The Middlesex United Stars defeated the Surrey Risers by nine wickets in a rain-affected fixture in the Dream 11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park on Friday.

The Risers found it hard from the start after winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Delbert Gayle (27) and Nicholas Lewin (15 not out) were the only batsmen to reach double figures as pacers Ojay Shields (2-9 off two overs) and Andel Gordon (2-13 off two) combined to restrict the Risers to a modest 72-6 off their 10 overs.

Jamaica Scorpions all-rounder Alwyn Williams with 30 not out and Damani Sewell with 15 not out then helped the Stars reach 71-1 in the eighth over before rain ended proceedings with the Stars comfortably 19 runs ahead of the Duckworth/Lewis par score.

West Indies opener John Campbell earlier made 20 for the Stars who now have four wins from eight matches.

Kristen McGregor opened her 2022 season with an encouraging top-five finish at the Fit Muscle Championships in Mexico last weekend (April 23). The performance sets the tone for what could be an outstanding season for the fitness athlete, who is desirous of competing at the Miss Olympia competition in December. However, she can only achieve this if she can get consistent sponsor support.

McGregor, the winner of the 2020 Miss Olympia Amateur title in the Women's Figure Category, is a former national champion and CAC Champion and is arguably Jamaica’s best female fitness athlete of the modern era. However, it has been a struggle to attract consistent sponsorship support as she strives for her career goals.

“The major challenge I face as a national athlete is corporate sponsorship. I am a bit disappointed with the responses I received for sponsorship requests seeking help to represent my country and hoping that I would have gotten good responses, even given the fact that I am a recipient of the Prime Minister's Youth Award,” lamented McGregor, who is the holder of a Bachelor's degree in Sports Science from the University of Technology (UTech).

“However, I have to give big thanks to the companies that gave their generous support such as EduCom, Geolosndo, VM Group and to the contributing supporters.

“I do hope that going forward I might receive better responses from other corporations and our sporting body. The lack of support and sponsorship can impact my goals to represent Jamaica at the Olympia, as I am unable to cover the expenses related to travel and accommodation to participate in the various competitions, where I can only compete as a professional athlete in my discipline. It is my dream to represent Jamaica at the highest level of bodybuilding.”

That dream has been the fuel driving McGregor's ambitions ever since she transitioned from athletics in 2017 and what sparked her singular focus during the off-season in preparation for 2022.

“It has been nothing but hard work for every show. Hard work and focus are the common denominators for every season prep. l am in the gym every day and on diet for a maximum of 16 weeks during preparation,” she revealed.

That work paid off in Mexico.

“A top-five finish is a great accomplishment, considering the progress from last year, where I also finished in the top five in Puerto Rico Pro, and in the Tampa Pro placing 4th and 11^th, respectively. However, for my first show since 2022, finishing in the top five is a great place to finish because I have already started to accumulate points toward the quantifying for the Olympia Competition,” she said.

“Only second through fifth-place finishers for each contest, depending on the tier of the contest can accumulate points. All competitors will have between September 13, 2021, to November 20, 2022, to qualify whether by placement or points for the big show in December, the Olympia held in Las Vegas. That being said, the progress has been going well.”

Too well even. In fact, she worked so hard during the off-season she might have bulked up a tad much.

"Last year was a bit different from this year, as I really didn’t get a chance to train properly for my debut and my first Pro show coming out of winning the Amateur Olympia in December 2020. I contracted the COVID virus which caused me to stop training and in the time between recovery and my first show, which was the Puerto Rico Pro, I didn’t have much time to bulk so we went straight in for competition," she said.

"I figured that was the reason I was too small because I was burning muscles while in recovery. My coach, too, reassessed and ended my season after the Tampa Pro in June and we started working on bulking up from that time. I had a wonderful off-season, no injuries or sickness so I was training right through.

"I think this time around we gained good size. I was able to condition properly without burning muscles. Coming out of this show, the judges said I was perfect in shape. However, based on how the other girls came in I was too big so I have to lose a bit more and I would be okay. So yes, I am on a good path but with that, my coach has decided on reducing by about five to six pounds more for my next show on June 17-19, 2022 which is the Puerto Rico Pro."

Newly crowned ISSA Under-16 champions St Andrew Technical (STATHS) have dedicated their victory to slain Manning Cup forward Omar Laing.

On Thursday, STATHS claimed their first football trophy in over three decades following a 2-1 triumph over the previously unbeaten Kingston College.  In fact, prior to the shock loss in the final, the North Street-based team had failed to concede a goal all season.

