're bookmarking this occasion that not only empowers a remarkable young athlete we had the pleasure of launching with at Island Grill today."

She continued, "It reinforces Island Grill's commitment to nurturing future leaders who will contribute significantly to the betterment of our nation. Jamaica has always stood tall in the world of athletics. Our island is known for producing legends and Alexis, you are swiftly joining those ranks. She continues to leave an indelible mark on the world of competitive sprinting, plus a demonstrated demonstration of heart, spirit, and determination. Yet it is not just your athletic prowess that impresses us, Alexis. Your desire to pursue academic excellence at MICO is equally inspiring, and we celebrate your balanced pursuit of excellence."

As a demonstration of their commitment, Island Grill announced the inaugural Island Grill Athletic Scholarship, valued at J$500,000 annually. This scholarship will cover tuition and board, and discussions will be held regarding nutrition support.

Dr. Lyn assured James, "And we will provide this annually until you graduate with an understanding that you maintain that lovely B average that we're proud of. Okay, and we'll help you. Don't worry, we're not just going to give you the money and, you know, leave you alone."

Dr. Lyn highlighted the importance of sending a message to young Jamaican athletes that they can excel both on the track and in the classroom. James’ scholarship embodies this message and encourages other aspiring athletes to believe in their ability to achieve greatness not only as athletes but also as scholars.

Nicole Robinson, Vice President Marketing Communication at National Commercial Bank (NCB), also played a pivotal role in supporting Alexis James's journey. Robinson revealed that Dr. Lyn approached her, requesting sponsorship support for James, which Robinson wholeheartedly embraced.

Robinson gifted James a brand new laptop and emphasized the natural synergy between NCB Foundation and James’ promising future.

She emphasized the importance of financial literacy in athletes' lives, ensuring that they have a solid financial plan for life after athletics. Robinson added, "She told me about Alexis's promise, right. She believed in her. There is a spark that I, I think all of us saw here today. It was a natural synergy for us because we're really, really focused this year on driving financial literacy. And that was really the angle that we spoke about because a lot of athletes, you know, it's, it's sad to say, they make all of this money during their career and then there's no focus on the life after athletics. So we had a conversation about her potential.”

Robinson expressed confidence in James’ immense potential and thinks she can be an advocate for NCB campaign to improve financial literacy among emerging athletes.

"I think all of us saw it today. She's passionate and she has places to go. I don't think anybody has a doubt in their mind that her name is not going to be right there beside Shelly's (Fraser-Pryce), beside Elaine (Thompson-Herah and beside Shericka's (Jackson),” Robinson remarked.

"So we're really excited to support her journey. We want to add the financial literacy or integrate the financial literacy component because we think that it's important. We want to have those types of conversations, not just with Alexis, but with young upcoming athletes. We're very involved in programs like MVP Grassroots Programme. That's a sponsorship that we have maintained over the years where we do some level of financial literacy and that's going to be a major focus for us this year.

"Through this partnership, she can become somewhat of a financial literacy advocate. So we want to pour into her. We know that she has a far way to go, and we want to be part of her journey from the very beginning."