After an illustrious career at Kiski Area, Darren Miller already is starting make a name for himself at the collegiate level.

The Bucknell freshman went 19-15 in his first season on the mat for the Bison and was also one of three wrestlers who started every dual while producing a dual-meet record of 10-6. Only three of his teammates reached the double-digit dual-win mark.

“I felt like it went pretty well,” Miller said. “I definitely had my moments during the year, but there’s a lot that I can work on and improve on. This year was definitely a big learning curve.”

From the beginning of the season, Miller, who won a PIAA individual title as a senior at 126 pounds, said there were a few things he had to become accustomed to in order to be successful. From a three-minute first period, compared to two minutes in high school, to the intensity of practice and the ability of the wrestlers, Miller said there was a lot to learn.

But in Bucknell’s first tournament of the season, the 133-pound freshman made his collegiate debut by placing third in the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open at Binghamton. In the third-place match, Miller earned a 10-8 sudden victory decision over Michael Jaffe from Harvard.

“(The tournament) was definitely an eye-opener, and it showed how good some of these Division I wrestlers are,” Miller said. “But in the end, I had to just put my head down and keep training hard.”

That was exactly what Miller did. He shined in the dual schedule with three major decisions and two pins.

Throughout January, Miller started to hit his stride. Between Jan. 10-30, Miller put together a six-bout winning streak in dual matches and went 9-2 from Jan. 4 to the end of the month. But Miller wasn’t satisfied with those performances. They gave him a picture of what he could accomplish.

“During that month, I felt like I was feeling my best,” Miller said. “But again, for next season, I need to try and feel that way for the entire time throughout the season.”

Miller produced one of his best wins when the Bison took on No. 11 Lehigh in February.

In a 32-6 Bucknell loss, Miller earned one of two victories for the Bison. He used a third-period takedown for a 6-4 win over Lehigh’s Nick Farro, who finished his season 15-8.

“I felt like that was one of the best matches all year,” Miller said. “It really showed me that I can do well at the Division I level if I put my mind to it.”

Miller, who had a 164-23 record in high school, finished his season at the EIWA Championships. He won one match, a 9-8 victory over Brown’s Charlie Faber in a second tiebreaker period.

Miller has identified several areas to work on as he looks to do big things during his sophomore season.

“I have big goals for myself. I just need to keep a level head and keep training,” Miller said. “I’m trying to make it to the NCAAs and do well at the EIWAs.”

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