Coming into his freshman year at Princeton University in 2012, Abram Ayala had enjoyed a swift rise in the wrestling world.

First competing in the sport as a sophomore at Archbishop McCarthy High in Fort Lauderdale, Ayala was an all-state performer by his junior year. He then came to New Jersey, transferring to wrestling powerhouse Blair Academy. He ended up eighth in the 2011 National Prep Championships at 135 points and fifth at the 2012 NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) Nationals at 149 pounds.

But Ayala hit a roadblock in his freshman campaign with the Tigers. Weakened from cutting too much weight and hampered by a knee injury, he got into the doghouse with the Princeton coaches.

“The coaches decided that it would be best for me to take some time off and get things in order, academically and otherwise,” said Ayala. “It was a reset.”

The hiatus from the team turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Ayala. “It was perfect for me,” asserted Ayala. “I took some time off, I healed my knee. I rediscovered my passion for wrestling. I started training hard and being more disciplined.”

A refocused Ayala emerged as a force in his sophomore season, moving up to 197 pounds and going 27-12, taking fifth in the EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) Championships and earning a spot in the NCAA Championships.

Building on that success, he has posted a 32-5 record this season and is heading back to the NCAA meet this weekend in St. Louis, Mo., where he is seeded seventh at 197.

While Ayala’s rise to prominence is unlikely, he is not surprised by his success.

“Every year I have improved, I have always been a bit behind,” said Ayala. “I was not fully formed as a high school wrestler. Now in college I have seen how some guys don’t get better from high school. Every year, I expect to get better.”

Ayala’s initially got into wrestling in high school to stay out of trouble more than anything. “I didn’t have much to do, I was just hanging out with my friends and being a nuisance,” recalled Ayala. “The faculty thought wrestling would be good for me. I liked it immediately.”

After going undefeated on the JV level as a sophomore, Ayala took sixth in the states as a junior. With an eye on someday wrestling for Princeton, Ayala came to New Jersey to join Blair’s nationally-known program.

“It was huge, initially it was a shock because everyone was so good,” said Ayala, reflecting on the start of his Blair career. “In the northeast, people start wrestling earlier. Some kids came to Blair with more experience than I had as a junior. It was tough to get used to that at first.”

Showing his toughness early on, Ayala proved he could compete with his heralded teammates.

“I lost four of my first five matches in preseason, three were by pins and my one win was by one point,” said Ayala.

“I wasn’t used to losing, let alone getting pinned. The season began at a prestigious tournament, Germantown Invitational. My coach said I had been putting in the work and I could win it. I made it to finals and beat a kid who went on to win prep nationals. It was a great atmosphere with a packed house. It gave me confidence, it set me rolling.”

Ayala kept rolling, placing eighth in the 2011 National Prep Championships at 135 points and taking fifth at the 2012 NWCA Nationals at 149 pounds.

Achieving his goal of going to Princeton, where both his parents are alums, Ayala struggled with the demands of college wrestling.

“The first one was the weight issue, in high school because of competition, you could get away with cutting weight and intimidating others with your strength,” said Ayala.

“In college, all the wrestlers are tough and if you don’t have the energy to go hard for seven minutes, you aren’t going to do well. College academics and college wrestling are so mentally draining, if your lifestyle is not right, your aren’t going to do well. I lost too much weight. I started at 112, and wrestled at 135 and 149 at Blair. I was growing through high school. In the summer before freshman year, I was up to 199 at my heaviest and I cut down to 165.”

After winning the first three matches of his career, Ayala hit a wall, not cracking the Tiger lineup in a move up to 174 and then tearing the meniscus in his left knee and undergoing surgery. Looking to regain a spot on the team, Ayala made the most of the summer break.

“I came back that summer and stayed at school,” said Ayala. “I did SAT counseling for underprivileged kids and I helped run a science camp. I also worked with the coaches and trained. I became as strong as possible. I lifted a lot of weights. I was up to 205 pounds. I knew I couldn’t cut weight any more.”

Coming back that fall, Ayala made the lineup at 197 and started turning heads. He won 14 of his last 16 regular season matches and placed fifth in EIWA tournament. He won a consolation match at the NCAAs with both of his losses there coming to wrestlers seeded in the top 6.

“I pretty much maintained the speed and dexterity that I had as a smaller wrestler, the bigger guys are not used to that precision,” said Ayala, reflecting on his success as a sophomore. “I realized I could compete in that weight class. I got a feel for the weight class as the year went on.”

This season, Ayala picked up where he left off in his sophomore year, using the losses at the NCAAs as additional motivation.

“My conditioning is better, I am stronger and faster,” asserted Ayala, who earned first-team All-Ivy League honors this season. “I am just a better athlete, I expect to win.”

While Ayala was disappointed to take third at the EIWAs this year, he believes that experience will help him at the NCAA competition.

“I took the Easterns as a matter of course,” said Ayala, who fell to Penn’s Canaan Bethea in the semis. “I didn’t attack it the way I could have. It is really good what happened, it helped me realize what I need to do to be at the top of the podium at nationals.”

Ayala is confident that he can rise to the top of the podium this weekend in St. Louis.

“I know what is coming, I have positive visualization,” said Ayala. “I have the skills and physical talent to beat every single person in my bracket. It comes down to being right mentally and having the right attitude.”

Being joined by teammates, junior Chris Perez (149), sophomore Jordan Laster (141), sophomore Brett Harner (184), and freshman Jonathan Schleifer (165), at the NCAA competition is a big positive for Ayala.

“It keeps the spirits up and gives me other people to wrestle with,” said Ayala. “It will pay dividends next year, all those wrestlers are back and they have competed at that national level. It is a new level of excellence for Princeton wrestling. It just shows coach (Chris) Ayres is a genius at putting together a program.”