UW-Platteville junior wrestler Jesse Milks went to NCAA Division III National championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on March 6-7 and came away with a fifth place finish at the competition.

Milks has been wrestling since he was 5 years old and he says going to the NCAA D-III national championship is an accomplishment.

“Preparation for the national championship was different in that it was much tougher for me at practice.” Milks said.

The hard work payed off for Milks earning fifth place, though he does wish he could have wrestled a little more aggressively in some of the matches.

Jeff Gale, UW-P wrestler up until the past season and now assistant coach, said Jesse Milks is the perfect role model for athletes because he is strong both athletically and academically.

As a former teammate of Milks, Gale said he is a strong, positive captain for the team; he may be soft spoken, but when it’s necessary, he will speak up to the team.

He not only did well at the championship, but also earned WIAC championship and All-American honors for the second time under head coach Chris Walter. Achieving this wasn’t easy for Milks though. He was thrown obstacles earlier in the season. He overcame a sickness and injuries that occurred.

After a successful season, Milks will be taking a small break and getting right back into hard lifting and wrestling. The offseason isn’t much of a break for an athlete with a big goal. His ultimate goal next season is to win it all — a national championship.

As for the team itself, Gale said there is much room for improvement but he guarantees next year will be the year to watch Pioneer wrestling. They have recruited young, but solid wrestlers and hopefully next season will be their time to shine.