OHIO CITY, Oh - Saint Ignatius Lacrosse defender Brightin Miller will join a national powerhouse at Salisbury University next fall. The Sea Gulls are a 12-time National Champion at the Division III level and have made it to the NCAA Tournament for 38 consecutive years. Miller, a standout defender for the Lax Cats, will bolster a tremendous program at Salisbury. 

"Over the summer, I talked with a bunch of different schools. I competed at the Under Armour All-American Tournament and that is when Salisbury reached out to me," says Miller. "I began talking to the coaches, revisited the campus, and fell in love with the school. I talked with my family and I ended up committing."

Miller is coming off a phenomenal junior season that helped lead the Cats to a 14-7 record and one of the top teams in the state. After the season, Miller was named to the OHSCLA First-Team All-Region. Miller also received a Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Association Honorable Mention for his work as a defender. 

"Brightin doesn't go unnoticed when he's out on the field. His height, length and reach with his stick are a gift to have. His style of play fits in tremendously at a place like Salisbury University, which has been the gold standard for Division three lacrosse for decades," explains Head Lacrosse Coach Kyle Bernlohr. "They will be getting a player who is a pest on the ball, hard to evade and covers a lot of ground very quickly. I'm eager to see Brightin continue to develop and evolve and look forward to him having a fantastic senior year as a Wildcat."

Throughout the summer, Miller worked on improving his game on the lacrosse field, as he looks to be a key senior on the team this season. "My footwork has been one of the key areas that I have worked on; I always want to have a quick first step," explains Miller. "An important part of being a great defender is maintaining good positioning. I have watched tons of film in the offseason to get ready for this season."

Miller has emerged as a leader for the Lacrosse Cats and has been a varsity team member since his sophomore year. "Brightin has been a mainstay in our small group training throughout the fall and is taking big strides in the right direction," Bernlohr says. "Brightin has been a sponge since day one and makes coaching him rewarding as we continue to see improvement every time we get out on the field." 

In his sophomore year, Miller was a member of the team that made it to the OHSAA State Semifinal and in his junior year was a starter on the team that made it to the OHSAA Regional Final. The program is still searching for its first State Championship and Miller hopes to use that experience to help deliver a title in 2023.

"Those teams helped me greatly in my growth," Miller says. "We have a new head coach and I think his knowledge and experience will help us be successful this season."

With his college decision, Miller's attention turns to his senior season and helping the Blue and Gold one final time. "This is such a relief to have the college recruiting process completed," explains Miller. "I think we have a great all-around team, with a big group returning. We also have a talented first-year class with which I am excited to compete this season."

Miller has been a staple of the Wildcat Lacrosse program since his sophomore year. His hard work has paid off, as he will compete at the next level with a national powerhouse at Salisbury University in Maryland.