BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Willy Guadarrama of Campbell University became the first Campbell University graduate to reach Major League Soccer last month when he signed a contract with the Kansas City Wizards.

"For the past 20 years I have been in pursuit of a lifelong dream, a dream that only a handful of soccer players have the chance to live," said Guadarrama. "Now with the support of my family, coaches and friends, plus all of the hard work put in over the years, I have been given the opportunity here with the Kansas City Wizards to live that dream. Hopefully I will continue to progress and achieve success as a professional athlete."

The Cedar Park, Texas resident appeared in four games for Kansas City during a pre-season exhibition tour of Argentina. He had an assist for the Wizards Reserves in a 2-2 draw against San Lorenzo on Mar. 13. Guadarrama came off the bench in the 75th minute of 2-0 loss Mar. 19 at Argentine power Boca Juniors. He then scored a 75th minute strike in a 4-0 win over River Plate on Mar. 21.

Guadarrama was also the first Fighting Camel to be picked by an organization when the Wizards made him a fourth-round selection in the supplemental phase of the MLS Super Draft on Jan. 18 since the United States' top soccer league was formed in 1996.

"We are all excited for the opportunity Willy has earned with Kansas City and Major League Soccer," said Campbell head coach Doug Hess. "No doubt he was determined from the get-go to become a professional athlete and we are very proud of his accomplishments."

A 2006 pre-season All-America choice, Guadarrama led the Atlantic Sun Conference in game-winning goals (4), while ranking second in goals scored (9) and points (21). The Cedar Park, Texas native finished his three-year career tied for 12th among Campbell's all-time goal scoring leaders (36), while ranking 13th in points (82) in 56 matches. He was named to the first-team all-conference, second-team All-South and A-Sun all-tournament squads.

Despite having one year of eligibility remaining, Guadarrama graduated in December with a degree in sport management in order to begin his pursuit of a professional soccer career. He was selected as the 2005 Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year, first-team All-South and third-team All-American after leading the nation in goals and points scored per game with 21 strikes (46 points) in 20 outings.

Guadarrama's younger brother, Sonny, signed a professional contract with Santos (Mexico) last summer after gaining Freshman All-America honors in 2005, his only season with the Fighting Camels.

Campbell went 6-2-1 over its final nine matches of 2006 to finish the season at 10-7-2. Four of CU's seven losses on the year came against schools that were either regionally or nationally ranked. Fifth-year head coach Doug Hess' Camels produced the program's first back-to-back winning seasons since 1995-96.

Guadarrama contributed 12 points (five goals, two assists) in seven games during the month of October when CU went 5-1-1. He was selected A-Sun Player of the Week on Oct. 23 after he struck three times and set up another goal in wins over Belmont and Lipscomb.

Kansas City opens the 2007 regular season April 14 against DC United at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Guadarrama's progress with the Wizards may be tracked on-line at http://kc.wizards.mlsnet.com.