Hayashi Takes Home ICCAC's Top Individual Honor

Courtesy of the ICCAC

Iowa Western's Oruha Hayashi was named the 2024-25 Iowa Community College Athletic Conference's Female Student-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday, capping off one of the most decorated careers in NJCAA Women's Soccer history.

From the moment she arrived in Council Bluffs, the dynamic forward from Japan made an indelible impact on the pitch, redefining excellence with her skill, leadership, and relentless drive. A two-time United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Year National Player of the Year—the first to achieve that honor since 2008—Hayashi led the Reivers to a national championship in 2023 and a semifinal appearance in 2024. Over her two-year career, she amassed an astounding 44 goals and 38 assists, including 25 goals and 19 assists in her final season alone.

Her on-field dominance this season earned her a host of accolades, including NJCAA First Team All-American, Region 11 Player of the Year, and NJCAA Division I All-Tournament Team. Off the field, Hayashi excelled academically, earning NJCAA Second Team All-Academic honors, all while contributing to her community through outreach events and campus clean-ups.

Hayashi's remarkable achievements were further recognized with the prestigious 2024-25 NJCAA Betty Jo Graber Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award. This national honor, named for a pioneer of women's athletics within the NJCAA, celebrates student-athletes who embody leadership, service, and resilience—qualities Hayashi exemplifies both on and off the field. She will be formally honored at the 2025 NJCAA Hall of Fame and Awards event in Charlotte, N.C., becoming just the second Reiver in school history to receive the award, joining Yadhira Anchante of Iowa Western Volleyball who won in 2022. 

Now set to continue her academic and athletic journey at UCLA, Hayashi leaves Iowa Western as a once-in-a-generation talent whose legacy will resonate for years to come.

ICCAC Female Student-Athlete of the Year Winners: