Iowa City, Iowa — Drake Ayala is filling big shoes for the Iowa wrestling team.
The Fort Dodge freshman burned his redshirt and took over at 125-pounds after three time national champion Spencer Lee’s season was cut short by knee surgery. He is 1-1 heading into Friday night’s dual at Northwestern.
Ayala says his work in the wrestling room prepared him to enter the lineup.
Iowa coach Tom Brands says the decision to burn the redshirt was a quick one.
Brands says Ayala would not be in the lineup if he was not ready.
The loss of Lee dropped the Hawkeyes to second in the national rankings behind Penn State, They are 8-0 in duals.
