FORT WAYNE, Ind. - North Side High School held a big send off Friday for state wrestling finals qualifier Dakota Ault.
Ault, a senior in the heavyweight class, was applauded by students and staff as he walked the halls of North Side before leaving for Indianapolis. Members of the North Side Marching Legends drum line also played.
He will wrestle in the first round of the state finals Friday. Semi-finals, championships and consolation rounds will be held Saturday.
Ault is 25-2 this season, going undefeated—and not even scored on—through semi-state. With competition getting tougher, Ault suffered his first lost in the semi-finals, and then again in the 3rd place consolation match. The Top 4 in each IHSAA weight division punch their tickets to state.
This is the second straight trip to state for Ault, who lost in the first round as a junior. As a sophomore, he was upset at regionals. He went 11-14 as a freshman, finishing 5th at sectionals.
“Wrestling has taught me how to be a man,” Ault says. “It’s not just a sport - it’s a lifestyle.”