Natalie Rasmussen added her name to an exclusive list of Iowa Central softball players by being named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Junior College Athletic Association Div. II First Team All-American.

Joining the Triton shortstop on the first team was Mischa Reiners of Kirkwood, the daughter of Fort Dodge Senior High graduate and former University of Iowa quarterback Randy Reiners. Des Moines Area’s Kierra Jungers, a Newell-Fonda grad, was placed on the second-team.

Other ICCAC honorees included first team selections Libby Trewin, Breckin De La Rosa and Shannon Finn of Kirkwood, and Macee Reiling from DMACC. Kirkwood’s Kinsey Theobald made the second alongside Jungers.

Rasmussen finished the season hitting .455 with 24 home runs, 91 runs scored, 67 RBI and 41 steals. The Sioux City North graduate had an on-base percentage of .520 and a slugging percentage of .940, finishing her two-year ICCC career with 31 home runs, 112 RBI, 133 runs, 136 hits and 49 steals.

“Being named All-American was super meaningful and just shows how hard I’ve bought into the process at Iowa Central,” Rasmussen said. “I am super grateful that I trusted (Head) Coach Bo (Tjebben) and the rest of the coaching staff when making my college decision two years ago.

“(Assistant) Coach Bill (Myers) has really made an impact on my life and has helped me in so many ways.”

The NFCA selects just one position player per first and second team for All-American status, in addition to two utility selections and five at-larges from any spot on the field, including pitchers.

Rasmussen plans to continue her athletic and academic career at the next level in the fall, but has not made a decision on where she will be doing that. She was also named to the NFCA Midwest All-Region team along with teammate Kyra Kain.

“Natalie was the type of kid that was willing to do anything and everything we asked of her as coaches,” Tjebben said. “She was our leader and had a tremendous year both at the plate and in the field.

“She put in the time and it showed with all of her accolades that she received. I can’t wait to see what she does at her next college.”

Reiners, a sophomore catcher, hit .385 with 13 homers, 91 RBI, 73 runs and 30 steals. The former Iowa City Liberty standout was part of a 60-win season that saw the Eagles reach the NJCAA Div. II World Series.

Over 135 games at Kirkwood, Reiners had 157 career hits, 142 RBI, 46 steals and 18 home runs, hitting .373 with an on-base percentage of .450.

Jungers, a sophomore pitcher, helped DMACC reach the NJCAA Div. II World Series championship round this past spring by going 28-7 with two saves and 26 complete games inside the circle. The Creighton University commit struck out 385 batters and had an earned run average of 1.18 while allowing just 97 hits in almost 220 innings pitched.

In her two seasons with the Bears, Jungers went 53-9 with 35 complete games, 600 strikeouts and a 1.31 earned run average. She broke the school’s single-season and career records for strikeouts, along with setting the career wins mark.