A brilliant Delaney Whyte free-kick blotted that copybook and gave STATHS the lead in the 25^th minute.  After missing several presentable opportunities, in the first half, Kingston College did manage to pull back on level terms when Dujuan Richards scored soon after the resumption.  However, an own goal in the 54^th from Anthony Ricketts sent the Purples crashing to a surprise defeat.

Laing, the leading scorer for the school’s Manning Cup team last season, was killed in a drive-by shooting incident in downtown Kingston last week.  His younger brother is currently a part of the triumphant Under-16 squad.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz have been confirmed to face South American giants Uruguay in a friendly international set for June 17.

The fixture will come during a busy period for the national team, ahead of preparations for the CONCACAF Nation’s League.  Prior to that, the team will be in action against the Spanish region Catalonia in another friendly international set for the 25^th of May.

In five matches the Jamaicans have a losing record against Uruguay, managing just one win, which came in an international friendly in 2004.  The last time the teams met was in 2016 at the Copa América Centenario.  On that occasion, Uruguay coasted to a 3-0 win after both teams had already been mathematically eliminated from advancing to the next round of the tournament.

The Uruguayans will be using the fixture as part of preparations for the 2022 World Cup, which will get underway in Qatar at the end of the year.  The Reggae Boyz, who failed to qualify for the tournament, are currently ranked 64^th in the World, while Uruguay are ranked 13^th.

Hydel High was the fastest qualifiers to the Championships of America High School Girls 4x400m final at the 2022 Penn Relays at the Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Thursday.

The team of Alliah Baker, Brianna Lyston, Kerrica Hill and Onieka McAnuff ran an impressive 3:39.34 to lead all qualifiers into Friday’s final.

Holmwood Technical (3:41.45), Edwin Allen (3:45.29), St. Jago (3:49.50) and Excelsior (3:51.15) also advanced to the final.

The region will also have two representatives in the 4x800m final, also scheduled for Friday, as both Edwin Allen (9:13.89) and Holmwood Technical (9:23.48) advanced from the heats.

Olympic gold medalist Briana Williams was recently inducted onto the Champs Sports Wall of Game in Pembroke Pines, Florida, honouring those in the community who make and have made a positive contribution to local sports.

Champs Sports, part of Foot Locker, Inc. is the brand's first iteration of its new Homefield concept and is the largest of any Foot Locker, Inc. subsidiary in the world at 35,000+ square feet.

The 20-year-old Williams was inducted in a ceremony held on April 23 along with four other honourees: Mark Montimurro, Roderick Rocky Gills, Tamara James, and posthumously, Jason Stein.

“It’s always a privilege and a blessing to be honoured by the community that helped to raise me,” said the Jamaican Olympic gold medallist.

“It's also the biggest Champs store in the country so I'm humbled to be one of the first names inducted.”

Montimurro is the Head Coach at Coral Springs Charter School Softball, "Rocky" Gillis is Athletic Director at Broward County Schools and James is a former WNBA player and Mayor of Dania Beach. Stein was the Athletic Director/Baseball Coach/Teacher at JP Taravella High School.

Edwin Allen High School was the fastest qualifier to the final of the High School Girls 4x100m at the 2022 Penn Relays which got underway on Thursday morning at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

The team of the Clayton twins, Brandy Hall and Shenequa Vassell scorched the track to run a time of 44.64 to win their heat. Hydel High (46.37) and IMG Academy (47.03) were second and third fastest to the final.

Holmwood Technical (47.12), Immaculate Conception (47.15), St. Catherine High (47.56) and St. Jago (47.37) will also be in Friday's final.

Holmwood Technical’s Cedricka Williams was dominant in winning the High School Girls discus with a throw of 54.00m. Camperdown’s Victoria Christie was second with 44.88m while Ella Lucas from Warwick High School was third with 42.53m.

Edwin Allen’s Serena Cole, who ran the first leg on Jamaica’s world record-breaking U-20 girls 4x100m team at the recently concluded Carifta Games, jumped 5.98m for second in the High School Girls long jump behind Avery Lewis of Friends’ Central (6.05). Hailey Rios of Somerset jumped 5.84m for third.

St. Jago’s Annishka McDonald was third in the High School Girls' high jump after clearing 1.69m. The event was won by Spring-Ford’s Nene Mokonchu (1.72m) while Conard’s Audrey Kirkutis was second with 1.69m.

The 2022 Penn Relays will run from April 28-30.

Nicolas Lodeiro scored two late penalties as the Seattle Sounders snatched a 2-2 draw against Pumas in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final.

