Drake Ayala Season 2024-25

2024-25

• 21-3 season record; 11-1 dual record
• 12-3 record against ranked opponents, including victories over #2 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) and #5 Evan Frost (Iowa State)
• NCAA runner-up at 133
• Big Ten Runner-up at 133
• Nine bonus point victories including six technical falls
• Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (Jan. 23)
• Champion at the Soldier Salute
• John and Dorothy Sill Most Dedicated Wrestler team award winner

2023-24

• NCAA runner-up at 125
• Placed third at the Big Ten Championships
• 27-5 overall record; 18-5 mark against ranked opponents and 10-3 dual record
• Seven wins against top-10 ranked opponents, including victories over #1 Matt Ramos (Purdue) and #2 Braeden Davis (Penn State)
• 14 bonus-point wins including 10 technical falls and two pins
• Champion at both the Luther Open and Solider Salute
• NWCA Scholar All-American and Academic All-Big Ten
• Earned the John and Dorothy Sill Most Dedicated Wrestler and the Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler team awards
• Letterwinner

2022-23

• Posted a 13-1 record, competing unattached
• Won titles at the UNI Open, Flanagan Open and Don Parker Open and was runner-up at the Soldier Salute
• Won 10 of his 13 matches via bonus points (four majors, five technical falls, one fall)
• Only loss came against teammate Spencer Lee at the Soldier Salute
• Academic All-Big Ten selection

2021-22

• Posted a 17-8 record
• Went 4-2 in dual meets, making his collegiate dual meet debut vs. Minnesota on Jan. 7
• Scored 12 team points in dual competition
• Placed eighth at Big Ten Championships and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships
• Climbed as high as No. 10 in the national rankings
• Recorded four major decisions, two technical falls and two pins on the season
• Was the third true freshman to compete at the NCAA Championships under Head Coach Tom Brands
• Earned the John and Dorothy Sill Most Dedicated Wrestler team award
• Won title at Harold Nichols Open, placed second at UNI Open and third at Southern Scuffle
• Dean’s List honoree during fall semester
• NWCA Scholar All-American
• Letterwinner

 

High School

• State champion in 2019, 2020, 2021
• State runner-up in 2018
• Team state champion in 2018
• 171-3 record throughout high school
• Champion at the Super 32 challenge in 2020
• Fargo Cadet Freestyle Champion in 2017
• Fargo Junior Freestyle Champion in 2019 and 2021

Personal

• Born Oct. 8, 2002
• Son of Sam and Angie Ayala
• Has two brothers, Dru and Knox
• Majoring in pre-business

 

	Overall	Dual	Big Ten Dual	Dual Pts.	Big Ten	NCAA	OT	MD	TF	Pins	Fastest
Year	Record	Record	Record	Scored	Place	Place	W/L	W/L	W/L	W/L	Pin
2021-22	17-8	4-2	4-2	12	8th	X	0-0	4-0	2-0	2-0	1:34
*2022-23	13-1	0-0	0-0	—	—	—	0-0	4-0	5-0	1-1	0:47
2023-24	27-5	10-3	5-2	37	3rd	2nd	1-1	2-0	10-0	2-0	1:20
2024-25	21-3	11-1	6-0	42	2nd	2nd	0-1	5-0	7-0	0-1	—
Career	65-16	25-6	14-4	91	2nd	2nd	1-2	13-0	19-0	4-1	1:20

*Competed unattached