Somewhere between winning two Ohio high school state titles and that national championship, Joe encountered a couple detours along the way … which may actually make that NCAA crown all the more special.
All in the family x 2
Take a look at Joe Pflug's wrestling background, and two family names familiar to wrestling fans emerge: Deubel, and Milkovich.
Joe's cousin is Ricky Deubel, who finished fifth at 125 pounds at the EWL Conference Championships this past March. Joe's father is Jimmy Deubel, an Ohio high school state champ in 1978. It was dad who introduced Joe to organized wrestling at age five. "I wrestled on the carpet at home," says Joe. "It seemed like a natural thing to do."
Joe PflugJoe Pflug's high school career benefited from another Milkovich -- head coach Jamie Milkovich, cousin of Mike, Sr., who continues the family legacy. While at Maple Heights, Joe made a name for himself as a four-time finalist in Division I competition at the Ohio state tournament. After placing second his first two years, as a junior Joe defeated Chris Vondruska of national powerhouse Cleveland St. Edward 9-4 to win the 2001 130-pound state title. The following year, Joe got a 7-3 decision over Deonte Penn of Solon in the 2002 145-pound finals to claim his second state championship.
Roadblocks to wrestling in college
With these credentials, it's easy to see how Joe Pflug was recruited to wrestle at Ohio State. While Joe had the mat talent to be in the Buckeyes wrestling program, academics were an issue at the Big Ten campus in Columbus with over 50,000 students. His first year at Ohio State, Joe ran into the NCAA's Prop 16 -- a successor to Prop 48 -- which addresses grade-point averages, class requirements and other academic issues for student-athletes, all with an eye to boosting graduation rates. By Prop 16 standards, Joe did not have enough total credit hours to remain eligible to compete for the Buckeyes.
Eager to continue his college wrestling career, Joe jumped at the first opportunity offered to him: wrestling at Iowa Central. "A friend called me on the phone and said, 'Come out here' so I literally caught a plane with just one bag of clothes," says Joe. "I soon realized the school was not a good fit for me." He left the community college in Fort Dodge in his first semester, and returned to his high school as an assistant wrestling coach.
Joe Pflug was away from college wrestling for approximately two years … but had the good fortune of being "rediscovered", this time by Heidelberg College as they were looking at a wrestler from Maple Heights.
Back on the mats
Joe Pflug and Heidelberg seem well-suited for each other. As head coach Jason Miller -- a native of Tiffin and 1998 graduate of Heidelberg, where he was the 1997 Ohio Athletic Conference 158-pound champ and two-time NCAA All-American and -- says, "Athletically, Joe is a Division I kid. Academically, he can use the attention that a small school provides." (Heidelberg has approximately 1,200 students.)
"Joe is one of the most gifted athletes I've coached," Coach Miller continues. "He's quick, explosive, with a great sense of balance."
When asked in a separate interview to discuss his style, Joe mentioned his athleticism without prompting. "I always enjoyed playing lots of sports -- football, baseball -- in addition to wrestling. I'd do flips just for fun."
Joe continues, "I'd say that I'm very fluid, slick. I'm always working combinations, thinking three or four moves ahead. I enjoy scrambling. I think have good mat awareness."
That championship season
All those attributes paid off handsomely for Joe in the 2005-06 season, his first at Heidelberg, located southeast of Toledo. Among his regular-season accomplishments as a sophomore Student Prince: First-place finishes at the Concordia Open and Petrofes Invitational … second at the Nittany Lion Open … and fifth at the Citrus Open. Last season, Joe compiled a 29-3 record, with an astounding 93 takedowns and seven pins, and finished the year ranked sixth in the Brute-Adidas/NWCA Division III rankings at 157 pounds.
Joe PflugThen, at the 2006 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at the City College of New Jersey, Joe Pflug re-emerged on the national wrestling scene. In the quarterfinals, he got revenge on the man who beat him at the Citrus Open -- Jacob Malone of St. Johns University -- with a 5-2 decision. Joe then defeated the eighth-seeded Ross Needham of Wisconsin-LaCrosse by a 12-4 major decision in the semifinals. Then, in the finals, the fourth-seeded Pflug upset Augsburg's second-ranked Jeremy Anderson 11-5 to earn the 157-pound Division III title. It was the first individual national championship for Heidelberg's wrestling program.
Here's what makes Joe's championship season all the sweeter: "I broke my hand just before Christmas," says the national titleholder. "I injured it even more in Florida (at the Citrus Open)." But it appears the hand healed, and didn't hold back the Student Prince from his title quest.
Physical + Mental = Success
How did Joe Pflug prepare for the nationals? "I worked out with our 184, and even coach Miller," says Joe. "I wrestled up to forty minutes straight."
Along with all these physical preparations, Joe also focused on the mental aspect. "I knew I had to keep a level head for nationals," according to the champ.
Jason MillerIn a post-NCAA interview posted at the official Heidelberg wrestling Web site, Coach Miller is quoted as saying, "Joey is Joey and he is a special kid. He made it look easy out there yesterday and today. Joey was such an influence for the team this year, he made everyone better."
Here's how Coach Miller described Joe Pflug in a phone interview for this story: "He has a very charismatic personality. Free-spirited." Yet moments later, Miller followed up by saying, "He's always in phenomenal shape."
Goal-Setting
Joe Pflug isn't resting on his laurels. Already ranked thirteenth in the country among all 157-pound wrestlers in all divisions in RevWrestling.com's preseason rankings, Joe is making plans for the new season. "Last year, I had set my main goal to go undefeated," says the champ. "When I lost a match, I was able to bounce back, correct my mistakes, and focus on working harder."
This year, Joe's goals encompass success in wrestling … and beyond. "I plan to work even harder this year," according to the champ. "I would like to go undefeated, and win back-to-back titles... I'd even like to compete at the Midlands." As for off-the-mat, Joe says, "I want to do better in the classroom. Wrestling requires discipline that helps in the classroom."
Joe PflugLater in the conversation, Joe discusses wrestling after Heidelberg: "Right after high school, I was invited to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. I'd like to see about competing on that level, too."
In the meantime, Joe Pflug has two years of eligibility left as a Student Prince wrestler … and his coach sees a bright future. In the interview conducted after the 2006 NCAA's, Jason Miller said, "I am so proud of Joey, I am proud for this program, and I am proud for Heidelberg College."
Perhaps Joe Pflug will earn another NCAA crown or two. He has the talent and drive to make it happen … coupled with an outgoing personality and easygoing attitude that makes him a prince among all college wrestlers.
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