Anthony Ashnault, 2-time Big Ten champion, wants to 'set a legacy at Rutgers that is hard to catch' (original) (raw)
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Ten minutes after a dominating performance to become a back-to-back Big Ten champion, Rutgers' Anthony Ashnault already was talking about pulling off a three-peat next season.
The intensely driven Ashnault never let up Sunday in the 141-pound final of the Big Ten Championships, scoring a quick six points on Michigan State's Javier Gasca III and building on that momentum for a 15-2 major decision that clinched his second Big Ten title.
"I know it means a lot to Rutgers, it means a lot to me, too," Ashnault said. "Hopefully it's something I can build on and get the third one next year. Set a legacy for myself at Rutgers that is going to be hard to catch. That's one of my goals."
Ashnault won the final in the exact opposite way of how he won his semifinal, playing defense in a low-scoring 5-1 victory against Ohio State's Luke Pletcher. He scored a two-point takedown in the first 37 seconds and quickly added four back points by locking Gasca in a cradle.
"Everyone is a little banged up here and we knew (Gasca) got hurt in the semifinal match," Ashnault said. "The mindset was the same: Score a lot of points. But a little differently we wanted to get on him quick because we knew he'd probably break mentally feeling down on himself."
Ashnault's 6-0 lead felt insurmountable with good reason. In the last two years, he only has allowed more than six points once -- in a 20-7 major decision victory.
BRACKETS: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285
"He has the X-factor on top," said Rutgers associate head coach Donny Pritzlaff, a four-time Big Ten champion at Wisconsin. "We wanted him to get his hands on (Gasca) because he's more physical than that kid. He sensed a little bit of weakness, and now it's 6-0."
The top-seeded Ashnault improved to 29-3 with three victories after a first-round bye at the tournament. Gasca took out No. 2 seed Jimmy Gulibon -- who lost the 2016 final to Ashnault -- with a pin the No. 3 seed Tommy Thron -- who beat Ashnault once before -- in sudden victory.
"I got on him right away, I was pulling on him, got to that takedown," Ashnault said. "Right when I got on top, I got in my 2-on-1 and got that roll-through tilt that I was always get. I felt really confident, and I kept scoring points and opening up it even more."
Ashnault scored nine third-period points to turn the victory into a major decision. Of the 10 Big Ten finals, Ashnault's was the second-most lopsided winning margin.
Rutgers finished ninth in the team standings, while Ohio State unseated Penn State for the team title.
"My mindset growing up -- one of my high school coaches always told me -- was to take it one period at a time," Ashnault said. "I still take that mindset into today.
"Sometimes the first period doesn't go your way and you've just got to erase it in your mind and go at it again. If you are winning big, you have to keep attacking so you don't let up. That's one of the little things I tell myself every time to keep it going."
Rutgers' Anthony Ashnault stands atop the podium for the 141-pound weight class at the Big Ten Championships.
Ashnault's resume includes becoming the first undefeated four-time state champion in New Jersey history and two All-American honors. But he will be eyeing better than his fourth-place finish in 2016 when the NCAA Championships begin March 16 in St. Louis.
"I really want to get to the top of the podium," Ashnault said. "That's been the goal my whole career. I didn't get banged up at all this weekend. I felt really good technically, mentally and strength-wise. I think it's all uphill from here."
Is it possible the best is yet to come? There only have been 55 three-time Big Ten champions in more than a century.
"He's always been really solid and worked really hard, but his confidence in his daily routine and the way he goes about things, he's a pro right now," Pritzlaff said. "He doesn't feel like he can be stopped. He scores from everywhere."
Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.
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