FORMER Waterhouse and Excelsior High School playmaker Omolyn Davis became the first Jamaican player to drafted into the US Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPSL), after being selected as the No 10 pick for the Washington Freedom last Friday.

The 23-year-old who played for Lindsay Wilson College before transferring to George Mason University in 2008, made her impression this summer for the Washington Freedom Futures in the USL’s W-League, scoring seven goals with three assists in 12 games to help her team to a 10-1-1 record.

The Jamaican star led her school and Conference with 10 goals and nine assists in the college league to earn a spot on the All-American team.

“I’ve been waiting for this day ever since I’ve been playing soccer,” Davis told the Sunday Observer.

“I’ve been with the Washington Freedom (Futures) this past summer, so I have some sort of experience as it regards their organisation and how they train, because we get to train with a couple of the girls who were playing pro,” she explained.

The Washington Freedom is home to US international standout Abby Wambach and will be one of eight franchises in the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) League.

Davis had a fabulous few months playing in the United Soccer Leagues W-League, which culminated with her being named to the 2010 All-League Team.

She was named All-CAA and NSCAA All-Region in 2009 when she helped George Mason to the nation’s top turnaround in wins, and was one of two members of the Washington Freedom Futures to be chosen.

Meanwhile, George Mason head coach Diane Drake described the lanky attacker as one of the best dribblers on the ball that he has ever coached or seen in the college game and is confident she will be a success in the WPSL.

“She is fantastic about controlling pressure if a defender is tight on her. She has the ability to break by one to several defenders with tricky and cheeky moves,” he gushed.

“She is a threat to set up a goal at any time because of this and she has begun to score goals and spent the summer in the W League as one of the top goalscorers for the Washington Freedom Futures,” he added.

While at Excelsior, Davis won the schoolgirls title and the Sherwin Williams Women’s Premier League’s Most Valuable Player and leading goalscorer awards.

She also played for the Jamaican Senior team and competed at the 2007 Pan-American Games, the 2007 World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Los Angeles and the Under-20 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Mexico in 2006.

Further, she competed in the Women’s Premier Soccer League for FC Indiana, winning the league title.

At Lindsey Wilson College, Davis played two years at NAIA and was named to the First-Team All-Region as a freshman and was a First-Team All-American, Mid-South Conference Player of the Year and First-Team All-Region as a sophomore.

In 2008 she sat out the season under the NCAA transfer rule after her move to George Mason, although she was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and received the CAA Commissioner’s Award.

In 2009 she was named first-team All-Region, first-team All-CAA and first-team All-ECAC after scoring 10 goals and handing out eight assists in the season.

Davis’ coach at Excelsior and Waterhouse, Xavier Gilbert, was pleased with her achievement, seeing it as a gateway for other Jamaicans.

“I’ve worked closely with her since she was 13 years old and she is like a daughter…. She has made me, her school, the club and Jamaicans very proud,” said Gilbert.

He said being picked in the top 10 in any draft is a major achievement and it was good for Jamaica and women’s football.

“She is very dedicated and has worked hard… she always wanted to play professionally… that was one of her objectives, and being drafted to one of the top teams means she has definitely made her mark,” he said.

Jamaican playmaker Omolyn Davis (foreground) on the ball against Ecuador during a Women’s Pan-American Games match in Brazil in 2007.