Nov. 3, 2009

Columbia, Mo. - 10 members of the University of Missouri women's soccer team were given Big 12 All-Academic team honors, the conference announced on Tuesday. Among those 10, seven were named to the conference's All-Academic first team.

Seniors Bree Thornton (Lake View Terrace, Calif.), Crystal Wagner (Houston, Texas), and Meghan Pfeiffer (Chesterfield, Mo.), junior Alysha Bonnick (North Gower, Ontario) and sophomores Kelsey Blincow (Lewisville, Texas), Kendra Collins (Naperville, Ill.), and Jessie Crabtree (Marion, Ill.) each earned Academic All-Big 12 first team honors. Senior Michelle Collins (Naperville, Ill.), and sophomores Brittany Hopkins (Rochester Hills, Mich.) and Mallory Stipetich (Liberty, Mo.) were named to the second team.

Thornton was one of 11 players in the conference nominated with a 4.00 grade point average, as she earned first team honors for the second consecutive year. Wagner and Pfeiffer are making their first appearance on the conference's All-Academic first team after being nominated to the second team the past two seasons. Michelle Collins is making her second consecutive appearance on the conference's second team.

Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the soccer academic all-league squad consists of 84 first team members combined with 19 on the second team. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

The Tigers will return to action as the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 4, as they take on No. 8 seed Kansas at 5:30 p.m. in San Antonio, Texas.