Senior Luke Miller placed 5th at the Illinois High School Wrestling Tournament in Champaign on February 18-19.
Miller competed in the 215-pound bracket of the 3A class, and finished with a personal score of 36-12. The opposition was very tough due to the high level of competition, but Luke's focused temperament helped him get through the tournament.
“Luke is as steady and poised as they come. He keeps the pressure on and never gets rattled,” Coach Dale Eggert said.
Miller actually came close to placing 4th. He lost a brutally close match in the consolation semifinals that could have easily gone in his favor, according to Eggert. However, both Eggert and Miller are proud of his results.
“He won four matches against some quality opponents on the biggest stage of the season. He saved his best match for the end--in the 5th place match. It was a great performance,” Eggert said.
Miller’s weight lifting, wrestling competitions, and other off-season preparations paid off. By competing in the National Greco-Roman and Freestyle Tournaments before the season, he grew accustomed to competing on a large stage. He also watched a movie beforehand to mentally prepare himself and get into a competitive mindset.
"I watched 'Boondock Saints' before every post season tournament [Conference, Regionals, Sectionals], and it worked well, so I kept that going for State," Miller said.
Miller performs at his best when he is relaxed, so that was Eggert’s main focus when coaching him for State.
“He had some huge pressure matches that made me nervous. My challenge was not showing it and making his competing more challenging,” Eggert said.
Miller qualified for the post-season State tournament due to his 1st place Regional finish and 2nd place Sectional title. Seniors Luke Gaeth and Kevin Tavakoli also qualified for State but didn’t place.
“Luke taking 5th was a tremendous accomplishment,” Eggert said.
Although there have been no scholarship offers as of yet, Miller is open to continuing wrestling in college. He enjoyed the experience of competing in State.
“No regrets. I wrestled well and accomplished my goals,” Miller said.
Photo by LHS Wrestling Snapfish Group