Would be great if both these guys could repeat their titles.
Link to article <--A wrestler's mind tends to wander during the monotonous minutes of early-season fitness conditioning. Even a defending national champion finds it hard to maintain his focus.
"Whenever you have a tough workout, I'm thinking 'What am I doing? (My picture) is already up on the wall,' " junior Mike Pucillo said. "But you know it just didn't happen at the national tournament. It was all the little things that got you to that point."
Those things helped Pucillo (184 pounds) and teammate J Jaggers (141) win NCAA titles last season. They return this season trying to accomplish a rare feat in college wrestling -- repeating as champions. \ It'll be four months before they can achieve that. Tonight, both will be in St. John Arena for the National All-Star Classic, which event features the nation's best in each weight class.
Jaggers, the top-ranked wrestler at 141, will face No. 2 Nick Gallick of Iowa State. Pucillo was scheduled to wrestle, but will sit out because of an ankle injury.
Their titles last season led the Buckeyes to a national runner-up finish. In the following weeks, their phones continually rang with congratulatory calls. They realized then the significance of their accomplishment and the excitement that would be generated for this season.
"That was one of the most memorable parts about it -- the outpour of congratulations I received after that," Jaggers said. "You always want to win for yourself, but being out there representing so much more is pretty special."
Those memories are not forgotten, but are on the back burner now. Their focus is on repeating. It won't be easy. Few wrestlers do it, and Jaggers and Pucillo know history is not on their side. That's why they have pushed themselves harder than last season.
"You've got to start over. You've got a target on your back now. It's a different season," Pucillo said. "I know people are going to be coming for me. I'm going to try to step it up and not let that get to me."
So far, Jaggers hasn't been challenged. Most guys he's wrestled have been passive. They try to keep the score low. That will likely change tonight, and when the Buckeyes get into Big Ten matches.
"You can't get upset over a 3-0 win at this point, especially when a guy doesn't want to get in there and bang," Jaggers said. "You've just got to wrestle the best you can and stay smart."
It paid off last season, and coach Tom Ryan believes they can do it again because they have the will to break the recent trend and successfully repeat.
"The two people that won it are hard workers and enjoy the battle," Ryan said. "If you are going to defend, these guys have the temperament to do it."
