Calabar High and Legacy Track Club coach Nicholas Neufville is being remembered as a brother and best friend by members of the track and field fraternity mourning his tragic passing.

The bodies of the 38-year-old jumps coach and a 19-year-old woman identified as Rahima Edwards were found in an open lot in Portmore, St Catherine shortly before 7 am.

News of Coach Neufville’s death evoked strong reaction from the track and field fraternity including the sport’s governing body, who issued a statement earlier today.

“The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) extends heartfelt condolences to the family, his alma mater Calabar and friends of Coach Nicholas Neufville,” the JAAA said.

“Coach Neufville was a promising young coach who specialized in the horizontal jumps and a member of the Legacy Athletics Ltd. May his soul rest in peace.”

Expectedly, the startling news hit athletes at Legacy Track Club hard and sources said the coaches spent the better part of the morning trying to console them.

World Championship medalist Jura Levy has been with the club since last year and had enjoyed working with Coach Neufville.

“You were a motivator, a friend, a coach, a father, a brother and a son. There wasn’t a day at training that you didn’t motivate me and help me to finish my workout even when I thought I couldn’t,” she said on Instagram.

“@akasoapman, you were supposed to be there this morning and I missed you. This just don’t feel real.”

Olympian Jason Morgan, a past student at Calabar in reaction to the news posted: “My brother and my best friends since 9 years old. Nooooo way!!”

Lorraine Watson, the mother of former Calabar High track stars Ramone and Romario McKenzie, was in a state of disbelief when she posted in Instagram.

“Soapman, this is really hard to wake up to RIP. RIP my friend; you will be missed by all…”

According to the Legacy Track Club’s website, Neufville is a Calabar High school alumnus who represented the school at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships. He was also a national representative both at junior and senior levels.

 A World Athletics certified Level II coach in the sprints and jumps, he also served as a member of the coaching staff at Calabar High where he is currently coaching junior athletes such as long jumper Jordan Turner and triple jumper Luke Brown both of whom have been national junior representatives, the website said.

Over the course of his coaching career, Neufville helped condition some of Jamaica’s top junior sprinters including Christopher Taylor, Oblique Seville, Dejour Russell and Michael O’Hara.

He has also been a member of the national coaching staff for the following games for the 2011 CARIFTA games in the Cayman Islands, the 2018 CAC Senior games in Columbia and 2019 under 20 Pan American Games in Costa Rica.