Illinois' Lucas Byrd, right, takes on Iowa's Drake Ayala in their 133-pound match in the finals at the NCAA wrestling championship, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. — Emotions are raw, but perspective is key.

A day after finishing second in the nation at 133 pounds, Fort Dodge graduate Drake Ayala was hurting, but also looking at the bigger picture.

“It is obviously pretty fresh right now, and this hurts bad,” Ayala said in an exclusive interview with The Messenger. “Being so close and not getting the job done again stings.

“This will be with me for the rest of my life.”

Ayala, who placed second at 125 pounds a year ago, came in as the second seed and ran through his competition all the way to the finals sitting up the rubber match with top-seed Lucas Byrd of Illinois.

Ayala won the first meeting and Byrd secured his win in the Big Ten championship finals.

The two were scoreless after one period. Byrd scored the first points of the match, escaping in the second period.

Ayala, who earned All-American status for the second consecutive year, tied the contest with an escape of his own in the third period.

The three-time Dodger state champion had a flurry at the end of sudden victory, but couldn’t secure a point.

Ayala went up 2-1 with an escape in the first 30 second overtime at 22 seconds. Ayala was then called for a questionable stalling call with 15 seconds left, tying the contest at 2-2.

Byrd chose neutral in the final overtime period, with six seconds of riding time.

Ayala put forth a flurry of offense, trying to secure the needed point, but Byrd held him at bay for the 3-2 victory.

“It’s going to hurt, but that doesn’t mean I am still not proud of myself for what I accomplished,” Ayala said. “I am a pretty resilient guy.”

Fort Dodge fans and residents held watch parties all over town during the week of the tournament, showing their support for the Dodger native.

“The support from everyone from Fort Dodge this week did not go unnoticed,” Ayala said. “I have the pleasure of calling that place my home and whenever someone asks where I am from, a smile on my face instantly appears.”

Ayala’s family was along for the ride in Philadelphia.

“I also want to say thank you to my family,” Ayala said. “This was not an easy week, month, or even a few years for them.

“They are who I get my toughness from, and being a good role model for my younger brothers is my main priority in life, and it hurts knowing they saw me hurt.”

In his first four matches, Ayala (20-3) earned a technical fall and two major decisions to go along with a decision.

He outscored his opponents 63-20 in his matches to reach the finals.

I have another year of eligibility,” Ayala said. “This is far from over — I will be back.”