NIACC's Smith wins regional title

February 15, 2025

COUNCIL BLUFFS - NIACC's Valerie Smith made school history on Saturday.

Smith became the NIACC women's wrestling teams first-ever regional champion by winning the NJCAA Region 11 235-pound title with a 26-second fall over Iowa Central's Breanna Salgado.

Smith pinned Hawkeye CC's Makenna Fetters in :24 in her semifinal match at the first-ever NJCAA Region 11 women's wrestling tournament. In NIACC's first two years of women's wrestling, a regional tournament was not held.

Smith, who is ranked second nationally, will head to the NJCAA national invitational tournament in March with a perfect record of 9-0 with seven falls. She has a career mark of 15-4 with 13 falls.

NIACC's Destine'e Thomas placed fourth at 207 pounds.

Thomas dropped a 10-0 technical fall decision to Iowa Central's Maia Esera in the semifinals.

Thomas pinned Indian Hills' Kara Schemkes in 5:55 in the consolation semifinals and was pinned by Iowa Central's Cynthia Ellis in 1:06 in the third-place match.

NIACC placed sixth with 27 points. Iowa Central was the regional champion with 163 points.