Jan. 22, 2008

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU defender Adrian Chevannes was selected in the third round (36th overall) of the 2008 Major League Soccer SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids.

The Rapids already have two SMU graduates on their roster: defender Ugo Ihemelu and midfielder Colin Clark.

One of the most versatile players in the nation, Chevannes made a seamless transition from forward (where he earned second-team All-Conference USA accolades a year ago after finishing the season as the team's second-leading scorer) to defender, where he immediately became a key cog in the SMU defense, earning first-team All-Conference USA honors while scoring a pair of goals from his position on the back line.

Colorado's selection of Chevannes keeps alive a tradition of Mustangs getting drafted by Major League Soccer teams, including: defender Jay Needham, selected last year by DC United; forward Duke Hashimoto, chosen in 2006 by the Columbus Crew; and Ihemelu, who was taken (fifth overall) by the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2005.