Manchester Met scholar’s high jump success

Manchester Metropolitan University has set its eyes on becoming one of the country’s next elite sporting universities, after another successful season competing at the British University and College National (BUCS) competition. 

Earlier on this month, the university attained success across a wide range of sports, including swimming, badminton and athletics. 

On the athletics field, Human Geography student, Steven Jones achieved a bronze medal with a personal best of 2.05m in the high jump. This triumph cemented Steven a Scholarship.

The scholarship programme will give Steven access to a team of expert coaches and tailored support to achieve both academic and athletic success. The package provides Steven with the access to sporting facilities and nutritional advice, physiotherapy, and lifestyle support to help him achieve what it takes to compete at the highest level of his sport.

Divine Ntemo Vika talks to Steven Jones  from Northern Quota on Vimeo. Video edited by Daniel Jones.

“Being part of the competition meant so much to me, just being there was just amazing,” said Steven.

“Being on the scholarship, now allows me to work even harder and now I’ll get the support I need to get to the top.”

Steven attributes a key part of his success to the support and persistent encouragement of his coaches, whose tactical advice is helping him to hone the skills he needs to get to the top.

The elite sportsman, got involved with sports at primary school and, over the years, he has learnt how to discipline himself. Maintaining focus is important and now that he is older, Jones has found different ways to keep his head in the game. He said:“I’ve gotten more disciplined over the years through having to control how I train, controlling how I sleep and not getting tempted by snacks and stuff like that. That’s the biggest difference for how I’ve improved recently.”

Callum Jones, Sports Performance Officer at Manchester Metropolitan University, supports the University’s sports scholar students. The former basketballer ensure the programme put together of each scholarship package is tailored to each sportsperson’s needs.

In addition to the successes that have been accomplished, the excitement continues to rise as sports fans await the brand-new Institute of Sport due to open in September 2021. The four-storey, state-of-the-art facility at 99 Oxford Road will complement the University’s existing specialist sports and coaching provision at its Platt Lane Sports Complex in Fallowfield, south Manchester.