Champions!

My little brother has had a tremendous 3 1/2 years in college, and we are all so very proud of him. He has won numerous awards and always said it would not be perfect until he made it to the NCAA championship. Yesterday we were able to watch (on TV) the USC Gamecocks clench the Conference championship with a shutout! They earned a bye through the first round of the NCAA tournament, so will play the winner of Duke/Coastal Carolina on Sunday afternoon! Congrats Jimmy and the rest of the team!

*(I have to admit I was a nervous wreck and was PRAYING so hard the game would end with a WIN and not with a shootout!)

the proud goalie and captain with the conference trophy

***not only is this guy a great husband, dad, brother, son, and soccer player....he also carries a full load of classes, graduated a semester early, and has done so with an AMAZING grade point average! check out this article:
Nov. 10, 2010 IRVING, Texas – Conference USA's commitment to excellence, both on the field and in the classroom, continues to show as 11 men’s soccer student-athletes have been named to the 2010 Conference USA All-Academic Team. South Carolina produced four selections to the team, while Marshall and Memphis followed with two apiece. SMU, Tulsa and UCF each had one student-athlete honored. Complete Men's Soccer All-Academic Team Release South Carolina senior goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer was the lone unanimous choice for the honor as the Finance and Marketing double-major holds a 3.94 GPA. Maurer, an All-Conference second team selection, receives the academic recognition for the third consecutive year. Conference USA 2010 Co-MVP Blake Brettschneider, a Public Relations major with a 3.714 GPA, was selected for the second straight year. Also representing the Gamecocks is senior Will Traynor with his 3.774 Sport and Entertainment Management GPA, and midfielder Stephen Morrissey as the junior holds a 3.906 GPA in Accounting.