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• Jamaican Olympian Inez Turner Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award and Hall of Fame Induction at Fayetteville State University

  On October 25, 2024, Fayetteville State University celebrated the remarkable career of Jamaican Olympian Inez Turner by bestowing upon her a Lifetime Achievement Award and inducting her into the 2024 Wall and Hall of Fame. Turner, the head coach of Track and Field and Cross Country at Fayetteville State, was recognized for her enduring contributions to athletics, her stellar coaching career, and her legacy as an elite competitor on the international stage. 

  The induction ceremony, held at the John D. Fuller, Sr. Recreational Athletic Complex, was organized by Chairman Stephen Sims and his committee. Turner joined an esteemed group of inductees, including other former athletes, coaches, and the celebrated 2002 CIAA Championship Football Team, as they were formally enshrined into the institution’s Hall of Fame.

   

  A native of Trelawny Parish, Jamaica, Turner’s journey in athletics began at Barton Community College, where she earned an impressive 16 National Junior College All-America honors and set multiple school records. In 1993, she captured the NJCAA Division I Championship in the 800m with a record-breaking 2:04.88, setting the stage for her future as an elite athlete. Representing Jamaica on the global stage, Turner competed in the 800m and 4x400m relay at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She won gold in the 800m at the 1994 Commonwealth Games and a bronze in the 4x400m relay at the 1997 World Championships, adding to her collection of medals from the CARIFTA Games and CAC Junior Championships. 

  Turner’s athletic achievements transitioned seamlessly into a coaching career beginning in 2004, with stints at New York Track Club and North Carolina A&T State University. As head coach at Winston-Salem State University, she led her teams to nine conference titles and was named CIAA Coach of the Year eight times. Her success continued upon joining Fayetteville State University in 2017, where she transformed the program into a powerhouse. Under her guidance, the women's cross country team secured six consecutive CIAA titles, while the indoor track & field team also excelled, capturing multiple championships. In total, Turner has led her teams to 23 CIAA Championship titles, each one cemented with a Coach of the Year honor.

   

  Turner’s influence extends beyond the track, as evidenced by the Inez Turner Foundation, which she founded in 2012 to support disadvantaged students at her alma mater, Vere Technical High School. Armed with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Science from Texas State University, Turner’s dedication to empowering others reflects the purpose of Fayetteville State University’s Athletics Hall of Fame: honoring those who have made outstanding and significant contributions to the program.

   Turner’s recognition serves as a testament to her profound impact on the sport and the lives she has touched throughout her career. Her legacy, both as an athlete and a coach, will inspire generations to come, underscoring the power of commitment, resilience, and a passion for excellence.

   

• Building blocks: Reggae Girlz defender Vyan Sampson cites positives despite 3-0 loss to France

  Though Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz suffered a 3-0 defeat to France in a challenging international friendly on Friday, England-born defender Vyan Sampson shared a measured, optimistic outlook on the team's performance, emphasizing growth over the result.

  While the defeat underscored the level of competition Jamaica continues to face at the highest level, Sampson sees the match—which was a repeat of last year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup draw—as a valuable step in the Girlz’s long-term journey to success.

  Playing against the 10-ranked team in the world, the 42nd-ranked Reggae Girlz displayed stretches of resilience and competitive spirit, even after two defensive errors forced by France’s consistent forward press resulted in two goals.

  Still, the Girlz held their own for the most parts and even created opportunities at the backend of the contest against the technically skilled French side, which got its goals from Clara Mateo (22nd), captain Wendie Renard (39th), and Sandy Baltimore (48th).

  Despite the outcome, Sampson, who wore the captain's armband, was quick to note the value of the experience, particularly for a team still adjusting to new recruits and evolving strategies.

  

  “I felt like we gave a good show of ourselves against a very good opposition. We could always do better, but with the short time we were in camp, we had a few things to focus on, and I felt like we gave them a good try. Sometimes coming into these windows, the moment we're looking for is not now; it's further down the line—a year down the line. So as long as we keep making steps every window, taking a bit from every game, we will be where we need to be at the right time,” Sampson said during a post-game press conference.

  Sampson pointed to the presence of a few new players, Taylor Hinds, Natasha Thomas, Lulu Jarvis, and Reanna Blades, who are in the early stages of finding their rhythm within the squad as part of Head coach Hubert Busby’s ongoing efforts to deepen the roster.

  But integration takes time, and Sampson, one of the more experienced players, understands that the team must be patient in bringing together new and seasoned players.

