Nov. 3, 1999

Dallas, Texas - University of Missouri soccer forwards Nikki Thole and Erin Grimsley have been named to the 1999 All-Big 12 Soccer teams, the conference announced late Tuesday. The All-Big 12 teams were selected by the conference's 11 coaches. Sharolta Nonen of Nebraska was named the Big 12's Player of the Year. Iowa State's Kate Antongiovanni was named the Rookie of the Year and Nebraska's John Walker was named the Coach of the Year.

The 1999 award is the third of Thole's three-season career, she is one of three forwards on the first team. The last two years she has been named to the conference's frst team, in 1997, as a freshman, the St. Louis, Mo. native was named to the second team. This is Grimsley's first appearance among the conference top-22 players during the regular season. She was named to the 1999 All-Big 12 second team at forward.

Grimsley actually led the Tigers' with 20 points in Big 12 Conference action, scoring eight goals and assisting on four other goals. She ranked fourth among Big 12 players in scoring and goals scored in conference. Overall she has netted 14 goals with nine assists during Missouri's 19-match regular season.

Thole also scored eight goals during ten Big 12 matches. She also added three assists for 19 total points, fifth in the Big 12. The junior scored four match-winning goals over a Big 12 schedule in which Missouri finished 6-3-1. Thole enters post-season play with 17 goals and eight assists overall, leading Missouri with 42 points.

The 25th-ranked Missouri Tigers take on Coolorado tonight at 7:30pm at the Blossom Soccer Stadium in first round action at the Big 12 Conference Tournament. Missouri in the No.3-seed, the Buffaloes are the No.6-seed. Minute-by-minute action can be tracked at the Big 12 Conference's official website, www.big12sports.com.