Trailing to a double from Juan Dinenno, Seattle battled back in Mexico City to make it honours even ahead of next Wednesday's second leg at Lumen Field. Lodeiro's leveller came in the ninth minute of stoppage time.

This opener at Estadio Olímpico Universitario saw Dinenno take the lead with a twice-taken penalty in the 38th minute. His first attempt was saved by Stefan Frei, but the goalkeeper was ruled to have stepped off his line.

Dinenno headed in powerfully for Pumas' second goal in the 48th minute, but the comeback began when Seattle were awarded a penalty for a handball by Sebastian Saucedo, and Lodeiro drove home in the 77th minute.

Lodeiro fired into the right corner on that occasion and was handed another spot-kick deep into stoppage time.

Cristian Roldan was judged to have been fouled on the right side of the penalty area by veteran defender Efrain Velarde, and Lodeiro chose to go the same way, again beating goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera with a powerful strike.

As a teenager, Anthonique Strachan showed the tremendous potential of becoming one of the world’s brightest stars in track and field.

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons insists he understands and respects the decision of recently retired captain Kieron Pollard but insists the player’s passion and desire will be sorely missed.

After nearly 16-years representing the regional team and three years in charge of both the One Day International (ODI) and T20 squads, the 34-year-old Pollard announced his decision to step away from international cricket last week.

“Skipper it is sad to see you retire from the maroon shirt so early…I completely understand,” Simmons said, addressing the issue via Facebook.

“Your ability to give players your backing and trust to deliver and your strong leadership both on and off the field was a joy to work with,” he added.

Pollard took charge of both squads in 2019 and experienced mixed fortunes during his tenure.  The T20 squad lost 21 of 39 matches and had a disastrous defense of its World Cup title.  The ODI squad on the other hand fared better, winning 13 and losing 11 of 21 matches played.  Still, Simmons hailed Pollard as a positive force for pushing players to reach their full potential and having a genuine desire to see the team do well.

“Your passion for pushing players to build on skills and knowledge of the game and more. Your unwillingness to settle for mediocrity was a pleasure to work with,” Simmons said.

“Your undoubted passion for the game and especially the Maroon Shirt together with your desire to bring success to the West Indies cricket team henceforth Cricket West Indies will be missed. You will be missed.”

Jamaica clinched a spot in the Round of 16 of the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over hosts Dominican Republic at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo.

The home side jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the third minute through Maria Torreira but the young Reggae Girlz would pull level in the 30^th minute thanks to a goal from Tiny Seaton.

Things stayed tight going into the second half, but in the final 20 minutes, Jamaica would pull away.

Dannique Wilson scored the go-ahead goal in the 70^th minute and then Natoya Atkinson added an insurance goal in stoppage time to round out the 3-1 score line.

Jamaica now sits second in Group F behind Canada who beat Bermuda 5-0 earlier on Tuesday.

Both teams have six points from two games and face off on Thursday to determine who will advance as winners of Group F.

The Concacaf Women's Championship features 20 teams, 16 divided into four groups of four plus four teams that have already advanced to the Round of 16 through pre-tournament qualifying.

The top three teams from each group will join the four teams that have already advanced via the pre-tournament qualifying in the Round of 16 where, from there, it will be a knockout bracket to the tournament final.

The top three teams at the end of the championship will qualify for the 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup which will run from October 11-30 in India.

A magnificent bowling effort from the Surrey Royals allowed them to score an easy eight-wicket win over the Cornwall Warriors in their Dream 11 Jamaica T10 fixture at Sabina Park in Kingston on Tuesday.

The Royals chose to field after winning the toss and were dominant throughout the innings taking wickets in quick succession.

Jamaica Scorpions pacer Nicholson Gordon (3-13 from 1.2 overs), left-arm spinner Raewin Senior (2-9 from two overs, left-arm spinner Ryan Francis (2-6 from two overs) and off-spinner Peat Salmon (2-19 from two overs) were all instrumental in bowling out the Warriors for a subpar 58 in 9.2 overs.

Jamaica Scorpions all-rounder Derval Green (13), opener Ockeeno Farquharson (12) and former Scorpions skipper Paul Palmer Jr (11) were the only Warriors batsmen to scratch double figures.

The chase was a simple one for the Royals despite the early wickets of West Indies batsman Nkrumah Bonner (5) and Leroy Lugg (12).

Carlos Brown (25 not out) and captain Javelle Glen (16 not out) ensured that the Royals got to their target without the loss of another wicket, ending 59-2 from 8.2 overs to secure their fourth win of the tournament.