PHILADELPHIA, PA (Jan. 15, 2010) – Atlanta Beat General Manager Shawn McGee announced 20-year-old, midfielder Tobin Heath as the number one draft pick in the 2010 WPS Draft.

Heath is a native of Basking Ridge, New Jersey who has won three NCAA Championships with the Carolina Tarheels and has acquired 19 caps with the US Women’s National Team. In 2009, she was a Soccer America preseason All-American and was tapped for the 2009 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Watch list.

“In short time I have known her, I really believe Tobin is going to be quite an asset to our team both on the field and out in community,” said the GM. “We picked-up one of the best players in the NCAA, and we believe that will soon become one of the best players in WPS. Tobin will be a fixture on the US Women's national team for many years to come.”

Heath first trained with the full WNT in January of 2007 before making her roster debut at the Four Nations Tournament in China in 2008. She was the youngest player on the Beijing Olympic gold medal team, where she saw action in three games off the bench. In 2008 alone, Heath earned her first 17 caps and scored her first-ever WNT goal, which came against China at the Algarve Cup. Prior to joining the full WNT, Heath started for the silver medal-winning U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team at the Pan-American Games in 2007. She was a standout at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Russia, was one of five players to make the World Cup roster without participating in CONCACAF Qualifying, and was the third youngest player on the World Cup roster.

“We feel that Tobin is a player that will immediately make an impact in WPS,” said Beat Head Coach Gareth O’Sullivan. “ She is a player we want to have on the ball as much as possible and a player, who we believe, fans will enjoy watching.”

Following No. 1 draft pick, Tobin Heath, the Atlanta Beat's 2010 draft class also includes:

Third Round 　　　　Overall # 21 　　　　Blakely Mattern, Defender, South Carolina
Third Round 　　　　Overall # 23 　　　　Shameka Gordon, Defender/Midfielder, West Florida
Fourth Round 　          Overall #30 　　   　 Jill Hutchinson, Forward, Wake Forest
Round Five 　　　　  Overall #39 　　　 　Mallori Lofton-Malachi, GK, South Florida

(traded to Philly for UGA’s Carrie Patterson)

Round Six 　　　　　Overall #48 　　　　　Kasey Langdon, F, Oklahoma St.
Round Seven 　　　  Overall # 57 　　　      Shaneka Gordon, F, West Florida