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Laurel Graduate Abbie Miles is a Pioneer for Women’s Wrestling in PA
Miles is a fitting last name for someone who has unquestionably been on some long car rides over the years. Whether it was to visit national parks with the family or traveling to the top wrestling tournaments in the country, she’s made it through some exhausting trips. So a four-hour car ride to Albion College from her hometown of New Castle will go by like nothing.
Abbie is one of the nation’s top recruits in girls wrestling for the high school graduating class of 2023. She’s signed to be an Albion College Briton and be a part of a women’s wrestling team in their third season in 2023-24. She will also be the first wrestler from Pennsylvania in the history of Albion women’s wrestling and is coming off a third place finish in the Pennsylvania Girls Wrestling Championships in her senior year. But before she focuses entirely on college, she has her final trip to Fargo, North Dakota, for USA Wrestling nationals to prepare and look forward to. Miles will compete at 164 pounds in the junior girls’ freestyle division.
“It still hasn’t hit me that it’s coming to an end and that I won’t wrestle for Team PA or Laurel again,” she said. “When I head out to Fargo, it is going to be emotional. I’ve been wrestling nationally since I was 14 and I think sometimes I take it for granted. I’m ready for it and to have my family, college coaches, and club coaches there to support me. I didn’t place last year, and I had just gotten back from a shoulder injury just before it. I’m ready to go for it this time.”
A torn labrum made the 2022 meet and her overall junior school year challenging. She missed the high school season for the Laurel wrestling team and was called in to help out with the junior high program instead of competing. She got back to action to play in some of her junior softball season, but it still took some time to feel like 100 percent of her old self. But now, there’s no restriction or restraints.
Hard-nosed is one way to describe Miles as she has been nearly a lifelong wrestler. She began her career at seven and was inspired by watching her older brother, Mitch, compete growing up. Her parents took over a good portion of the Laurel wrestling program in her youth; making it even easier for wrestling to be a staple in her life all the way to this point today. But even more than wrestling, Miles has always embraced the physicality that sports can bring. From late in elementary school through middle school, she played on the offensive and defensive line. If you haven’t figured it out by now, Miles doesn’t and never has cared about the norm.
It’s obviously not common for girls to play football or compete on the guys’ wrestling team. And sure, there were some difficulties along the way. But in the end, she was just doing the things she loved. Heck, she didn’t even want to give up football. She mostly only did step away from the gridiron because her future in wrestling was very bright. This decision proved to be a great one as with dropping football, she could focus on wrestling for most of the year. She also was a support staff member of football game days and shadowed the medical staff during games.
Through these shadow opportunities, she discovered that healthcare was something she was passionate about. She intends to become a physician assistant one day and is studying biology on a pre-PA track while at Albion. “I think it will keep me on my toes,” Miles noted. “I am not the type to sit down in an office all the time. It’ll be difficult, but Albion has a great program and the people in it seem very supportive.”
The Albion women’s wrestling team tripled their roster size from year one to year two, and Miles is an impactful recruit that will help the program get closer to filling a full team for the foreseeable future. Head coach Adam Wilson and assistant coach Zach Wood lead both the men’s and women’s programs and have made the new women’s program a welcoming one for recruits and a program that is built the correct way.
“Through the recruiting process, I spoke with a lot of schools and went on a lot of visits. Coach Zach and Coach Adam made me feel the most at home and comfortable. I like what they’re doing and think they’re doing all the right things for the program and for the girls. It was amazing to see people who cared so much about the team and also help six girls get to nationals out of nine total wrestlers.”
Finding the right coaches is an important part of being a successful athlete and continuing to find joy in the daily grind. Throughout her career, she’s had the opportunity to wrestle for some amazing coaches at Laurel, with Team Pennsylvania, and with Pitt Bull Wrestling Club. In her final high school match, six of her closest coaches were in her corner to support her and guide her to victory. When she left the mat, the pure emotion of never having the opportunity to compete for them again took over.
“My last match was really hard on me,” she said. “I’m so thankful to have had my dad in my corner for my last match. It’s been a family affair and I have to thank both of my parents for allowing me to start wrestling and supporting me through all of this. I couldn’t have gotten to where I am now without all they’ve done. Kevin Carmichael and Jay Matteo have also always been great to me and been crucial in helping me improve over the years.”
What Abbie Miles has gone through as a young wrestler has paved the way for many who will follow her. With the PIAA sanctioning girls wrestling just a few months back, the future of the sport is more clear than it’s ever been. Growing up, there was never a path for her to dream about college wrestling. But today, she’s just a few months out of accomplishing something she never even dreamed could happen for her as a little girl. Wrestling has been a mainstay in her life, and it thankfully is not stopping anytime soon for the New Castle product.
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