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Mico enjoy dominant year
Published: Sunday | April 21, 2013
Raymond 'KC' Graham - File
THE past year has been an extraordinary one for the Mico University College in the area of sports, as the 177-year-old institution recorded its best ever results in Intercollegiate sports.
On Thursday, they made the latest instalment to their trophy cabinet, defeating G.C. Foster College in the rugby final for their fifth major title this year.
Earlier, teams from the college had lifted the knockout football trophy after beating the University of Technology (UTech); the senior netball title with victory over the University of the West Indies (UWI); and both limited-overs cricket titles, after beating UWI in the 50-overs final and G.C. Foster in the T20 final.
Also, the female football team reached the final for the first time, but were beaten by G.C. Foster.
The man behind the success, Raymond 'KC' Graham, who is in his third year as director of sports at the institution, could not hide his satisfaction.
A GREAT FEELING
"I feel extremely good because being a past student and then to come and help turn around sports in the institution, it is even a greater feeling," said Graham, who has coached national teams to international competitions at the junior and senior levels.
"I am a very competitive person who does not like to lose and when I was handed the mandate to take Mico to the top in sports, I knew that it was going to be a big challenge because there were institutions like G.C. Foster College, the University of the West Indies and the University of Technology which had bigger programmes than us and to outdo them, it would have to take something special," Graham pointed out.
He credited the institution's hierarchy, including President Claude Packer, for the success.
"Support is the key to our success and I would publicly like to thank President Packer and the board for the support they have given me in the past three years in handing me the mandate to recruit student-athletes and great coaches to Mico as, despite us not getting the best, we were able to recruit brilliant academic students who adjusted easily," said Graham, who also thanked Professor Neville Ying and Vilma Charlton, who both were instrumental in him leaving Hampton University in the United States, where he was an assistant track and field coach, to come to Mico.
Graham stated that Mico has contributed significantly to the national programme and that he is hoping for this to continue.
"Most of our student-athletes are national representatives, as in football there is Ricardo Oldham, who played earlier this year with the Under-21 team in Mexico. In netball we have Patricia McCalla, Kimone Tulloch, Vangalee Williams and Shanika Johnson; in rugby there are Fabeon Turner, Oshane Eddie and Romean Campbell, while in cricket, we have Nkrumah Bonner, who has represented Jamaica and the West Indies," Graham said.
He added: "We have several others like Shacoya Thomas, Coi Thompson, Ramon Senior, Vandeer Rowe and Kirk Harris, who have all represented the national Under-19 team in the past."
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports7.html
Published: Sunday | April 21, 2013
Raymond 'KC' Graham - File
THE past year has been an extraordinary one for the Mico University College in the area of sports, as the 177-year-old institution recorded its best ever results in Intercollegiate sports.
On Thursday, they made the latest instalment to their trophy cabinet, defeating G.C. Foster College in the rugby final for their fifth major title this year.
Earlier, teams from the college had lifted the knockout football trophy after beating the University of Technology (UTech); the senior netball title with victory over the University of the West Indies (UWI); and both limited-overs cricket titles, after beating UWI in the 50-overs final and G.C. Foster in the T20 final.
Also, the female football team reached the final for the first time, but were beaten by G.C. Foster.
The man behind the success, Raymond 'KC' Graham, who is in his third year as director of sports at the institution, could not hide his satisfaction.
A GREAT FEELING
"I feel extremely good because being a past student and then to come and help turn around sports in the institution, it is even a greater feeling," said Graham, who has coached national teams to international competitions at the junior and senior levels.
"I am a very competitive person who does not like to lose and when I was handed the mandate to take Mico to the top in sports, I knew that it was going to be a big challenge because there were institutions like G.C. Foster College, the University of the West Indies and the University of Technology which had bigger programmes than us and to outdo them, it would have to take something special," Graham pointed out.
He credited the institution's hierarchy, including President Claude Packer, for the success.
"Support is the key to our success and I would publicly like to thank President Packer and the board for the support they have given me in the past three years in handing me the mandate to recruit student-athletes and great coaches to Mico as, despite us not getting the best, we were able to recruit brilliant academic students who adjusted easily," said Graham, who also thanked Professor Neville Ying and Vilma Charlton, who both were instrumental in him leaving Hampton University in the United States, where he was an assistant track and field coach, to come to Mico.
Graham stated that Mico has contributed significantly to the national programme and that he is hoping for this to continue.
"Most of our student-athletes are national representatives, as in football there is Ricardo Oldham, who played earlier this year with the Under-21 team in Mexico. In netball we have Patricia McCalla, Kimone Tulloch, Vangalee Williams and Shanika Johnson; in rugby there are Fabeon Turner, Oshane Eddie and Romean Campbell, while in cricket, we have Nkrumah Bonner, who has represented Jamaica and the West Indies," Graham said.
He added: "We have several others like Shacoya Thomas, Coi Thompson, Ramon Senior, Vandeer Rowe and Kirk Harris, who have all represented the national Under-19 team in the past."
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports7.html
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