Ryan Miles wasn’t able to make it to the second day of state again but topped off a good career.

The Missouri Military Academy senior went 1-2 during the first day of the MSHSAA Class 1 boys wrestling championships on Wednesday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia. That meant Miles was eliminated during second-round wrestlebacks and fell one match short of qualifying for the second day.

Head coach Levi Iman said Miles picked up that state victory he wasn’t able to a year ago. While it began in a similar way in Miles being pinned in the first minute by the eventual state champion — El Dorado Springs’ Emory Crawford this year and St. Pius X’s (Kansas City) Marco Dalakishvilli last year — Miles won that next match this time.

“It was a great experience for him,” Iman said. “You always want to go further, but it’s got to end for everybody at some point.”

Miles lost via a 3-1 decision a year ago in his second match but picked up a first-minute pinfall this year on Priory’s G.E. Farmakis. In his third match, Miles was pinned in the first minute again.

Going into the tournament, Miles already secured his 100th career win and his state victory locked him in at 104 wins for his MMA career. Iman said that win will definitely be one he remembers most out of all of them since he picked up the sport during eighth grade.

“He’s grown all the way through MMA,” Iman said. “His freshman and sophomore year, he was a classic JV kid and got to wrestle some varsity but not a ton of matches. His junior year last year was really his breakout year. He came in a little more determined as he had been lifting weights during the summer.”

Iman said Miles became more formidable on the mat when he made the decision that he wanted to be a wrestler. What wasn’t his decision at first was being a leader on the team. 

Since Miles had gathered more experience and conducted himself in a certain manner, Iman said the inexperienced wrestlers paid close attention to him. Even though he was “pushed into it,” his bouts with leadership over his four years at MMA helped him become a two-time state-qualifying wrestler.

“He’s a real role model for the younger guys,” Iman said. “He’s been there so long because we get a lot of guys that come their sophomore year or junior year. He had already, at that point, been at the school for three years so he knew the routine. He knew what we expected at practice and was able to help us get it started. Everybody just followed in tow with us.”

Miles hurt his shoulder and chest at the Warrenton Tournament at the beginning of February. Postseason was right around the corner so Iman was unclear a week before districts whether Miles would be ready for districts. As is on brand for Miles, he was ready. 

“He did come back from that and has been able to wrestle healthy,” Iman said. “At that point, he was still talking to the doctors and figuring it all out. He had three weeks to heal up so that gave him enough time.”