Youth Soccer News: US Youth Soccer 2012 Region III U-13 and U-19 Champions Crowned

The first four champions, Under-13 and Under-19 Boys and Girls, were crowned Wednesday at the US Youth Soccer Region III (South) Championships presented by the National Guard. Celebrations and emotions were on display as U-13 Girls Dallas Texans (TX-N), U-13 Boys NASA 17 Elite (GA), U-19 Girls CCSC Sol (FL) and U-19 Boys GSA 93 Phoenix Red (GA) claimed their respective titles. The Under-19 champions will continue their journey and compete at the prestigious US Youth Soccer National Championships July 25-29 at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, S.C. The rest of the age groups will play final matches Thursday at MeSA Soccer Complex in Greenville, S.C.

Highlighting the oldest age group on the day, Brentwood 93 Premier (TN) fell to CCSC SOL (FL) 2-0 in the U-19 Girls final. A brilliant Emily Cooksey strike gave CCSC the lead just before half, and Allison Brashear added an insurance goal in the 63^rd. Many of the girls on this CCSC team were formerly of Ponte Vedra and competed in the National Championships, but have never won that coveted title.

Longtime rivals CESA 92 (SC) and GSA 93 Phoenix Red (GA) battled in the U-19 Boys final for the chance to compete for the James P McGuire cup at the national championships. After a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation, Josimar Olmos and Donimic Bonilla found the net for GSA claim the regional title for the first time for this squad.

Wednesday Final Scores:

Under-13 Girls
OK	Tulsa Blitz 99 white	0	TX-N	Dallas Texans	1
Goal Scorer: Dallas - Ashlyn Heckman (15:00)
Under-13 Boys
GA	NASA 17 Elite	2	TN	99 Lobos Blue	1
Goal Scorers: NASA - Logan Llano (4:00, 10:00)
Lobos - Collin Scott (66:00)
Under-19 Girls
TN	Brentwood 93 Premier	0	FL	CCSC U19 SOL	2
Goal Scorers: CCSC - Emily Cooksey (43:00) Allison Brashear (63:00)
Under-19 Boys
GA	GSA 93 Phoenix Red	3	SC	CESA 92 Premier	1
Goal Scorers: GSA - OG (79:00) Josimar Olmos (100:00) Dominic Bonilla (117:00)
CESA - Oliver Nobels (70:00)

The top 200 US Youth Soccer boys and girls teams from the 12 State Associations that make up US Youth Soccer Region III will compete for the 2012 regional title. Quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be played June 18-21 at MeSA Soccer Complex. 

The US Youth Soccer National Championships will consist of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the Under-14 through Under-19 Boys and Girls age groups as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the Under-15 through Under-17 Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 60 teams. 

 Daily reports and complete results from the tournament are available on http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/regionIII. Follow the moments from the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series on Twitter and share the moments with us on Facebook.

About the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series – The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides more than 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the opportunity to showcase their abilities against the best in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play. The yearlong competition begins with over 185,000 players in the US Youth Soccer State Championships.  These champions and selected wildcard teams, through US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues, advance to compete in one of four the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships. Champions (U-14 through U-19) from each regional event advance to the US Youth Soccer National Championships.  The Under-15 through 17 Boys and Girls age groups have two teams representative of the US Youth Soccer National League, in which the top two teams in each gender age group earn a direct path to the national championships. Overall the National Championship Series provides top collegiate coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country. For more information, visit http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org.

About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) – US Youth Soccer - "The Game for ALL Kids!^?" is the largest youth sports organization in the country and largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, and over 900,000 administrators, coaches and volunteers in 55 member State Associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. For more information, visit www.USYouthSoccer.org.

Related Article: Region III Championship Pairs Set at U-13 and U-19