Franklin earned All-American status as a freshman in 2013, placing 7th in the nation at 133 pounds; he was also Champion of the North Central Region. As a sophomore, he completed the season with an impressive 21-11 record, and was the Champion at Wartburg's Dick Walker Invitational and placed second at the North Central Regional. Franklin finished his career as a two-time NJCAA National Qualifier with a career record of 38-25.
McIntyre was a two-year varsity starter for the Panthers. As a sophomore he placed 3rd at the Buena Vista Open, 4th in the Loras Open, and 5th at the North Central Regional. The ECC heavyweight completed his career as an NJCAA National Qualifier with a career record of 30-26, with 21 of his wins coming in his sophomore season.
Both student-athletes played an integral role in Ellsworth's 8th place finish in the nation, 3rd place finish at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals, and 9-5 overall record. They will join a strong Bulldogs squad at Concordia that placed 22nd in the NAIA National Championships with six National Qualifiers and one All-American, placed 2nd in the GPAC, and finished with a 9-8 record on the year.
"This is an awesome opportunity for these two young men," says ECC Head Wresting Coach Cole Spree. "They started their college careers together at Ellsworth and now they will have the opportunity to finish together at Concordia. Coaching these two has been an honor and I am excited to see what the next two years at Concordia has in store for them."
