Monday September 30, 2002

lorida International University mourned the loss today of two members of its athletic family. Former women's soccer player Sasja Odenyo and former athletic trainer Theresa Wint were killed on Sunday in an automobile accident in Georgia. Another former women's soccer player, Erika Jaderblom, remains hospitalized.

The three women were traveling back to the Fort Lauderdale area after playing in an Atlanta-area tournament with the Florida Rockets from the Broward Women's League when the accident occurred on southbound I-75 near Ashburn, Georgia.

Odenyo will be remembered for breaking school records her junior season in goals scored (25) and points (57). That year, she finished third in the NCAA in points per game (2.71) and second in goals per game (1.19). Odenyo went on to be named the Sun Belt Conference Tournament MVP, Newcomer of the Year and unanimous first-team all-conference.

Wint was a student athletic trainer and one of the first Upward Bound participants at the university to earn a diploma. Upward Bound assists high school students in their dream of becoming the first in their families to obtain a college degree.

Odenyo and Wint both graduated with bachelor's degrees from FIU in the spring of 2002.

Jaderblom, a defender who started every game she played during two seasons at FIU, was named second-team All-Sun Belt Conference last season. A senior, she is still enrolled in classes at the university.

"All the young women involved were wonderful people," said FIU head coach Everton Edwards. "I'm dumbfounded and numb right now. I'm trying hard to sort this out in my mind. This is a sad day indeed for women's soccer at FIU."

"We are all deeply saddened by the events over the weekend," said FIU Athletic Director Rick Mello. "All our hearts and prayers go out to the families."

FIU's Women's Soccer game with Western Kentucky was canceled today. No makeup date has been scheduled. The game was originally slated for 2:00 p.m. (ET) at University Park.