CLASSIC UNITED U-13 PLACES 9TH IN NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Classic United of Cape Girardeau recently got a taste of national soccer competition when it competed in the National Indoor Soccer Championships, a tournament that collected 2,000 regional winners to Cleveland.

Classic United competed in the Under-13 Boys Premier division. The local squad won its four-team sub-division and placed ninth among the 24 teams in its division.

In sub-division play, Classic United defeated Ohio Premier 3-2, tied Citadel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) '86 3-3, and beat Grand Valley (Rockford, Mich.). The team qualified for finals play but was eliminated by Styx and Kicks Rage of Syracuse, N.Y., which lost to the eventual champion in the semifinal round.

The team, coached by Barry Zerbe and Rod Crist, competes in the St. Louis Youth Soccer Association Premier outdoor league two days a week and competes in four or five tournaments in the Midwest in both fall and spring seasons.

In its 1 1/2 years of existence, the team has compiled a 46-16-4 record. In three indoor tournaments in 1999, Classic United has a cumulative 8-2-1 record.