Tulsa, Okla.

Reno, Nev.

Greensboro, N.C.

This week, the pinnacle location for a high school competitor — the FargoDome — is the destination for the three Fort Dodge siblings.

Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Dru Ayala of Fort Dodge was a Fargo All-American last year.

Damarion and Alexis Ross will both be returning to the United States Marine Corps Junior and 16U National Tournament. They’ll be joined by younger brother Dreshaun, who is eligible to compete for the first time.

Fellow Dodger Dru Ayala is also making a return trip to the event after an All-American performance here a year ago.

“I am my siblings’ biggest supporter,” said Damarion, a junior-to-be at FDSH who took seventh at state in 2022. “We are always in each other’s corner. That’s what makes it fun — we are able to wrestle each of our own matches, then — win or lose — turn around and be mat-side for each other’s matches.

“No matter who wins, we all do it together.”

Damarion will be in the 16U bracket at 152 pounds. He was 2-2 in his Fargo debut last summer. Alexis — a state champion Dodger as a junior last January — is at 138 pounds in the women’s junior division. She was also 2-2 at Fargo a year ago.

Dreshaun, a decorated youth champion and five-time Trinity Award winner on the national scene, debuts in Fargo at 195 pounds in the 16U division. He’ll be a freshman for the Dodgers this coming season.

“My personal goal is to win both Freestyle and Greco. Not only do I expect that, but my coaches and family expect that from me,” said 14-year-old Dreshaun, one of just eight Iowa youth wrestlers ever to capture six AAU state titles. “All the training I’ve had is leading up to this.

“It makes it even more exciting to be able to wrestle with my brother and sister, because we haven’t all had a chance to wrestle at the same tournament together in a while.”

Alexis has her eyes on bigger and better things after making history for FDSH last winter.

“I would just love to go out and wrestle to the best of my abilities, taking it match by match,” Alexis said. “It would be nice to stand on the podium.

“Getting to wrestle with my brothers is always exciting. I love to support them, and also, have their support when I’m on the mat. Family means the most. They know my wrestling best.”

The Ross siblings will all begin their journey with action on Saturday morning. Ayala — ranked in the Top-10 nationally — opens on Sunday in the 106-pound Junior bracket.

“I’ve been training a lot on freestyle,” said Ayala, a state runner-up last February. “(The goal) is to go there and bring home a stop sign (a nickname for the octagon-shaped plaque awarded to national champions).”

Ayala went 5-2 at 100 pounds in Fargo last summer and took seventh place. He’ll be joined in the 106 bracket by fellow nationally-ranked competitors Mack Mauger of Idaho; Colyn Limbert of Ohio; and Gage Singleton of Oregon.

Luke Fierke, a freshman-to-be at FDSH, will be at 285 pounds in the Cadet division.

The 2022 USA Wrestling Junior and 16U National Championships start on Saturday and run through next Saturday, with competition in male Freestyle, Greco-Roman and female Freestyle.