Thirteen students, including 12 members of the U-17 men's national soccer team, graduated Thursday night at Bradenton Prep's December Commencement.

Many of the team's members, who recently competed in the World Cup in Nigeria, will go on to play college soccer at such schools as UCLA, Wake Forest and Notre Dame.

The lone girl to graduate, Ellie Smith, will join the University of Alabama as the youngest player to take the soccer field in school history. "It is about the experiences we have all had together," said class speaker Jared Watts. "It is about the lessons we have learned along the way. It is about the lifelong friends we have made."

Other graduates included Marlon Duran, Earl Edwards Jr., Zachary Herold, Perry Kitchen, Stefan Jerome, Carlos Martinez, Jack McInerney, Emilio Orozco, Tyler Polak, Spencer Richey and Dominick Sarle.

Pictures to follow soon.