GC Foster College dominated the Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association Awards ceremony last Thursday at Shortwood Teacher’s College.

The St Catherine institution copped nine awards and the University of the West Indies, Mona, (UWI) five. Meanwhile, there were two awards each for University of Technology (UTech), The Mico University College and College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE).

Special recognition was given to the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) for its sponsorship of the athletes who participated at the World University Games held in Shenzhen, China last summer. Jamaica copped nine medals, including six gold.

Dalton Myers, director of sports at UWI and second vice-president of the body, in delivering the president’s message, pointed to the lack of sponsorship for intercollegiate sports and the shortage of volunteers at events.

He, however, commended the institutions for their support and the volunteers who worked with the various sports. He said 80 per cent of the national table tennis team are university students; a large number in the national netball programme, cricket and track and field.

Guest speaker David Mais, chairman of GC Foster College, said the achievements of the intercollegiate athletes at the international level must be made more visible.

Meanwhile, Carrie Russell of UTech and Hansle Parchment of UWI where named student-athletes of the year.

Russell won the 100m at the World University Games in a PR 11.05 seconds and a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay. She is also this year’s Intercol double sprint champion.

Parchment also won at the World University Games when he landed the 110m hurdles in 13.24 seconds. He repeated in record-breaking form at the Gibson Relays and also captured the Intercol title this year.

GC Foster were champions in men’s basketball; Twenty/20 cricket; men’s table tennis; female volleyball; Greg Garrell KO football; women’s football; women’s athletics; rugby league and Rugby Nines.