Feb. 14, 2008

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State soccer head coach Heather Nelson has announced today the signings of Katie Snelson and Taylor Thomas of the St. Louis area to National Letters of Intent to compete for the Redhawks starting this August.

As players for the J.B. Marine club team in St. Louis, Snelson and Thomas helped them produce a record of 78-34-22 and win many championships across the country, including the Cocoa Beach Expo, Best of the Midwest, BFC Fall Classic and the Gateway Shootout. Both players helped guide J.B. Marine to a semifinal appearance in the 2006 Missouri State Cup.

Snelson was named team MVP in 2005 in addition to earning team captain and Most Outstanding Midfielder honors in 2006 as a member of the Oakville High School soccer team. She has maintained a 3.5 grade point average throughout her four years of high school. Snelson is also a part of the Oakville newspaper staff as an editor while participating in the A+ tutoring and Tiger Cage programs. In 2007, Snelson represented J.B. Marine and the Midwest Region by playing in the All-Star game at the Cocoa Beach Expo.

"Katie will be a solid addition to our midfield. She is fit, technical and has good field awareness," Nelson stated. "She has been recognized for her consistent performance and leadership qualities by being named captain of both her J.B. Marine and Oakville teams. We are excited to have her bring these qualities into our program."

Thomas is a four-year starter for Rockwood Summit. In 2007, Summit captured District and Regional championships and advanced to the Missouri State quarterfinals while compiling a record of 46-16-4 with her in the lineup. She earned Second Team All-Conference honors as a sophomore in 2006 and First Team All-Conference recognition after leading her team in assists and ranking third in goals scored the next season. In addition to soccer, Thomas has been a cheerleader, played field hockey and is a four-year member of Renaissance at Summit. She also excels in the classroom and has remained a Scholar-Athlete since her freshman year.

"I am excited to be joining Coach Nelson and the Southeast program and look forward to helping the team continue their winning tradition," Thomas said.

Snelson and Thomas join Shona Goodwin (Calgary, Alberta) and Nikki Edwards (Calgary, Alberta) as signees for the Redhawks. Nelson has announced that she will release more signings this week.