There was much to celebrate this weekend for fans of UNI wrestling. Two Panthers reached the podium Saturday at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But senior Drew Foster defeated Cornell University's Max Dean, 6-4, to become the Panthers' first individual national champion since 2000.

He went 28-5 this season wrestling at 184 lbs. The national championship victory completed a drastic turnaround for Foster, who went just 15-18 in his freshman season.

"Just a shoutout to [assistant coach] Randy Pugh," Foster told the media following the title match. "The guy’s believed in me since day one, been by my side. Been in my ear — he was in my ear the whole match. I owe that guy a lot. I owe my teammates a lot ... This is definitely bigger than me."

Foster finished with 95 victories during his four-year career. But none can compare to this one. UNI junior Bryce Steiert joined Foster on the awards stand, placing eighth at 165 pounds.

University of Iowa sophomore wrestler Spencer Lee was also a national champion, winning the title at 125 pounds for the second consecutive season.

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