NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Coming on the heels of a seventh place finish in the triple jump at the NCAA track and field championships, dual sport athlete Simone Charley has been selected for an opportunity of a lifetime with the U.S. Soccer Under-23 National Team Camp.
An All-SEC student-athlete and SEC honor roll member, Charley is the first-ever Commodore to be invited to the U-23 camp as well as the first athlete invited to participate with both the U.S. Soccer U-23 National Team and the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association U-23 Track team.
Last summer the Hoover, Ala. native traveled to El Salvador and represented the USA at the NACAC Under-23 Championships, placing second in the international event.
“I am extremely happy for Simone,” said head coach Darren Ambrose. “I feel she has the potential to make an impact at that level and it is something I know she has dreamed about. I hope it leads to even bigger things for her down the road. To do what she has done in track and now in soccer is unique and speaks to the athletic qualities she has worked hard to develop. As she now transitions back full time to soccer, she is a player that everyone will be very aware of.”
Charley and her fellow participants will compete in the Thorns Spring Invitational from March 26-April 1 in Portland, Oregon, taking on three NWSL teams at Providence Park in the 10-day period. The second annual four-team tournament features the U.S. U-23 WNT, Portland Thorns FC, Chicago Red Stars and Houston Dash.
Quickly switching back over from track to soccer, the redshirt-junior has been working tirelessly twice a day in preparation for the event. Alongside Ambrose and his staff, Charley has been refining her technical work and laced up in this past Sunday’s spring victory against Middle Tennessee, 2-0.
The U-23 team is preparing for their next main event, the Nordic Cup, which is slated for mid-June. For Commodore fans in the Portland-area, tickets to the event start at $8 and are on sale online.
The USA’s match against the Thorns will be streamed online at www.thornsfc.com. The other two matches will be not available to watch online.
