NIACC's Smith earns ICCAC wrestler of week honor

MASON CITY - NIACC sophomore Valerie Smith was selected as the ICCAC women's wrestler of the week for the week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2.

Smith, who is ranked second, was 4-0 last week with four falls. She opened the week with a :52 second pin of Hawkeye CC's Makenna Fetters and then won three matches to claim the 235-pound gold division title at the Grand View Open.

At the Grand View Open, Smith, who is from Old Hickory, Tenn., pinned third-ranked Gabby Watson of Carl Albert State College in 1 minute, 25 seconds in the 235-pound gold title match.

Smith advanced to the finals with a pin in 5:35 over Indian Hills' Kennedi Washington, who is ranked seventh. Smith opened the tournament with a :19 fall over Rayanne Mutchler of the University of Jamestown.

Smith is 6-0 with five falls this season and has a career mark of 12-4 with 11 falls. She earned all-American honors with a fourth-place finish at 235 pounds at the 2023 NJCAA national invitational tournament and sat out the 2023-24 season.

Smith is the first NIACC women's wrestler to earn ICCAC wrestler of the week honors since Laken Lienhard won the award for the week of Nov. 7-13, 2022.

NIACC returns to action Wednesday at home against Iowa Western. The ICCAC dual meet starts at 6 p.m. in the NIACC recreation center.

Smith will face the Reivers' eighth-ranked Yoseline Perez.