IOWA CITY — Drake Ayala has no regrets from his wrestling career at the University of Iowa.

The three-time Fort Dodge state champion has gone through some ups and downs, but in the end, the troubles and triumphs have built him into the person he is as a senior Hawkeye.

“There are growing pains in college,” Ayala said. “I’ve suffered some of those, but being at Iowa is exactly what I dreamed about and more.

“I’m grateful for everything that’s happened — no regrets.”

Ayala will enter his final Big Ten Championships as the fifth seed at 133 pounds on Saturday.

The two-day state tournament will be held in State College, Pa.

“I’m just super excited and have the same feelings I’ve had the last two years,” Ayala said. “It’s completely lining up. It’s bitersweet and will be my last hurrah.

“This is my last Big Ten Championships and national tournament. I don’t know what the future holds for me, so I’m going to let it fly and let it rip to represent the Iowa Hawkeyes and be in the position to have fun and enjoy it all.”

A 171-match winner for the Dodgers, Ayala took the nation by storm as a sophomore and junior, punching tickets to the finals the past two seasons. In his sophomore campaign, he went 27-5 and placed third at the Big Ten Championships. He was a runner up at 125 pounds at the national tournament.

“Coming to Iowa, I still had some growing up to do, so I gained a lot of maturity,” Ayala said. “The experiences have been great, and as a kid I had been to all the big arenas, so I kind of did that early on.

“But these guys are my best friends, I’ve made some lasting relationships as I’ve grown into a man.”

Last season, Ayala was 21-3 and a Big Ten runner-up. He repeated as a national silver medalist, this time at 133 pounds.

“Obviously from my first time in the finals, last year was a lot harder,” Ayala said. “I took a longer break and that helped, because losing motivates me. I think about losses all the time. It’s my everyday motivation.

“That’s my story — no regrets.”

With success came a new standard and new expectations – not just for what Ayala could accomplish on the mat, but what he could do for his teammates.

“I take pride in it (being a leader),” Ayala said. “I get to be a leader of this program and I wear that on my chest.

“I lead by example, by how I lead my life, then things take care of themselves. But If I need to be a vocal leader, I can be.”

When Ayala stepped onto the mat as a true freshman for the Hawkeyes, there was no waiting around. He made his name known. He went 17-8 as a freshman, placed eighth in the Big Ten Tournament and earned an NCAA bid. He was just the third true freshman to compete at the NCAA Championships under head coach Tom Brands.

Ayala took a redshirt the following year, going 13-1 unattached for the Hawkeyes.

“I wanted to come to Iowa for a number of things,” Ayala said. “The first thing was that Tom and Terry (Brands) are very similar to my high school coaches and TJ Sebolt. They had success and I wanted to stay with that same aspect.

“When I came on my visit, I saw how they cared for you and the bond was close.”

Entering the Big Ten tournament, Ayala carries a 74-23 career record with the Hawkeyes.

“I will definitely remember the relationships,” Ayala said. “The thing that sticks out is what they taught me and the maturity to become what I am and the relationships with teammates and coaches.”

As always, the guiding force for Ayala has been the connection with his family and his community.

“The support from my family is huge,” Ayala said. “I hope that my supporters know I read what they say on social media and I see it and my parents tell me. Everyone’s support means a lot to me.

“They have my back through the good and the bad. I’m proud of Fort Dodge and they’re proud of me. Fort Dodge is always in my heart. My family has been with me the whole way. They are who I do it for — my family and my friends.”

In his final two seasons, Ayala has spent time with his brother Dru Ayala on the team.

“It’s awesome to be on the same team again with my brother,” Ayala said. “It’s cool to live in a house together with a built-in best friend.”