Ellsworth Community College wrestler Javier Moreno has signed to continue his athletic and academic career at Loras College in Dubuque, IA.
Moreno came to ECC as a red-shirt freshman after spending one year at another college. In his time as a Panther he has made and will leave a mark on the wrestling program. He won his weight class at 125 pounds in Districts held at Fort Dodge to qualify for Nationals in Council Bluffs. He made the most out of his trip to Nationals and went 4-3. His wins came by a pin, 6-4 decision, 14-1 major decision over a returning All-American, and a 12-1 major. Moreno's losses all came to fellow All-Americans. He finished his season 8th at Nationals and an All-American at 125 pounds with a 19-6 record.
When making his decision about his next step, Moreno was looking for a little bigger city and an established successful wrestling program. He found that at Loras College. "Their campus is the perfect size. They also have a great connection to the National Guard and being a member of that organization it was important to me to see this relationship," commented Moreno. "The coaching staff also influenced my decision. In just two years they took a 2-13 program and were 17-1 this season."
ECC Head Coach Cole Spree commented, "It is awesome to see where Javier is now from when he got to Ellsworth. He is someone who believed in the process and the process paid him back. As a freshmen he spent the year as a redshirt/back up and then this year made the sacrifice to go down to 125. He not only made the lineup, but he also was able to become an All-American. He is a great student and wrestler and most importantly a great person. We are excited for Javier and the opportunities that lie ahead of him at Loras!"
Coach Spree and Loras Head Wrestling Coach TJ Miller have known each other for many years. "We wrestled in club together and grew up together," commented Coach Miller. "Cole brought Javier to our attention and when we watched him at regionals we really liked what we saw. We have been constantly talking to him since then and we knew he would be an unbelievable fit for Loras. The college's connection to the National Guard and the fact that he is also a member we knew was also a good fit. We have six guys already on the team who are in the National Guard. Javier is a kid with great character and work ethic, and we knew Cole wouldn't steer us wrong on what kind of wrestler he was."