Trojans' Smith enters nationals ranked second
COUNCIL BLUFFS - NIACC will send seven wrestlers to the NJCAA women's national invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Mid-America Center.
Competing for the Trojans will be Maria Roque (117), Jenesis Sanders (117), Keira Suro (138), Maria Sanfiel (145), Carly Klein (160), Emery Hippen (180), Destine'e Thomas (207) and Valerie Smith (235).
The opening round of the national invitational begins at 9 a.m. on Friday.
Smith enters the national invitational undefeated and ranked second at 235 pounds. Southeast CC's Kiara Boldridge enters this weekend's invitational ranked first.
Barring any upsets, Smith and Boldridge would meet in the semifinals Saturday morning. Smith faces Joliet's Fernanda Miranda in her first match on Friday morning.
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 on Feb. 15 in Council Bluffs.
Smith pinned Hawkeye CC's Makenna Fetters in :24 in her semifinal match at the first-ever NJCAA Region 11 women's wrestling tournament.
Smith heads to the NJCAA national invitational tournament with a perfect record of 9-0 with seven falls. She has a career mark of 15-4 with 13 falls.
Smith earned all-American honors with a fourth-place finish at 235 pounds at the 2023 national invitational tournament.
Women's national invitational schedule
Friday
9 a.m. - Preliminaries first round, consolation first round, championship second round, consolation second round, consolation third round
5:45 p.m. - Championship quarterfinals, consolation fourth round, consolation quarterfinals
Saturday
9:30 a.m. - Championship semifinals
11 a.m. - Consolation semifinals
12:15 p.m. - Consolation finals
5:30 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
5:50 p.m. - Parade of All-Americans
6 p.m. - Championship finals
NIACC's opening matches
117 - Maria Roque (NIACC) received first-round bye. Roque faces Madison Roe (Carl Albert State)/Valentina Martinez (Snow) winner in second round. Jenesis Sanders (NIACC) vs. Laila Mirza (Carl Albert State)
138 - Keira Suro (NIACC) vs. Cieanna Ficken (Hawkeye CC)
145 - Maria Sanfiel (NIACC) vs. Taya Hunt (Carl Albert State)
160 - Carly Klein (NIACC) vs. Rory Siems (Hawkeye CC)
180 - Emery Hippen (NIACC) received a first-round bye. Hippen faces Caroline Purcell (Fort Hays)/Aaliyah Presley (Iowa Central) winner in second round.
207 - Destine'e Thomas (NIACC) received a first-round bye. Thomas faces Alyson Krum (Hawkeye CC)/Julianna Onate (Joliet) winner in second round.
235 - Valerie Smith (NIACC) vs. Fernanda Miranda (Joliet)