  “It's always good to have new faces, and we're always looking to build the team and improve in every way that we can. The core of the team is still pretty much the same, so it's just about gelling those relationships and building as a team,” Sampson reasoned.

  “Every single person in this team matters; anyone the coach selects to come into the fold is worth it, and it’s an opportunity for us to try new things. There were players playing in positions that are not necessarily their strong point, but we have to try these things against good opposition to get better,” she noted.

  Busby’s approach since returning to the programme has focused on exposing the Girlz to top-ranked teams, such as Brazil and now France, a strategy meant to prepare them for the intensity and tactical demands of future tournaments.

  

  For players like Sampson, this approach is vital, as it helps the team to improve their speed of play, possession game, and skills to prove more competitive on the global stage.

  The 28-year-old, who plies her trade with JEF United Chiba in the Japanese WE League, explained that the team is learning to focus less on individual matches and more on the bigger picture—how each game fits into their long-term goals, as they target a third-consecutive World Cup appearance.

  “I felt like I did my best to cover the spaces and cover in for my teammates, but I'm always a critical person, and I always want more. We had a few injuries, a few different changes that obviously changed the outcome of a game, but that’s just football; we don’t look into that too hard; we just make sure we take things from this game and we go from there.

  “France is always a good team, but we are not looking at them too tough because we are against ourselves at the end of the day in terms of our journey. So yeah, they are a good team, but there is more to this game for us,” she ended.

• Reggae Girlz suffer 3-0 defeat to France in international friendly

  Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz fell 3-0 to powerhouse France in an international friendly contest that demonstrated their tenacity as much as it did the defensive lapses at the Stade Auguste-Bonal on Friday.

  Facing a French team ranked 10th in the world, the Reggae Girlz showed early cohesion and confidence that hinted at the prospect of another brave performance similar to when they held the same opponents to goalless stalemate at last year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup.

  But as the game wore on, France’s unrelenting pressure found cracks in Jamaica’s defence, resulting in two costly errors in the first half that set the tone for a challenging evening.

  Clara Mateo (22nd), captain Wendie Renard (39th) and Sandy Baltimore (48th) got on the scoresheet for France, who in all honesty, could have won by a much wider margin.

  Despite the result, Reggae Girlz Head coach Hubert Busby emphasized the value of facing elite teams like France.

  “Coming up against a really good French team in a really competitive environment was always going to be tough, but I thought overall, as the game went on, the team got better. Again, I think these are the games that we want to play and we have to just keep on building on what we want to do as we head into the next window,” Busby said in a post-game interview.

  “When you bring in new players into the group, you can see that they are a little bit disjointed, so the more that we can continue to be together and keep building as a group, the better we'll be. So as of right now, we kind of turn the page and get ready for the next window in Jamaica when we host South Africa. And then we look to build on the, the principles that we've laid this week and look to correct some of the things that we didn't do as well in tonight's match,” he added.

  The Girlz showed no signs of being intimidated in the opening minutes, as they moved the ball effectively and kept France’s backline engaged at times.

  But as France settled and pressed deeper into Jamaica’s territory, the Girlz’s defence began to struggle under the mounting pressure. The French breakthrough came when Chantelle Swaby attempted to clear, but the ball went astray and into the path of Mateo, who swiftly fired past Rebecca Spencer in goal for Jamaica.

  France continued to apply pressure and consistently found gaps in Jamaica’s defence as they created numerous chances which required Spencer to be on her toes. On one of those occasions, the Tottenham Hotspur goaltender got down well in time to parry an effort from Kenza Dali.

  However, minutes later Renard eluded Allyson Swaby and Vyan Sampson deep in Jamaica’s 18-yard box and used the full length of her lanky figure to soar high head home Mateo’s weighted corner kick to put France 2-0 up at the break.

  Busby, seeing the need for adjustments, made tactical changes in the second half, particularly in the middle of the park, with hopes of getting in behind France’s high defensive line.

  Still, the Girlz struggled to contain the French attackers and another defensive mishap saw them fall further behind. This, as Baltimore rifled a left-footer past Spencer after Delphine Cascarino’s cross eluded Tiffany Cameron, who attempted to head clear.

  Though three goals down, the Girlz tried to play their game and Jody Brown skipped a defender on a break in the 63rd minute, but her shot was charged down by a second defender.

  Five minutes later Kayla McKenna had a grand opportunity to pull one back for the Girlz, but her first touch to get around France’s goalkeeper Constance Picaud in a one-on-one situation was too heavy and the opportunity went begging.

  France thought they had another when Renard again headed home from close range, but the goal was called back by VAR for an offside in the build up play.