‘Our foundation’: Ava Miller blazes trail at Teays Valley
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
By Scott Gerfen
sgerfen@cbussports.com
Teays Valley wrestler Ava Miller awaits a match at the DeSales Classic Jan. 9. Miller has put the Vikings’ program on the map. Photo: Michael Rich
Ava Miller paced the hallway outside the gymnasium at St. Francis DeSales High School on a Friday evening. Her headphones pumped out the appropriate motivational tunes.
The energetic Teays Valley senior, who stands 4 feet, 10 inches and wrestles at 110 pounds, already had pinned one opponent. And, she wasted little time in disposing of her semifinal opponent – 19 seconds to be exact – in the DeSales Girls Wrestling Classic on Jan. 5.
While Miller is well-known in central Ohio girls wrestling rankings, she is the bedrock of the Teays Valley program, whose roster continues to grow — from four to eight girls this season — and a mentor in her community.
“We jokingly call her the queen of Teays Valley wrestling,” said coach Chad Havens, who first watched Miller compete with the boys wrestling team alongside his son, Gunner, a three-time state placer, who’s now wrestling at Kent State.
“I build houses for a living, and a house is only as strong as the foundation. Ava is our foundation. She’s given us something to build an entire program for the future.”
Miller, who was 13-4, continues to be a trailblazer.
She made program history in November when she became the first female wrestler from Teays Valley to sign a letter of intent to compete at the collegiate level at the Indiana Institute of Technology.
Last season, she became the school’s first female wrestler to win a match at the inaugural Ohio High School Athletic Association-sanctioned state girls wrestling tournament, where she placed sixth at 105.
Ava Miller (left) competes against Olentangy Orange’s Mackenzie Carder at the DeSales Classic Jan. 6. Photo: Michael Rich
The path to success, however, hasn’t been easy, especially since she’s spent most of her career being the only girl on the boys wrestling team.
When she stepped on the mat for the first time in middle school, she knew she was “embarking on a journey unlike any other,” even though she had been competing in a sport with similar skills.
Miller’s first experience with grappling was at 10 years old when she began competing in Brazilian jiu jitsu.
After trying cheerleading, soccer, gymnastics, dance and other activities, she finally felt like she belonged when she took first place at her first North American Grappling Association tournament.
At her mother’s urging, to help integrate into a new school, she joined the Teays Valley middle school wrestling team as the only girl, weighing roughly 90 pounds.
It didn’t take long for her to impress coaches and opponents.
“Some of the guys would be like, ‘oh yeah, I got a girl. This is gonna be easy,’ and then I would destroy them, and they would be so sad after,” Miller recalled. “I think some of the boys would just go harder on me because I was a girl.”
Miller won her first high school match in the lightest weight class for boys wrestling.
Her skills have only improved from there. Miller went 2-2 at 106 as a freshman and finished fourth at 100 as a sophomore when the state tournament was run by the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association.
Teays Valley’s Ava Miller is recognized as the winner of her match during the Desales Classic Jan. 6. Photo: Michael Rich
“She’s very gritty and determined,” Havens said. “If you tell her she’s done something wrong or raise your voice and get a little loud with her, she’s not going to pout about it and break down. She’s going to take that criticism and roll with it.”
Miller had a special bond with Havens’ son, Gunner, who would often spar with her after practice and work on moves.
“These boys were so different from her, and they were all so protective,” said Regina, Ava’s mother. “Gunner was so important because he treated her just like another kid who was wrestling, and he was at the same weight class as her.”
Miller said she won’t forget the texts of “good luck” teammates sent her before competing in the coaches association state wrestling tournament as a freshman.
She described those bonds with her teammates in her college essay.
“They saw beyond my gender and recognized my dedication and hard work,” she wrote. “Bonds formed on the wrestling mat that transcended societal norms, and we became a team united by a shared love for the sport.”
She added that wrestling has taught her that “resilience and grit can conquer any obstacle. It taught me that embracing my identity and passions unapologetically is a source of strength, no weakness; and most importantly, it taught me that being a trailblazer means paving the way for others to follow.”
That love, along with Miller’s success, has made her a significant figure in the girls wrestling program’s growth at Teays Valley. She is not just a wrestler, she’s also a recruiter and a “coach” to the other girls, according to Havens.
“She’s everything, I mean, she was the creator (of the program), in a way,” Havens said. “Without Ava coming in, we might have girls wrestling today at Teays Valley, but we’re not going to have eight girls.”
The growth of the program was on display at DeSales. The Vikings scored 140 points to beat out Hamilton Township (106) and Orange (99) – a staple program in central Ohio.
Madi Hamilton took first at 155 and Miller, Mackenzie Stevenson (120) and Lidia Huntley (125) added second-place finishes.
Teays Valley girls wrestling coach Chad Havens (left) and assistant coach LJ Miller, Ava’s father, provide support from the side of the mat at the DeSales Classic Jan 6. Photo: Michael Rich