Send this article to Promobot

Miller wrestles with decision, picks Southern Oregon

May 18th 12:42 pm | Van Williams Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

He was one of the greatest high school wrestlers in Alaska history, so it made sense that Jared Miller of Dillingham got college offers from some of the country's top teams.

In the end, though, Southern Oregon University felt like the right place.

Miller, 18, followed his heart to the NAIA school in Ashland, Ore., which placed second at the 2012 national championships and features the best practice partner in two-time national champion Mitchell Lofstedt.

Miller had opportunities at other colleges such as the University of Wyoming and the University Northern Colorado.

"It was a really difficult decision for me to make," he said. "It would have been great to go D1, but I want to contend for a national title. At the D1 level, there's a chance I could go there and never crack a varsity lineup.

"There's a lot of different options that were good for different reasons, but I had to go with what felt right.

And that was Southern Oregon.

He will make it official at the team banquet when he signs his commitment letter.

The Raiders are getting quite the catch in Miller, a 126-pound giant that crushed the competition like a comic book hero during his illustrious career at Dillingham High School.

He tied the national record with four consecutive state titles, a fantastic feat only a handful of Alaskans have accomplished.

Miller could be president of the club.

He won 115 of 117 career matches, posting undefeated seasons in each his junior and senior season.

"I would not have been half as successful as I was without being blessed to be coached by John Johnson," he said. "Thanks to Johnson and the [Dillingham wrestling] room, I think I'm prepared to give it a shot there."

He plans to redshirt at Southern Oregon this upcoming season, which means he can practice but not participate in competition. He will gain strength and knowledge in preparation for his freshman season.

He will learn from one of the best in Lofstedt, a two-time NAIA champ. He plans to check his ego at the door, willing to take his lumps because he knows it will make his better in the end.

"It's about attitude, realizing you're probably going to get your ass kicked for the first few months," Miller said with a laugh.

The Southern Oregon team already features a half dozen Alaskans, including Joe Hunt and Reed Tennyson of Dillingham. Tennyson was named the team's top freshman last season.

Other Dillingham students will also be on campus.

"Some of my best friends will be down there," Miller said.

Then again, though, it wouldn't matter if was alone. He's going to Ashland on a mission.

"It's all about wrestling," he said.

Reach Van Williams at sports@reportalaska.com.

 

Contact us about this article at editor@thebristolbaytimes.com

Copyright 2013 The Bristol Bay Times is a publication of Alaska Media, LLC. This article is © 2013 and limited reproduction rights for personal use are granted for this printing only. This article, in any form, may not be further reproduced without written permission of the publisher and owner, including duplication for not-for-profit purposes. Portions of this article may belong to other agencies; those sections are reproduced here with permission and Alaska Media, LLC makes no provisions for further distribution.