Photo via Randi Yeager for IAWrestle: Brody Teske of Iowa made his fourth NCAA national wrestling tournament appearance this season.

KANSAS CITY — The road was winding. Never boring. Sometimes rocky.

Yet the scenery was vibrant, and by the end of the day, the destination had been reached.

Brody Teske’s entertaining collegiate career came to an end at a familiar location: The NCAA Championships. The four-time Fort Dodge state champion spent time as a Penn State Nittany Lion, a Northern Iowa Panther, and finally, an Iowa Hawkeye. He competed in six different seasons at the Div. I level, qualifying for nationals in each of the last four.

For the third time, Teske was a victory away from attaining All-American status. A 6-3 loss to sixth-seeded Dylan Shawver of Rutgers last week denied him of that dream.

The 2018 FDSH graduate did place in the Top-12 this season at 133 pounds, though, matching his highest finish ever. Teske won 64 total matches at a 69 percent clip, including a career-best 17 this year with the Hawkeyes.

Some took Teske’s efforts — and overall body of work — for granted. His closest friends did not.

“Watching Brody compete in his last NCAA tournament brought a lot of (complicated emotions),” said Triston Lara, a former Dodger and UNI teammate. “It was a lot like when my little brother (Cayd) was wrestling. This was his one last shot at becoming an All-American and an NCAA champion.

“I know Brody didn’t accomplish the goals he had set for himself, but this is the toughest sport in the world. There are no guarantees. Brody Teske is the definition of Dodger tough. No matter the adversity, Brody always showed up; he was the eye of the hurricane. I’m super proud of Brody, and he should keep his head held high.”

Cayd Lara made note of what Teske and his Iowa teammate, national runner-up Drake Ayala, actually achieved just by being national qualifiers for the Hawks. Cayd is another close friend and former classmate of Teske’s at FDSH, and they both served as captains on the Dodgers’ 2018 championship squad.

“Drake and Brody did something that under one percent of athletes are able to accomplish,” Cayd said. “When you get into the odds and the numbers, it’s been pretty special to say Fort Dodge, Iowa had two (former Dodgers) in the NCAA national championships.

“With Brody, I don’t know where to start. This one has been tough. He’s one of the hardest working individuals I know. Brody takes care of his day-to-day life like a professional, from what he was putting into his body to what he was telling himself daily.”

Lara and Teske were well aware of the stakes that came with this final run.

“This year was just different…Brody is one of my best friends, and someone I typically talk to daily,” Cayd said. “Knowing this was his last season competing and being a teammate of his previously (at both Fort Dodge and UNI), I saw what he was working for every day. His daily journals, goals, and way he lived his daily life were just at a completely different level.

“I know everything he has put his body through physically and mentally the last six years. As badly as Brody wanted to be an All-American, he has already prepared himself well for the (next phase) of his life (in the process).”

Lara senses both composure and closure as he watches his friend walk away from competitive wrestling. He also knows Ayala’s future is brighter than ever moving forward.

“Brody has inspired so many individuals, including myself,” Cayd said. “No matter what he does next, he is light years ahead.

“My personal cup is completely full being teammates with arguably two of the best athletes to come through Fort Dodge in Brody and Drake.”

Like Cayd Lara and Teske, Drew Bennett was a Dodger standout in 2018 before moving on to compete at Northern Iowa, and later, Iowa.

“Brody and I traveled the country for 20 years, entering the toughest tournaments to prepare us for NCAA wrestling,” Bennett said. “I never got the chance to (be a national qualifier), so watching him do it four times…he was living that dream for the both of us.

“I’m proud of BT and the career he had. I love that dude for life.”

This year’s performance was only one piece to a much bigger puzzle for both Teske and Ayala in the eyes of Triston Lara and so many others.

“Overall, I hope Drake and Brody know how much we love and care about them,” Triston said. “We are all so proud. The Fort Dodge community is a better place because of them.”