Real Woods called his season “quite a journey.”

That path will end with this weekend’s NCAA championships, and Woods, a three-time All-American, wants to keep his journey going for as long as possible.

The Iowa 141-pounder, who finished second in the national tournament last season, is the #3 seed in his weight class after a season in which he went 18-3 with a third-place finish in the Big Ten Championships.

The setbacks Woods has had, he said, have only provided fuel for preparing for this week.

“It’s not something I run from in life, or it’s something I’m scared of happening,” Woods said on Monday. “These losses, and the shortcomings, are something that defines my life and how my life has gone previously. It’s something that has catapulted triumphs in my life. And I think that this is only another one of those scenarios where those losses and shortcomings have changed me, whether it's mentally, spiritually, physically, technically, and the things that I focused on that I know that need changing and putting the effort and energy into changing those.

“I think I've done that. That's why I say I'm ready.”

The numbers seem to be on Woods’ side. He is 13-3 this season, and 19-5 all-time, against the NCAA field.

Experience helps — this is the fifth time Woods has qualified for the NCAA Championships, and he is a three-time All-American.

“Because of my past experience, I feel like I approach it with less nerves,” Woods said. “So that sometimes is a good thing. 

“There’s never not going to be nerves, because of the high caliber of the environment, just the high energy in it. But I think because of my past experiences, I know a little bit of what to expect. I've been there and I think that can serve to my advantage.”

“He’s a cool customer,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “That’s how he operates.”

Woods was undefeated this season until back-to-back losses to Michigan’s Sergio Lemley and top-ranked Beau Bartlett of Penn State. His third loss was to third-ranked Jesse Mendez of Ohio State during the Big Ten Championships.

Brands said Woods needs to bring consistent energy this weekend.

“We’ve just got to keep him wrestling for the full seven minutes,” Brands said. “Sometimes it's not a gas-tank issue or an energy issue. It’s just like, you’re up 7-0 with four minutes to go. The match isn’t over and you’ve got to keep your foot on the gas. We don’t want him too calm, but we want him in that balance.”

Woods said staying calm has been a key to his success.

“Our minds are funny,” he said. “So they wander sometimes, and it's easy in an environment (of big matches) to get distracted by the noise and the fans and everything around you, negative things. There's a lot going through your head, but I'm certain that whenever you see me calm and collected, that's what's going through my mind.

“I think that I do a good job of staying that way because I just remind myself over and over that life's about what you can control, and the things that you can't control shouldn't worry you. I know what I can control and I know that I have those things under control. And because of that I can be calm and be of sound mind.”

Woods isn’t ready to reflect on his career yet.

“I would say that’s more when the tournament is done,” he said. “I don’t think right now is the best time. I always feel like every day I wake up and I try to notice and point out the things that I'm grateful for. Some days it's just general, some days it's specific, and a lot of those things have to do with my wrestling career and my journey as a competitor.”

Ayala’s Opportunity

Drake Ayala will be making his second NCAA appearance at 125 after a 23-4 season that included a third-place finish in the Big Ten Championships.

Ayala, ranked second nationally in his weight class, is seeded third. It’s a competitive class, with no real favorite, but Ayala isn’t thinking about that.

“It kind of just goes through one ear and out the other,” Ayala said. “I try not to pay attention to it. I try to focus on what I can control and what I can do to separate myself.”

Ayala battled back at the Big Ten meet after losing his opening match to Michigan’s Michael DeAugustino. Ayala then won his next four matches.

“I don't think it's about increasing his confidence — I think he's a pretty confident competitor,” Brands said. “I think he earned his spot (as the #3 seed). He had a match that didn't go his way, and put together a pretty good backside of the tournament. You don't want to be there, but you make the most of it. It's about setting yourself up in the best possible position with that postseason seeding.”

Ayala didn’t place in his first NCAA appearance in 2022, but he understands what the tournament is like.

“We talk about it a lot — peaking is physical, but it’s also a mindset, especially for me,” Ayala said. “I’ve got to be confident in myself, in my abilities. I’ve just got to put the best product on the mat that I know I'm capable of, my coaches know I'm capable of and my teammates know I'm capable of. If I do that, good things are gonna happen.”

Hardware Shopping

Iowa is taking nine qualifiers. It’s the 12th consecutive year the Hawkeyes have qualified at least nine wrestlers for the NCAA tournament. They’ve earned a team trophy in 14 of the last 15 championships.

“Obviously, we’ve all got to do our job,” Ayala said. “I’ve got to do my job in order for us to get a trophy, and that's important to me. I don't really talk about it with my teammates a lot. We don't really talk about it as a whole because it is an individual sport, but it's important to us. It's important to me, and it's important to everyone in that room, I know that.”