PCM’s Miller signs with Grand View wrestling

Prairie City-Monroe senior Xavier Miller will go down as one of the best wrestlers in school history after compiling a school-record 156 wins over his four-year career.

When he extends his career to the collegiate level, Miller will join the best NAIA wrestling program in the country.

On Monday, Miller signed a National Letter of Intent to wrestling for the Grand View University Vikings in Des Moines.

“I liked the school, and the coaches,” Miller said. “They have a really good program.”

The Vikings have won six straight NAIA national championships. The program has only been around for nine years.

Miller committed to the Vikings before he advanced all the way to the Class 2A championship match at 145 pounds at the Iowa High School State Wrestling Championships last month.

He picked the Vikings over a handful of NCAA Division III teams in the state, including Buena Vista University.

“I am really glad the process is over,” Miller said. “It’s stressful. I didn’t know what to say to the coaches after I made up my mind.”

Miller went 32-5 at 113 pounds as a freshman. He bumped up to 120 pounds as a sophomore and finished 34-7.

Miller wrestled at 145 pounds the last two seasons and advanced to state both years. He finished 42-8 last year but went 1-2 at the state tournament. This year, Miller put it all together and advanced to the title bout and finished second with a 48-3 record.

His four-year record at PCM was 156-23.

Grand View told Miller they plan to redshirt him next season with the hopes he can wrestle at 174 pounds the following year. That’s a 30 pound jump from his senior year in high school.

“I am OK with it,” Miller said. “It will give me a year to get accustomed to college.”

Miller plans to major in business management with the hopes of one day running his own construction business.