University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Macy Smith named UNI’s fall 2025 State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award winner
2/5/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Former Panther soccer standout recognized for academic success, sportsmanship and community service by the MVC.
ST. LOUIS --- Former UNI soccer player Macy Smith was recognized by the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) on Thursday afternoon as one of 11 student-athletes from around the league to receive the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award for the 2025-26 fall sports season.
The winners, selected by MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson, are recognized for good academic standing through the demonstration of sportsmanship and other significant community service. In total 33 MVC student-athletes are honored during the school year, one from each conference institution for the fall, winter and spring seasons.
Smith, who graduated from UNI this past semester, earned Third Team All-MVC honors, along with College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District and MVC Scholar-Athlete Team recognition in her final season with the Panthers. The Waverly, Iowa native led Northern Iowa with five goals on the year plus one assist, finishing her collegiate career ranked sixth on the program's all-time scoring list with 16 goals, as well as fourth in career game-winning goals (5), sixth in career games with a goal scored (14) and tenth in total points (34).
Graduating with a degree in business administration and a minor in sports administration and economics, Smith notably helped organize UNI soccer's annual Kick MITO Game over the last four seasons, designed to help raise awareness for mitochondrial disease, a condition her younger brother Jace passed away from in 2016. Smith also served as a member of UNI's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) during her time as a student-athlete, as well as a representative on the UNI Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame Committee.
The 2025-26 fall sport honorees of the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award include:
- Katie Virtel - Belmont (Women's Soccer)
- Trizie Wraith - Bradley (Women's Cross Country)
- Grace Smith - Drake (Women's Soccer)
- Ainoah Cruz - Evansville (Volleyball)
- Bella Lister - UIC (Women's Soccer)
- Erika Wells - Illinois State (Women's Soccer)
- Anna Chor - Indiana State (Women's Soccer)
- Mary Hardy - Murray State (Women's Soccer)
- Macy Smith - UNI (Women's Soccer)
- Eva Krakowski - Southern Illinois (Volleyball)
- Addy Kois - Valparaiso (Volleyball)
UNI women's soccer action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Panther Soccer), X (@UNI_Soccer) and on Instagram (@unipanthersoccer). Schedule and roster information, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
