Maya Turner has been named the first female captain in the University of Manitoba Bisons football team's century-long history. The placekicker and punter, who previously made history as the first woman to score in U Sports football during both pre-season and regular seasons, was chosen as one of the team’s seven captains at the end of training camp this year. Head coach Stan Pierre praised Turner for her exceptional performance and leadership qualities, noting that she is an exemplary student athlete who sets a strong example for younger players.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Maya Turner named 1st female captain in University of Manitoba Bisons football history
'A huge honour and means a lot that they have that kind of respect': Turner
Maya Turner just keeps putting the boots to the history books for Canadian university football.
asserted
Turner → name → football
The placekicker and punter with the Manitoba Bisons — who became the first woman to score in U Sports football during a pre-season game in 2022 — is now the first female captain in the century-long history of the Bisons football program.
asserted
who → become → program
"It's really a huge honour and means a lot that they have that kind of respect for me, just as a player and a teammate, and that they see me as someone who's a leader and has a place on this team regardless of gender," Turner said.
asserted
Turner → mean → gender
The 24-year-old was named one of the team's seven captains — representing the many different positions — at the end of training camp.
asserted
old → name → camp
Head coach Stan Pierre announced the names to the team, "and yeah, my name was in there," Turner said, still sounding a bit surprised.
"Yeah, I guess I wasn't totally expecting it."
Maya Turner was the first woman to play and score in a pre-season U Sports football game, then became the first to do it in a regular-season game, and later became the first female Canada West football all-star.
asserted
Turner → announce → game
Handing the specialist captaincy to Turner as she enters her senior year was "a pretty easy decision," Pierre said.
asserted
Pierre → hand → year
She does everything you ask of her, and she does it at a very high level," he said.
asserted
he → do → level
"She's a great student, she's a great person, she works extremely hard.
asserted
she → work → ?
She doesn't miss anything and she doesn't make excuses for anything.
asserted
she → miss → anything
She just does everything correct.
asserted
She → do → everything
I can't think of a better mentor for our young players and a better example as a leader on our football team.
asserted
I → think → team
It's possible Turner's the first to break that gender leadership barrier in any Canadian university football program.
asserted
Turner → break → program
"I don't even know how many women have played U Sports [football] — I don't think it's five," Pierre said.
asserted
Pierre → know → football
"So I would venture a guess that there's a really good possibility that she is."
asserted
she → venture → guess
Bisons football head coach Stan Pierre says Turner is an exceptional player, period, with no asterisk required because she's female.
asserted
she → say → ?
Turner first inscribed her name into U Sports history (the national governing body for Canadian university athletics) with her 2022 pre-season boot, but she fully carved it in the following year.
asserted
she → inscribe → year
On Sept. 23, 2023, she became the first woman to play and score in a regular-season game, hitting a 21-yard field goal.
asserted
she → become → goal
Then she repeated that distance for the game-winning points in double overtime.
asserted
she → repeat → overtime
She finished the year with a 79 per cent accuracy mark — third-best percentage in Bison football's century-old history.
asserted
She → finish → history
In 2024, her field goal percentage of 75 led the Canada West conference and she hit another one from 48 yards out.
asserted
she → lead → one
Her performance led to her being named a Canada West all-star — another first for women in U Sports football.
asserted
her → lead → football
She kicked 76 per cent in 2025, including a 15-point contribution on Oct. 18 (four field goals and three extra points) to help the Bisons erase a 10-point deficit and win 33-31.
asserted
Bisons → kick → deficit
Turner, who is from Maple Grove, Minn., about 15 kilometres northwest of Minneapolis, played soccer at Loyola University in Chicago before transitioning to kicker with its club football team.
asserted
who → play → team
She attended multiple kicking camps in the U.S. and reached out to hundreds of schools to see if any would consider adding her to their men's football team.
asserted
any → attend → team
"I was just super determined to play this sport at a high level.
asserted
I → play → level
I knew that I had the abilities, and so I was confident that there would be someone who would be able to recognize that," she said.
asserted
she → know → that
She was invited for a tryout with the Bisons and impressed enough to be offered a roster spot.
asserted
She → invite → spot
"Ever since I've been here, I think everyone's done a really good job of just seeing me as football player first and trying to not have me being a woman impact anything," Turner said.
asserted
Turner → think → anything
Manitoba's Turner to become 1st woman to play in regular-season U Sports football game
Trailblazing University of Manitoba placekicker outboots the men to earn Canada West all-star honours
Pierre agreed, saying the attention Turner gets from outside the Bisons program is understandable, but within the team, she is beloved "not because she's a female but because she's a really good person and a really good player.
asserted
she → become → team
It really doesn't feel like anything all that peculiar."
asserted
It → feel → anything
Still, her marks on history are directly linked to her gender, and Pierre hopes Turner has mowed a path for others to follow, though he acknowledged the gender barriers haven't exactly been kicked down.
asserted
barriers → link → path
"I hope she loosened those barriers a little bit and that there is more opportunity.
asserted
she → hope → barriers
But I'm not naive," he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
"If there's another female out there that is capable of doing it, I hope that it inspires her.
asserted
it → be → her
But Maya is a special athlete and what she's done isn't easy.
asserted
done → do → what
"She's exceptional to be good enough to compete at this level."
asserted
She → compete → level
The Aporia
