The Ellsworth Panther Wrestling Team closed the 2019 NJCAA National Tournament with a 5th place finish. This is Ellsworth's sixth straight top 8 finish at Nationals and the first time in ECC history to have four Wrestlers make the finals.
Sometimes the unexpected can throw people way off track, and sometimes it can turn out to be a defining moment that changes lives for the better. Ellsworth Community College wrestler Zach Garza and his girlfriend, Carolina Montanez, had their moment when they discovered they were expecting a baby during their junior year of high school in Texas.
The Ellsworth Community College wrestling team qualified all ten of their wrestlers for nationals in the 2019 District wrestling tournament held on Sunday, Feb. 10. ECC Head Wrestling Coach Cole Spree also received Iowa Community College Athletic Association (ICCAC) honors being named Coach of the Year.
The final home wrestling meet took place on Wednesday, Jan. 23 as the #5 Panthers hosted #6 Iowa Lakes Community College. Fifteen ECC sophomore wrestlers were honored for their dedication and commitment to the program to kick-off the night. The Panthers took a 29-15 win over Iowa Lakes.
The Ellsworth Community College #5 wrestling team went match for match with #4 Iowa Central but came up just short with a 19-17 loss in the Tuesday, Jan. 8th dual.
The Panther wrestling team competed in the Buena Vista Open on Saturday, Dec. 1 and ECC’s Hector Candelaria (Phenix City, AL) came home a champion. Carter Cox (Atlantic, IA) and Charles Griffin (Baltimore, MD) both finished runner-up in their weight classes.