Between the miles in the pool and miles on the road, Stone Miller found enough time to become elite in two worlds.
The ‘Iolani swimmer completed his prep career with gold medals in the 100-yard freestyle, and 400- and 200- freestyle relays on Saturday. His 45.97 in the 100 left no doubt, more than two seconds ahead of the runner-up. He also placed second in the 50 freestyle at 21.48, behind X X Rose of Kealakehe (20.92) as ‘Iolani repeated as the boys state champion.
That adds up to eight medals in his high school career, five of them gold, even with the cancellation of the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic.
The relays feel a little bit different for Miller, a senior with a 4.1 grade-point average. The Raiders broke the state mark in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:05.04.
“There’s a lot of pressure because in your (individual) events, it’s only you, but in relays, if you do bad it affects the whole team. But it’s a lot of fun, especially if your team wins,” Miller said.
The 50 and 100 are not his original races. When he started competitive swimming at 7, it was a different stroke.
“I was a backstroker. Then I became a distance swimmer, mile and 1,000. In high school, I became a sprint swimmer. When I was 13, I won the 500 free at (club) states, but after that I didn’t improve much, so I tried sprinting,” Miller said.
In the 50, he and other swimmers do something unique to high school sports: hold their breath.
“The hardest thing is your lungs. In the 50 free, I try not to breathe the entire race. In the 100, I try to treat it like a 50 free except that I breathe every time I stroke on my right side,” Miller said. “I like them both. I’ve been more consistent in the 100 free. In 50 (free), you have to have a perfect start and perfect turn. The 100 is more based on how strong you are.”
He qualified to swim at nationals in the 50 free last year.
“I guess I’m better at the 50, but I’m not consistent in it. The 50 is more technical,” he noted.
There are other nuances that are akin to few other sports. Any edge is valued, but much of it can be about belief.
“I think it’s mostly psychological. Whenever I have a big swim meet, I shave my legs and arms. Pretty much all swimmers shave before a big meet. The water feels different. It feels colder and you’re gliding through it more,” he said.
‘Iolani coach Ivan Batsanov likes Miller’s demeanor.
“He’s a team player, one of those guys who’s not very vocal, but at the same time works hard, keeps his head down. There’s a lot of integrity going on, kids working hard together,” Batsanov said. “He’s extremely talented. We love having him on the team. We’re certainly going to miss him next year, but we’ll do our best to stay on top.”
At 5 feet, 11.5 inches and 145 pounds, Miller is a torpedo. The constant training at ‘Iolani during the high school season, and with club the rest of the year, keeps him busy.
“I do remember when I first realized that he could be very good,” Kamehameha Swim Club coach John Flanagan said. “It was during the 500 freestyle at our (club) state championships when he was 12. He ended up placing second in a close finish, but I saw his drive and competitiveness come through as he swam beyond expectations. Since then, Stone has only gotten better as a racer and competitor. He’s been a joy to watch over the years.”
One of his goals is to add more strength and bulk.
“A lot of times, I find myself losing weight. The lowest weight this season, I’ve been below 140, and that’s when I feel weak,” he said. “I usually eat a lot after practice at dinner. I probably eat four meals a day. At practice, I always have food like a granola bar. I just have to have calories.”
He has been as high as 148, and once college begins, there’s usually a freshman-15-pound gain.
“A sprinter my size is supposed to be 160 to 170 (pounds). I’m going to try and lift weights more, and the practices probably won’t be as much yardage.”
The miles add up, but Miller remains fueled. His father, Joe, sometimes takes him to practice. Usually, it’s his mother, Jamie.
“Practice, when I was 8, was probably one and a half hours. Now, it’s two and a half. Two days a week, I do a strength training workout with my trainer.”
Miller gets some of his homework done during free periods at school.
“I try to get it done so I don’t have to stay up late,” said Miller, whose GPA is 4.1.
Joe Miller swam at the University of Texas. After two years, he turned a dream into reality by transferring to Hawaii. That’s where the 6-footer from Sulphur, La., met 5-3 Jamie Tamanaha, an Aiea graduate. Both swam the 50 and 100 freestyle.
“We ate at the pool snack bar after practice. He saw me and asked if he could join me,” Jamie Miller recalled. “That was our first date. He asked me to watch ‘Waterworld’ at his dorm room after.”
Their first-born was a his toddler when he took to water like a fish.
“Stone was very comfortable. He was swimming on his own before the age of 2,” Joe said. “Having children who swim gives Jamie and I great joy. We are able to share our experiences and knowledge with them. Stone has learned that hard work, dedication — pain and suffering — and taking chances often times lead to success. He’s also learned that success comes with responsibility.”
Jamie Miller had a knack for numbers as a student.
