Boys athlete of the week
The Post-Gazette’s top male performer from the past seven days
Last week: Miles won the shot put title at the WPIAL Class 2A track and field championships at Slippery Rock University with a throw of 53 feet, 11½ inches. He also finished second in the discus.
Check this out: It has been quite a senior year for Miles in three different sports. In football, he was a first-team allstate selection at offensive line. In wrestling, he won a WPIAL Class 2A championship for the second consecutive year. Now comes his gold medal in track and field. Miles will compete in the PIAA Class 2A championship Friday at Shippensburg University and play in the East-West all-star football game in Harrisburg on Sunday. Miles, an avid fisherman who stands 6 feet 4, 300 pounds, will attend Edinboro University to play football. Where does the shot put title stand on your list of accomplishments? I would say under wrestling. I always had more fun in football and wrestling. Track is more a sport to get into while you’re not doing anything.
Did you have trouble deciding on a sport for college? I talked a little about wrestling, but I was pretty sure I was going for football.
What decided it for you? I just like the team aspect that I had more of in high school in football. It’s not that I didn’t have friends in wrestling. But I felt like I had more fun from a team aspect in football. Ever wish you could compete in a running or jumping event in track and field? I’ve always said I’d like to try the pole vault. But I think they would need a telephone pole for me to use. Do you think the COVID-19 pandemic hurt you in recruiting in any sports? I know it did because all these colleges would have had more money for scholarships, but now they have seniors coming back to play again. If the seniors come back, they don’t have as many scholarships. Were any Division I colleges talking to you? I was talking to West Virginia for wrestling and to Pitt for a while in football. I had a preferred walk-on spot for Pitt football if I wanted.
Will you go on a senior trip after graduation? Yes. I have a bunch of friends and we already planned it. We have a cabin rented out at Raystown Lake. It’s more of a fishing trip than anything else. People might be surprised to know you ... ? Can walk on my
hands. Really, how far? In wrestling season, I could walk around the wrestling circle. Are people amazed a big guy can do that? It’s always a good party trick. When I do it, everyone is surprised to see it.