More than Words – J Jaggers

The Open Mat.com

Blogged by Pat Kindig – OhioStateBuckeyes.com (Original here)

Jaggers makes proclaimed NCAA repeat a reality last Saturday

J Jaggers, a returning national champion wrestler, was the subject of a blog posting 20 days ago. The story focused on his puzzling 2009 regular season and equally perplexing mediocre reputation among the national wrestling scene.

Ranked No. 13 at the time of the post (scroll down to March 5) and holding a pedestrian 19-7 overall record, Jaggers was prompted to make it known he fully intended to repeat as the NCAA’s best at 141 pounds.

During a post-match interview Feb. 15, Jaggers proclaimed he would again win the national championship. Jaggers was well aware of his many doubters, but he knew self-confidence and the support of his coaching staff along with teammates would help him carry out his prophecy.

Some may have formed their own opinions about such a proclamation, but last Saturday Jaggers did exactly what he said he was going to do and did so impressively.

The Northfield, Ohio, native avenged an earlier loss this season to Iowa State’s Nick Gallick via fall in the quarterfinal round. He followed with another fall in the semis before he reassumed his position on the national championship podium with a 10-4 victory over Old Dominion’s Ryan Williams.

Jaggers’ tone after the match consisted not only of fulfillment, but there also was a hint of “I told you so.”

“(I feel) unbelievable. Especially, with how I struggled earlier in the year and how many people doubted me,” Jaggers, who is the third two-time national champ at Ohio State, said. “The No. 1 driving force obviously is to get as much out of myself for myself and for the people who supported me – like Buckeye Nation out there. Second in line are the critics.

“You just don’t luck upon this thing. Last year, a lot of people called me a ‘one-hit wonder.’ The day after the national tournament last year people were saying, ‘he won’t win it again.’ I think this proves you don’t just stumble on two national championships.”

From Jaggers’ prediction of a repeat national title, one could almost gather a sense he was fully aware of where he stood all season – in familiar territory.

“There are so many similarities that have happened between last year and this year,” Jaggers, who was 22-5 at the end of the 2008 regular season, said.” The main reason I get where I am in March is the pattern that me and Lou Rosselli follow. He is the coach I work with the most. We just get to work – 7 a.m., two-a-days. Now when I step on the mat in March, I feel like I have put in as much work as anyone.”

There was one difference between March 2008 and ’09. Instead of raising one victorious finger, Jaggers pointed two to the sky Saturday in St. Louis.