The U.N.I. wrestling team crowned five champions at the Jim Fox Open in Dubuque on Saturday, their final tune-up before the Midlands Tournament later this month. While they didn’t send some of their top guys to the event, Panther coach Doug Schwab says the Jim Fox gave a lot of his guys the chance to go into Christmas break on a high note.

Schwab says that the Panthers will be off until Monday, when they’ll set their sights on Midlands. “They had about 7 or 8 days on their own, which is needed, I sent them a list of things to do, but most of these guys are pretty motivated and they know what to do to continue to progress,” Schwab says. He says getting away can allow them to get refreshed and ready for the second half of the season where there are no breaks.

The Panthers have a 1-3 dual record so far this season. They are ranked 36th in the latest ratings from Intermat.

By Jesse Gavin, KCNZ, Cedar Falls