Wartburg's "triple threat" adds heft to lineup

In baseball, managers will manipulate the lineup to put the best hitters in a row to make the most of scoring opportunities.

Jim Miller

Wrestling coaches don't have the luxury of re-arranging their team lineups. However, Jim Miller, head coach at Division III powerhouse Wartburg, is blessed with three "heavy hitters" on his roster … three upper-weight competitors -- each ranked first or second in his weight class by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) -- who come through time-after-time with critical wins that can make all the difference for the Knights in terms of the final team score.

The big men who add heft to Wartburg's winning line-up:
• Romeo Djoumessi at 184
• T.J. Miller at 197
• Blake Gillis at heavyweight

Before we get to know more about the upper-weight Knights of Wartburg, let's take a look at the school and its wrestling program.

Wartburg: A perennial powerhouse in Division III

Wartburg College is located in Waverly, Iowa, just north of the twin cities of Waterloo and Cedar Falls in the northeast section of the state. The school, founded in 1852, has nearly 1,800 students.

The Wartburg wrestling program consistently ranks among the top NCAA Division III programs in the country. In fact, the Knights have won the D3 team title five times in the past decade: 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, and 2006. In addition, Wartburg has also claimed the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals Division III crown in 2003, 2004, and 2006.

In the wrestling hotbed that is Iowa, Wartburg claims a special place. In the conference comprised of smaller Iowa-based colleges -- the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference -- the defending champion Knights just added to their incredible string of team titles with their fifteenth straight at the 2007 IIAC Championships. No other school can claim as many IIAC team titles as Wartburg, which now holds twenty-five. What's more, thanks to this winning performance at the IIAC Championships, Wartburg qualified a total of ten wrestlers for the 2007 NCAA Division III tournament … including Romeo Djoumessi, T.J. Miller, and Blake Gillis.

Since 1991, Wartburg has been led by head coach Jim Miller. Under his guidance, the Knights have compiled an incredible 286-28-3 dual-meet record. This year is no different. Wartburg just concluded its dual-meet season with a 21-1 record, the third consecutive year with twenty or more dual victories.

Perhaps the most meaningful of those regular-season wins was February 1, when the Knights, then ranked second in Division III, took down top-ranked Augsburg, 19-13, in front of a capacity crowd in their perennial rival's home gym … only a couple weeks after losing to the Auggies in the 2007 National Duals Division III finals.

This regular-season dual meet was a prime example of the significance of Wartburg's "triple threat" at the top end of its roster. The Knights had trailed the Auggies, 13-9, after the 174-pound bout. However, the three big men of Wartburg came through in a big way, with Romeo Djoumessi shutting out George Lynaugh, 6-0, at 184, T.J. Miller defeating Wally O'Connor, 8-5, at 197, and heavyweight Blake Gillis majoring Andrew Neumann by the score of 10-2. These three victories turned the tide in Wartburg's favor for the win.

Say hello to Romeo Djoumessi

Romeo Djoumessi is a graduate of Waverly-Shell Rock High School in the community that Wartburg calls home … but his original home is Cameroon, on the continent of Africa.

Romeo Djoumessi

So how did Romeo end up prepping in Iowa? "My brother Alain wrestled for Wartburg a few years ago," says the 184-pound Knight, currently ranked second in the NWCA Division III poll. (His older brother was a two-time All-American at 197, placing third in 2003 and 2004.) "I admire my brother very much, and wanted to follow in his footsteps. I moved to the US my junior year to Waverly, to get a better education. I lived with my brother for two years."

Romeo had considerable experience in freestyle wrestling while growing up in Cameroon, taking up the sport at the age of five … but folkstyle was new to him. Amazingly, after only three months of wrestling at Waverly-Shell Rock, Romeo qualified for the Iowa high school state tournament, but did not place. His senior year, he made a return trip to Des Moines, and this time concluded his high school career with a state title.

With that accomplishment, Romeo considered some major Division I wrestling programs, including two within his newly adopted home state, Iowa, and Iowa State. Then he had an epiphany: "I looked at my brother as a role model," says Romeo. "I thought about why he chose Wartburg … Wrestling will be over in a few years. However, the education I get at Wartburg will have to last a lifetime."

Now a sophomore at Wartburg, Romeo is majoring in psychology with in a minor in religion, working toward a possible career as a counselor or as a clinical psychologist. "I work with young people ages 6-17 in a nearby town a couple days a week," says Romeo. "It's a great experience. I really like to be with people, help them."

