The atmosphere was absolutely buzzing, the crowd was deafening, and every single person knew the stakes couldn’t be higher. Now, the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Champion at 133 pounds, didn’t just win; he carved his name into college wrestling history with a performance that left no doubt about his dominance.

In a nail-biting final against Iowa’s Drake Ayala, Lucas Byrd emerged victorious with an incredibly tight 3-2 decision in double tiebreakers. It was a true battle: Byrd pushed hard with multiple shot attempts, but Ayala’s defense was rock-solid. They went into sudden victory, trading near-scoring moves until Ayala’s counters sent them to tiebreakers. Ayala managed an escape, but a stalling point went to Byrd, and with a crucial six-second riding time advantage, the Illinois senior clinched

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