JJC great Geris passes

During the 1960s and 1970s, Joliet Junior College had one of the nation's premier two-year wrestling programs.

The Wolves thrived first under coach John Swalec, then Henry Pillard and Jerry Yost.

One of the building blocks for JJC's wrestling tradition was Canadian Harry Geris from London, Ontario.

Geris, who was born in the Netherlands, passed away at age 60 on April 24. The cause of death was uncertain as of late last week.

Geris, who competed in three Olympics (1968, '72 and '76) for Canada's national team, wrestled for JJC in 1967-68 and 1968-69.

Pillard was Geris' coach the first season at JJC, Yost the second.

"Harry was an unbelievable competitor who used to get in that zone," said Pillard, a member of numerous wrestling halls of fame. "He'd take his glasses off and he was ready for any opponent. It didn't matter who was standing across from him on the mat."

Geris captured the 1968 National Junior College Athletic Association heavyweight title for the Wolves. He finished second a season later to the late and legendary Chris Taylor of Muskegon, Mich. Taylor weighed in excess of 400 pounds while wrestling for Muskegon.

Pillard particularly remembers Geris' 1968 national semifinal match against the brother of former Syracuse football All-American running back, the late Ernie Davis, who won the 1961 Heisman Trophy.

"Davis was from Trinidad Junior College," Pillard said. "He was a high school state wrestling champion from Pennsylvania. He was also an All-America fullback.

"Many people thought Harry didn't have a chance of winning that semifinal match. They said Davis would eat Harry alive."

But the pundits were wrong. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Geris was all over Davis.

"Once Harry slipped those glasses off his face, he was like in a coma ... a different world," Pillard said. "Harry secured Davis in a quick armlock, drove right into him and got him down.

"Harry put a figure-4 lock on Davis' head and picked up five quick points. Davis escaped and Harry was able to do the exact same thing seconds later. Davis eventually quit in the first period."

After gaining two-time NJCAA All-American honors at JJC, Geris attended Oklahoma State University. He earned All-America status in 1972.

A member of the JJC Athletic Hall of Fame, Geris was inducted into the U.S. National Junior College Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1984. He was a past president of the London Western Wrestling Club and the Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association.

"In Canada wrestling circles, Harry was a true legend in every sense of the word," Pillard said. "The man was revered since he did so much for wrestling.

"He loved the sport to no end and did everything that he could for its advancement. It truly was a labor of love for Harry."

Geris is survived by his sons Ryan, Jason and Shawn and his wife Jo Anne. He was a graduate of London's Beal Secondary School.

For the last five years, Geris had been a volunteer wrestling coach with the Western Mustangs, assisting coach Ray Takahashi. The two were teammates on the 1976 Canadian Olympic team in Montreal.

"Harry Geris was a credit to the sport of wrestling," Pillard said. "He will be missed by many."