In the meantime, Romeo Djoumessi is schooling his rivals in the 184-pound weight class. So far in his career at Wartburg (this is his first full year as a varsity wrestler), Romeo has a 28-1 college record, with his only loss coming his freshman year in an early-season tournament. As of this writing, he currently claims the longest winning streak in the Wartburg wrestling room, with 29 victories. On February 15, he won the 2007 IIAC 184-pound title, defeating Loras College's second-seeded Jay Figgins, 3-2.

Romeo Djoumessi (Photo/The Guillotine)

In an interview before the IIAC championships, when asked to name the high points of his wrestling career to date at Wartburg, Romeo immediately mentions his two encounters with Augsburg -- at the 2007 National Duals, and in the regular-season dual a few weeks later. "At the National Duals, Augsburg had won all the matches. I didn't want our team to get shut out," says Romeo. "It helped me to overcome pressure." Romeo won his match against Augsburg's Lynaugh, 8-5, preventing a shutout … and, while Wartburg lost the 2007 National Duals Division III title, 27-10, the Knights went down swinging, with teammates Miller and Gillis also getting wins.

Here's what Romeo said about the Wartburg-Augsburg dual a couple weeks later, up in Minneapolis. "Wrestling is very much an individual sport, but each member of the team must contribute. You realize that you're representing the college … You learn how to wrestle smart, to stay calm, to wrestle an intelligent match, even under pressure." This time, it was Romeo's turn to get a shutout, holding George Lynaugh scoreless in a 6-0 victory.

Ask Romeo to describe his wrestling style, and he responds, "It depends on my opponent. In the first seconds of the match, I get to know him, and adapt accordingly … I work to stay focused, to get more aggressive as the match goes on, to stay mentally tough."

Romeo gives his college coach credit for emphasizing the mental aspect: "Coach Miller isn't just about physically working hard. He focuses on the mental aspect, mental toughness. He knows how to get the best from each of his wrestlers, especially in terms of making us mentally tough."

Jim Miller says of his 184-pounder: "Romeo's really good on his feet. His two years in high school really helped with his mat work." The veteran head coach immediately follows up with this assessment: "He's the ideal student-athlete, very serious about school … He's very polite, well-spoken. He's a popular young man here on campus."

Meet T.J. Miller

In his three years at Wartburg, 197-pound T.J. Miller has crafted an impressive mat career, with a 71-7 overall record. He is the only Knight to go undefeated in the 2006-2007 season, with twenty-three straight wins. He is an NCAA All-American, placing fourth in the 2006 Division III championships.

TJ Miller

Most recently, T.J. enriched his resume by becoming a two-time IIAC champion. Last year, he pinned Coe College's Mike McCabe at 1:32 in the finals. This year, the defending champ pinned his first foe… got a decisive 10-4 decision in the semifinals … then, in the finals, secured a 4-3 victory over Luther College's Alec Bonander to claim his second straight conference crown.

There's one additional aspect to T.J. Miller's mat resume: He's the son of Wartburg head coach Jim Miller.

But there's no family favoritism here. "He's earned his own way," says Coach Miller in an interview for this article.

The veteran Wartburg coach wanted to make sure wrestling was not something forced on his son, especially considering his own job title … and the fact that T.J.'s older brothers wrestled in school. In a published interview, Jim Miller is quoted as saying, "I really didn't want him to get too involved. There was a lot of pressure on him and there probably always has been somewhat."

"He's been going to tournaments since he was seven," Coach Miller says. "With that experience, he was familiar with the world of college wrestling -- it was something of a comfort zone with him."

"I've been coming up here and watching practices since I was little," T.J. told the Wartburg Trumpet in a 2006 profile. "I've always had heroes, leaders and role models in my life that have been on wrestling teams in the past. It's just really easy to get involved in the sport when you have so many good people around you."

Despite that exposure at an early age, T.J. did not start wrestling competitively until sixth grade. At Cedar Falls High School, he wrestled junior-varsity as freshman in the 119-pound weight class. He placed fourth at the Iowa state high school tournament as a junior, and sixth his senior year. "It was something of a surprise to me when he placed," says his father of T.J., who had to battle injuries and growth spurts as a prep.

TJ Miller (Photo/The Guillotine)

Then Coach Miller immediately follows up with this comment: "He's come a long way in college … Wartburg's assistant coaches have had the most impact on his wrestling success here."

