Aug. 11, 2010
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By Miquel Jacobs
Media Relations Assistant
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior forward Kayla Grimsley has been named as one of 45 players selected to the 2010 Watch List for the Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC) Hermann Trophy, the top individual award presented in intercollegiate soccer.
The male and female winners of the award are selected through voting by the members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Voting for the MAC Hermann Trophy is conducted in late November, when a field of 15 semifinalists is reduced to three finalists. Each January, the winners are honored at an annual banquet at the MAC, located in downtown St. Louis. The MAC’s Hermann Trophy is on exhibition at the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum in Oneonta, N.Y.
Grimsley’s appearance marks the first time a Gamecock has been selected as a candidate for the prestigious award. The honor comes on the heels of being selected for the Preseason All-SEC team. She is a two-time postseason All-SEC selection, a TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Season selection and returns for her junior season after one of the top all-around performances in Gamecock history. She became just the fifth player at South Carolina to hit double-digit goals in a season and finished with 13 goals and seven assists for 33 points. She finished first in the SEC in goals, second in points and fifth in assists, while coming just one point short of setting the South Carolina single-season record. Grimsley (Lakeland, Fla.) started the season with a record nine-match scoring streak and spent parts of the summer training with the U.S. U-20 and U-23 national teams.
“I’m excited for Kayla’s recognition,” South Carolina head coach Shelley Smith said. “It is well-deserved. With all the work she’s put in in her two years here, and in her opportunities with the national teams, she’s proven that she’s one of the top players in the country. She should be honored to be nominated for this. We’re proud of what she’s done and brought to our program. We know she’ll have another great season with what she’s put in to prepare for it.”
No. 12 South Carolina opens the 2010 season on Aug. 20 when the team travels to Boston, Mass., to play the Terriers and Northeastern Huskies. Fans can get their first look at the 2010 team and get signed posters at the Fan Appreciation Day scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 15 at 12:30 p.m. Season Tickets for the 2010 season are currently on sale. Ticket prices are $25 for adults and $10 for students. They can be purchased at GamecocksOnline.com or by calling (800) 4SC-FANS.