“I have a photographic memory with numbers, but Stone is on a different level. He has a photographic memory and loves to learn. We are proud about his academic journey at ‘Iolani,” she said.
Stone Miller doesn’t know the details of his parents’ dating history, but he is a fan of world history.
“During my free time if I’m not swimming or surfing, I watch YouTube videos or I read. Geopolitic stuff. I’ll probably major in business, but I’ll take classes in history,” he said.
His favorite class is AP European history, which is taught by his favorite teacher, John Bickel.
“I had him last year, too, for Wars of the 20th Century, and AP Comparative Government and Politics,” Miller said. “AP European History is the most interesting. I’ve always been interested in history, especially warfare history.”
This is why Miller has a specific place and era he would visit if there was a time machine.
“I would go to maybe 1914, to France or Russia,” he said. “I’d see how everything played out during the Bolshevik Revolution.”
Miller’s plan is to enroll at an East Coast college, where that could be a springboard to more bucket-list destinations.
“I want to see a Formula One race, probably in Monaco. I’ve been to Japan and Canada, and New Zealand,” he said. “But I want to see a bunch of different countries in Europe.”
Coach Batsanov, originally from Bulgaria, supports that dream.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a lot of countries in Europe. Traveling opens up your horizons to meet people from different cultures and shapes your perspective,” he said.
Miller’s first sport was flag football, along with golf.
“Golf, I wasn’t really good at. I played it once a week, nothing serious. I played flag football for only a season or two,” he said.
His favorite athlete isn’t a swimmer. It is Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“They’re my favorite team. My dad is a (New Orleans) Saints fan. The year I started watching football was the year the Packers won the Super Bowl. I wear my Aaron Rodgers jerseys on the days they play,” Miller said.
Their devotion to their favorite teams led to unforgettable trips.
“I went to Lambeau Field in November (2021) with my dad. It was in the 30s to 40s. It wasn’t freezing. We’ve been to the Superdome to see the Saints. We were at the ‘Minneapolis Miracle’ game in Minnesota. My dad was crushed,” Miller said. “I wasn’t as crushed, but I don’t like the Vikings.”
Younger sisters Sage and Sky are also promising swimmers. Sage is a sophomore who placed second in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, and raced on ‘Iolani’s 200-yard free and 200-yard medley relay teams.
Stone Miller says he will miss watching his sisters race, but they seem like they’ll miss everything about their big brother.
“I’m going to miss him driving me to school and playing his music that always starts my day off well. I’m going to miss his sense of humor and his quiet but sweet presence,” Sage Miller said. “I’m also going to miss him yelling at his video games late at night and the random comments he makes every day. I’m going to miss his supportiveness and encouragement to be the best athlete and person I can be.”
Sky Miller is an eighth grader, also at “Iolani.
“I’ll miss his humor and just being there for me.” she said.
2023: 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 gold relay
2022: 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 gold relay
2020: 1 silver relay
STONE MILLER
‘Iolani swimming • senior
>> Top 3 movies/shows: 1. “Saving Private Ryan,” 2. Star Wars movies, 3. “Lone Survivor”
>> Top 3 food/snacks/drinks: 1. Steak, 2. Red Bull, 3. McDonald’s cookies and cream McFlurry. “I get a McFlurry after a big swim meet.”
>> Top 3 homemade foods: 1. Mom’s beef stew, 2. blackened mahimahi, 3. mom’s mashed potatoes. “My mom (Jamie) makes it once a week. Me and my friend (Knut Robinson, a Mid-Pacific swimmer and Miller’s Kamehameha Swim Club teammate) make the mahimahi when we can. One day, we decided to try and make something. We put it in a foil and on the the grill. It takes 30 minutes in total.”
>> Top 3 music artists: 1. Little Tjay (“Run It Up), 2. Morgan Wallen (“Whiskey Glasses”), 3. Shoreline Mafia (“Nun Major”).
>> Favorite class: AP European History
>> Favorite teacher: Mr. (John) Bickel
>> Favorite athlete/team: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
>> Funniest teammate: Knut Robinson. “He switched (club) teams. He’s pretty much never serious. He’s always joking.”
>> Smartest teammate: Blaise Swartwood. “He was the valedictorian of his class. I think he had a 4.8 GPA. He took almost all AP classes. He’s in college now.”
>> GPA: 4.1. “I had a 4.5 last semester. I try to to get my work done during free periods, but there are nights when I’m up super late studying.”
>> College: Undecided
>> Shout outs: “Shout out to my (Kamehameha Swim Club) coaches, Coach Kevin (Flanagan) and John (Flanagan). Mom and dad. My high school coach, Coach Ivan (Batsanov).”