When asked to analyze his son's wrestling technique, the Wartburg head coach says, "His style is nothing like mine. He usually takes more risks than I took as a wrestler. I think that's due in large part to him being bigger than I was in college." (Jim Miller was twice a NCAA Division II champ for the University of Northern Iowa and a two-time Division I All-American in the 134-pound weight class.)

T.J.'s fellow upper-weight teammates are equally positive in their praise of the Wartburg 197-pounder. "He's got a great attitude," says Blake Gillis. "Both he and Romeo know where they are, and where they want to be. They are both incredibly dedicated, hard workers." Romeo Djoumessi says, "It's a real privilege to know T.J. He's a great role model. He's a very caring person, very encouraging. A great motivator."

Get to know Blake Gillis

As a senior, heavyweight Blake Gillis is wrapping up an incredible career at Wartburg. He just concluded a 33-1 dual-meet season. Blake just earned his fourth straight IIAC championship by pinning second-seeded John Miller of Luther at 3:39 in the finals. This makes the Knights' big man only the fifth wrestler in conference history to take four straight titles… and the third from Wartburg.

Blake Gillis (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)

Blake Gillis can more than hold his own against the best of the big men of Division I. A couple months ago, he placed third at the 2006 Midlands in a pool swimming with DI talent. This season alone, Blake has bested heavyweights from top Division I programs such as Iowa, Iowa State, Central Michigan and Michigan State. His only official loss was to fourth-ranked Dustin Fox of Northwestern. (Blake also lost in a close 7-5 exhibition match at the 2006 NWCA All-Star event to Nebraska-Kearney's Tervel Dlagney, ranked No. 1 in Division II.)

The top-ranked heavyweight in Division III got his start in wrestling "at age four or five." "My brothers and cousins were in it," according to Blake. "First year, I got pinned a lot, but I still enjoyed it. By second grade, I was starting to have some success."

At Spencer High School in northwest Iowa, self-described "late bloomer" Blake Gillis was a "short and chunky" 189-pound freshman who, by the time he made the varsity wrestling squad his junior year at 215, grew to 6'3" and put on some muscle. "That's when I really started winning matches, which really helped build my confidence." His junior year, he placed third in the Iowa high school state tournament. Blake capped off his prep career by winning the 215-pound state title -- "pinning my way through the tournament."

When asked how he chose Wartburg, Blake was honest: "My grades weren't as high as I wanted them to be … Wartburg recruited me. They were really good guys." The heavyweight Knight continues, "Wartburg was the right choice. The professors here are willing to help you. It's a really comfortable place, not much bigger than my high school."

Blake Gillis is majoring in communications, with an interest in a career in public relations. And, once he graduates from Wartburg, he's like to continue in wrestling. "In my weight class, right now Tolly Thompson is the man," says Blake, who only took up freestyle as a senior in high school. "However, I think I could hang with the others with some more experience." He adds that he might like to get into coaching -- "perhaps help out here at Wartburg."

Blake Gillis

Blake Gillis has come a long way since that first day at the Wartburg wrestling room as a freshman. "They brought in a JUCO (junior college) heavyweight. I thought I'd be on the outside looking in," he says. "Early on, I got beat up. But, after a while, I started getting takedowns. I was faster … I became the starter after winning the wrestle-offs." The freshman from Spencer gained confidence with every match, compiling a 35-6 record, and winning the first of his three IIAC championships.

When asked to describe himself as a wrestler, Blake responded with a series of quick statements: "Moves well for a heavyweight." "One of the top sprinters on the team." "Works hard to stay in shape." "Good on the mat."

Coach Jim Miller gives an equally positive assessment of his big man: "Doesn't wrestle like a typical heavyweight. Shoots like a 125 … Keeps getting better each year … A big part of this program's success in recent years."

Despite all these accomplishments and all this success, there seems to be one bit of unfinished business for Blake Gillis as of this writing: an NCAA title. The past three years, the Wartburg heavyweight has been a finalist at the Division III championships … and, all three years, he has lost to the same guy: Ryan Allen of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, who has since graduated.

With the impending graduation of Blake Gillis, the "talented trio" of Wartburg's upper-weight wrestlers will soon be history. However, in the past couple years, Romeo Djoumessi, T.J. Miller, and Blake Gillis have made some history of their own by providing a powerful triple threat that has assured Wartburg's continued dominance in NCAA Division III competition.

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