By Corey Meints, The Times-Citizen
Council Bluffs, IA – Ellsworth Community College was led by Giles Cowell in the 2025 NJCAA National Championships, going 2-2 at 174. He reached the quarterfinals with a first round bye and a 13-4 major decision over Western Wyoming's Sam May. Cowell got out of the round of 16 with a 16-1 technical fall over Labette's Jayden Ford in 4:29.
The sophomore then lost 19-2 in 4:33 to eventual runner-up Mohamed Tarek Abdelhandy of Indian Hills in the quarters, and was ousted in the consolations with a 17-6 loss to Minnesota West's Sam Rock.
The only other winner for the Panther men was Aiden McFadden at 285. He went 1-2, pinning Christopher Broderick of Camden County in 1:50 after a bye and a 15-3 loss to Triton's eventually fifth-placer Ryan Boersma. The heavy-weight's tournament ended via pin in 5:31 at the hands of Laith Alsous of Niagara.
Nicholas Fischer (157) and Joshua Berlin (165) both went 0-2.
As a team, ECC finished 41st. Two fellow ICCAC teams finished in the top five, including champion Indian Hills and Iowa Central finished fifth.
For the Panther women, Amara Ehsa went 2-2 at 110 to lead the way. ECC finished 16th in the National Invite as a team. Ehsa opened with a bye, then accepted a forfeit from Allison Layman of Trinidad State. Carl Albert's Abigail Butts, who went on to finish sixth, bumped Ehsa to the consolations with a 12-8 decision. She stayed alive with a 10-0 technical fall in 1:14. A pin in 2:04 by Iowa Central's fifth-placer Aneth Campos ended Ehsa's tournament.
Melonie Barillas went 1-2 at 103, following a bye with a pin loss to eventual national champion Savannah Siquerios of Iowa Western. She followed another bye with a 10-0 tech fall in 3:32 over Itasca's Anna Kos. Barillas then fell to Jennifer Thomas of Snow.
Cambree Howe picked up the other Panther women's win at 160, going 1-2 with an opening pin in 1:51 against Taniyah Wilson of Indian Hills. She then lost to eventual silver medalist Kieran Farmer of Southwest Oregon and to Emma Thompson of Carl Albert - both by fall.
Audrie Felkins (110) and Julia Kanne (124) each went 0-2 in same manner, by pin and tech fall. Destiny Lofton (124) forfeited twice.
All three trophies in the women's race went to the ICCAC, led by Indian Hills. Iowa Western and Iowa Central followed in second and third.
NJCAA National Tournament
March 7-8 at Council Bluffs
Men's Team Results (Top-3): 1. Indian Hills 182; 2. Clackamas 141.5; 3. Western Wyoming 137.5... 41. Ellsworth Community College 8.
ECC Results
157: Nicholas Fischer (DNP)- Bye; pin by Michael Sysposs (Niagara) 1:16; pin by Jase Salon (Triton) 2:09.
165: Joshua Berlin (DNP)- pin by Joseph Cicco (Niagara) 5:00; Bye; dec. by Cah'mari Johnson (Colby) 5-1.
174: Giles Cowell (DNP)- Bye; MD Sam May (W. Wyoming) 13-4; TF Jayden Ford (Labette) 16-1 4:29; TF by Mohamed Tarek Abdelhandy (IH) 19-2 4:33; MD by Sam Rock (Minn. West) 17-6.
285: Aiden McFadden (DNP)- Bye; MD by Ryan Boersma (Triton) 15-3; pin Christopher Broderick (Camden) 1:50; pin by Laith Alsous (Niagara) 5:31.
Women's Team Results (Top-3): 1. Indian Hills 294.5; 2. Iowa Western 191.5; 3. Iowa Central 181... 16. Ellsworth Community College 16.5.
ECC Results
103: Melonie Barillas (DNP)- Bye; pin by Savannah Siquerios (IW) 2:13; Bye; TF Anna Kos (Itasca) 10-0 3:32; dec. by Jennifer Thomas (Snow) 8-8 VPO1.
110: Amara Ehsa (DNP)- Bye; FF Allison Layman (Trinidad); dec. by Abigail Butts (Carl Albert) 12-8; TF Jara Rodriguez (Big Bend) 10-0 1:14; pin by Aneth Campos (IC) 2:04.
110: Audrie Felkins (DNP)- pin by Ella Horn (Hawkeye) 4:40; Bye; TF by Baillee Cash (IW) 10-0 1:19.
124: Julia Kanne (DNP)- Bye; pin by Annabelle Petsinger 1:24; Bye; TF by Jimena Serna (Morton) 10-0 0:50.
124: Destiny Lofton (DNP)- Bye; FF to Jasimen Ortega (Southeast); FF to Shakira Ortiz Strauss (SW Oregon).
145: Meridian Snitker (DNP)- Bye; TF by Isabella Morgan 11-0 0:49; pinned Emily Angelo (Iowa Central) 2:32; pinned Nina Aceves (Iowa Lakes) 0:50; TF by Sara Daley (Iowa Western) 11-0 3:38.
160: Cambree Howe (DNP)- pin Tanihya Wilson (IH) 1:51; pin by Kieran Farmer (SW Oregon) 0:27; pin by Emma Thompson (Carl Albert) 1:18.
For more Times-Citizen coverage of Ellsworth athletics: https://www.timescitizen.com/sports/ecc/
