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The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan
The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

No. 2 Lucas Byrd stuns Iowa’s No. 1 Drake Ayala with pin in Big Ten 133-pound championship match

Byrd avenged his 4-2 loss to Ayala suffered during the regular season.
Trey Benson, Sports Reporter
March 9, 2025
Cody Blissett
Iowa head coach Tom Brands coaches Iowa 125-pound Drake Ayala during the fourth session of the NCAA men’s wrestling championships at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, March 22, 2024.

EVANSTON, Ill — Iowa men’s wrestling’s No. 1 133-pounder Drake Ayala was pinned 20 seconds into the second period in the weight’s Big Ten championship final on Saturday.

Byrd avenged Ayala after suffering a 4-2 loss to the Hawkeye in a regular season dual at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 

Although an eventful second period despite just 20 seconds off the clock then, the same thing could not be said for the first. Ayala and Byrd were slow to start any offense and mainly relied on defense to continue the championship card inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Unfortunately for Ayala, his defense would be caught lacking by Byrd in the early moments of the second period, his advantage erased and flipped into a tight pin resulting in a win by fall for Byrd.

Fans likely witnessed a preview of the 133-pound NCAA championship match, which will occur in two weeks.

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