LebCo Athlete of the Week: Klint Miller

ELCO junior Klint Miller turned a tough start at the PIAA State Championships into one of the most significant finishes in program history. Competing at 160 pounds in the AAA bracket from March 5-7 at Hershey’s Giant Center, Miller dropped his opening match before battling all the way back through consolations to place 7th in the State. Along the way, he picked up three straight wins to reach the medal round, including a 15-0 technical fall in the second period of his blood-round bout to clinch a place on the podium. That performance earned him recognition as LebCo Athlete of the Week.

Beyond just making the podium, Miller’s stellar 4-2 performance at States made him the first ELCO male wrestler to earn a State medal since 2007, prior to his birth. He also became the first non-senior in program history to reach the podium at States.

Miller closed the season with a 38-6 record and now has 112 career victories, giving him plenty of momentum heading into his senior year.

ELCO coach Matt Fittery said Miller’s performance in Hershey showed exactly what makes him such a dangerous wrestler.

“Klint did an awesome job at the State Tournament,” Fittery said. “After a tough loss to start the tournament, he showed a lot of heart by winning three matches in a row to get into the medal round. He is a lot of fun to watch. He is a dangerous wrestler and can score points in bunches.”

Fittery said that variety was on full display throughout Miller’s wrestle-back run.

“In fact, he won by pin, major decision, and then scored a tech fall to clinch a State medal,” Fittery said. “In his 7th-place bout, he was down by five late in the 3rd and threw his opponent to his back to get the win. It was a lot of fun coaching him.”

For Miller, the season’s main objective was clear from the beginning. He wanted to finish with a State medal, and he did exactly that.

“My goal for this season was to earn a State medal, so I accomplished that,” Miller said.

Miller also said his individual effort was always tied to doing whatever the team needed. Whether that meant bumping up a weight class or wrestling for bonus points, he embraced that role all season and did not lose a match in a team dual.

“Some team goals were to make team postseason once again,” Miller said. “Although we didn’t make it, I did everything I could to help the team, whether it was bumping up weights or looking for a pin. I didn’t lose a match in a team dual this year.”

He was also part of a historic effort from ELCO, helping lead a group of four ELCO boys qualifiers to the PIAA Championships, the largest group in school history. When adding Kylee Trostle, who finished 4th in the Girls State Championship Tournament, five Raiders competed on Pennsylvania’s biggest stage.

When asked who he would like to recognize, Miller credited coach Fittery, coach Miller, coach Craig Ziegler, Dr. Davis, and Chance Marsteller for helping him reach this point.

Outside of wrestling, Miller stays busy in a different kind of competitive setting. He shows livestock animals and is an active member of ELCO’s FFA, competing annually at the Lebanon County Fair, where he has also entered the contest for best mullet. When he is not training, Miller said he is usually game-planning and figuring out how he is going to prepare for the next time out. He also says he can wheelie anything he rides, whether it is a dirt bike, 4-wheeler, or snowmobile.

Long term, Miller hopes to attend a service academy and pursue a career as a fighter jet pilot, a goal that reflects the same discipline, focus, and toughness that helped him become one of the top wrestlers in the State.

(Miller’s college commitment is now expected in the coming days.)

And when it comes to what he enjoys most about sports, his answer fits the way he competes: “It always shows who wants it more. Winners win.”

Wrestling also runs in the family. His older brother, Kyle, was a state qualifier at 215 pounds last season. In fact, both Millers qualified, with Klint also reaching States alongside his older brother in 2025. Their father, Kenny, serves as an ELCO assistant coach and is a Lebanon product, where he learned from some of the all-time greats including Tom Jordan and Bud Getz.

Congratulations to Klint on being named LebCo Athlete of the Week. After a history-making junior season, there is already plenty of excitement building for what he can do next winter as a senior. And if you cannot wait until wrestling season to see Miller competing again, be sure to stop out at the fairgrounds in July, when he will be chasing a different kind of best of show.