HAVING conquered everything in front of her, including leading Frazsiers Whip to its third-consecutive national championship, national striker Davia Richards will be heading to Florida Memorial University.

The 21-year-old swept all the major awards, from Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot to the Best Celebration accolades. Richards was unstoppable and clearly the star and face of the Jamaica Women’s Premier League.

“I’ll be heading to Florida Memorial University and will be studying business administration,” Richards confirmed to the Jamaica Observer.

The former Excelsior High player netted a record 45 goals from 23 games, including two in the final as Frazsiers Whip whipped Cavalier 4-1. That’s a record that could stand for a very long time.

“Feeling blessed and hungry,” she says. “Forty-five goals, MVP, Golden Boot — winning everything shows the grind never stops. This season was all about the hustle and heart.

Richards, who led Excelsior High to four straight schoolgirl titles and became the face of the local league, says she will miss Frazsiers Whip.

This will not be the first time Richards has been overseas as in 2023 she attended Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas, where she scored 23 goals and was named an NJCAA D1 First Team All-American.

That outstanding form earned her her first senior Reggae Girlz call-up that November. She scored a goal against Guatemala in the Concacaf Gold Cup qualifier later that month and was also named to the Concacaf Gold Cup Team of the Month.

Richards was then recalled to the national team in February 2024 for international friendlies in South America.

“I also want to inspire other young girls in Jamaica to chase their dreams because anything is possible with hard work and belief,” she says.

Richards would be following in the footsteps of Khadija Shaw, Jody Brown and many others who came through the ranks of local football, and she hopes one day to be playing at one of the big clubs in Europe.