Harvard Athletics already has a diverse representation in professional sports to be proud of, with active alumni in the NHL, NFL, and WNBA. By this Sunday, the Crimson may well be adding the fledgling Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) to that distinguished list.

Two former Harvard captains--fullback Jess Larson '00 and forward Beth Zotter '00--have been invited to try out for the WUSA at the first-ever League Combine, which began on Monday in Boca Raton, FL.

"It's unbelievable," Harvard co-captain Lauren Corkery said of her former teammates' opportunity to play in the WUSA. "They deserve it. If playing pro soccer is what they want to do, more power to them."

Larson and Zotter were among approximately 170 players invited to the WUSA Combine out of over 500 applicants. Through the course of this week, the two will play through five full days of games and workouts.

The first-ever WUSA Draft will be held on Saturday and Sunday. The draft results will be posted on wusaleague.com very shortly after they are announced.

Each of the eight WUSA franchises gets 15 picks in the draft. Although some draft picks will be allocated to last-second foreign signees and collegiate players, approximately 100 athletes will be selected to play in the WUSA from the combine.

Larson and Zotter have the potential to be drafted, although nothing is certain.

"It's really difficult to tell," Harvard Coach Tim Wheaton said. "Both have the ability to play at that level, but much of it depends on the coaches' choice. Once you get past the top eight or ten players on any roster, it all depends on what each individual coach wants."