Miles Lee takes a 26-1 record into the state tournament.
Photos by JHock Photography and Rory Gulak
Miles Lee possesses many gifts, with grit and gumption as the internal complements to his external brawn. Forever focused on fending off challenges to his fortitude, the 18-year-old will valiantly compete for South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St., today in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 3A Wrestling Championships, hoping to claim the title after two outstanding performances at recent competitions.
“I believe in hard work, and I’ll need every bit of discipline to become the champion,” the junior said Monday from the Lower Moyamensing-based learning institution. “I like the craft, so this is going to be a big test of how far I’ve come this year.”
The West Philly dweller will face Governor Mifflin registrant Dylan Harr in a 4 p.m. duel at the Giant Center. The Hershey-situated matchup will find Lee looking to build on his success at the District 12 3A championship, where he won the 195-pound crown with a 6-3 decision over La Salle College High School’s Anthony Piscopo and received the outstanding wrestler of the tournament honor, and last weekend’s PIAA 3A Northeast Regional gathering in which he succumbed in the final to Stroudsburg’s Jake Jakobsen, his only loss against 26 victories. If he tallies four triumphs, Lee will emerge as the title holder and will make nobody in attendance happier than Rory Gulak.
“He puts in a ton of work,” the assistant director of operations for Beat The Streets Philadelphia, which assists youth and high school wrestling programs through funding and resources endowments, said. “When you think of physical and emotional strength, he’s the perfect package, and it makes us very happy to see this coming together so quickly for him.”
The Northeast Philly denizen noted that Lee discovered Beat The Streets Philadelphia, through which the former helps 20 to 25 squads, two years ago and knew the teenager would prove immediately successful. As he has matured, the latter wrestler has honed his sense of self-worth and has found joy in being part of a team for the first time, as he used to train with The Academy at Palumbo, 1100 Catharine St.
“Everything motivates me to become better,” Lee said of what influences his tenacious approach to pinning opponents. “I absolutely love being competitive and picking up lessons no matter what the outcome is. Even when I lost to Jakobsen, yeah, I was disappointed, but I can learn from it. Maybe it was a good thing for me since I feel even hungrier.”
Wrestling has appealed to the committed competitor since his childhood, with World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. as his motivational behemoth. By age 14, with his beloved sport not an option at his school, Lee began to practice mixed martial arts, finding the discipline a wonderful way to sate an immense desire.
“I love being aggressive and making contact,” he beamed. “You can find that in football, but I like the individual elements of wrestling much more. I also feel I’m learning more about myself through wrestling than I ever could have by doing some other sport.”
Always one to acknowledge his predecessors and instructors, Lee lauded Palumbo and Beat The Streets personnel, citing employees’ commitment to bolstering his brain as well as his body a definite boon in acquiring more belief in his skills on and off the mat. In a September profile through the Beat The Streets Philadelphia website, the adolescent, in accepting Wrestler of the Month honors, declares “Wrestling has caused me to focus a lot more on my education…” Not presently a pupil at South Philadelphia High School, he will be so come the fall and will use the state tournament experience, summer preparation, and his senior year at the facility to further his academic dreams. Tabbing Kutztown University his favorite through the aforementioned profile, Lee said going for his degree there would be great but that he has so much to ponder before making such a big decision. One matter, of course, concerns how he could capture the championship Saturday night, with another encounter with Jakobsen certainly a tempting engagement to consider.
“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, though, or I could be in real trouble,” Lee said. “One test at a time.”
“He’s definitely working with a heavy amount of confidence,” Gulak added. “That doesn’t mean for one second, though, that he thinks he’s invincible. We’ll see how everything goes. We’re all excited for him.”
Regardless of the outcome, Lee will use each subsequent training session and matchup to increase his chances of becoming a mixed martial arts professional. As Beat The Streets Philadelphia’s presence at Southern, now in its third year, grows, the young man looks forward to accumulating more friends, lessons, and victories.
“I’m pretty enthusiastic about my journey,” Lee said. “I like that I have great people by my side. I want to come through for them as much as I want to be successful for myself.” SPR
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Miles Lee takes a 26-1 record into the state tournament.
Photos by JHock Photography and Rory Gulak
Miles Lee takes a 26-1 record into the state tournament.
Photos by JHock Photography and Rory Gulak
