Carmen Watley

Position:
Defender
Height:
5-7
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Greensboro, NC

General—Moved into a full-time starting position for the Tar Heels on defense in 2002...three-year letterwinner...saw her playing time increase significantly as a sophomore as she became the first defensive substitute off the bench...was a pleasant surprise as freshman in 2000, making significant contributions off the bench as a midfielder...one of the top high school players in North Carolina three years ago...a Carolina crowd favorite with her hustle and determination.

ODP Soccer Experience—Played on the Greensboro Twisters Club Team which won the 1998 Orange Classic, 1998 Atlanta Cup and was the 1998 WAGS runner-up...helped lead Twisters to State Cup semifinals in both 1998 and 1999...invited to the adidas Elite Soccer Program in 1998 and 1999...1999 regional pool player...member of 1996, 1997 and 1999 state teams...named to adidas ESP ‘99 All-Star Team.

2002 Season—Moved into a starting role last year as she started 19 of the 26 matches in which she played...started the last 12 games of the season...had one assist against FIU for her only point of the season.

2001 Season—Was one of the team’s most valuable reserve players...played in 24 of the team’s 25 games...started games against Charlotte, Penn State in the regular season and UAB...had a goal and an assist in UNC’s shutout win over Charlotte.

2000 Season—Was a valuable reserve for the Tar Heels while playing in 14 games a freshman...early in the season she came off the bench to spell regulars on the front line but later in the year she was filling key voids in the midfield...she scored goals against both South Carolina and Oregon in the Nike Carolina Classic...the coaches really depended on her play late in the year...she played significant chunks of time in all three ACC Tournament wins over NC State, Florida State and Duke...she came off the bench to make key contributions in the final four rounds of the NCAA Tournament run against Virginia, Connecticut, Notre Dame and UCLA.

Prep—Graduated from Western Guilford High School on June 10, 2000...manned five different positions on the field during her high school soccer career...four-year varsity letterwinner...competed in 2000 East-West High School All-Star game...winner of school’s soccer scholar-athlete award in 1997, 1998 and 2000...led Western Guilford to the state, regional and conference championships in 1999 and to conference title in 1998 and conference runner-up finish in 1997...2000 Conference Player of the Year...named to 1997 all-conference team and to all-city and all-region honorable mention team that year...competed in track in long jump, pole vault and as a relay performer...led high school track team to conference title in 1997...varsity letterwinner, setting school records in pole vault and as member of 400-meter and 800-meter relays...selected 1999 All-Conference in long jump and in both relays...1999 regional pole vault and 800-meter relay champion...1999 All-State selection in the pole vault and on both relay squads...1999 high school team MVP...2000 All-Regional in pole vault...member of 800 relay team which finished second in the 2000 state meet...nominated for Governor’s School...accepted for the North Carolina School of Science and Math’s Summer Ventures Program...National Honor Roll student...member of Beta Club.

Personal—Given name is Carmen Alexis Watley...was born May 8, 1982 in Greensboro, N.C....the only child of James and Cecelia Watley...has been given a host of nicknames by her Tar Heel teammates...hobbies include eating, sleeping and clubbing...says her parents have had the biggest influence on her athletic career...lists her favorite book as A Farewell To Arms, favorite food as homemade Macaroni and Cheese, favorite movie as Dirty Dancing and favorite TV show as anything on the WB...biggest sports thrill was winning the NCAA title her freshman year...majors in communications and minors in English...athletes she most admires are Allen Iverson, Brandon Russell and Katy Potter.