Fairfield High School Senior Miguel Ramos “begged to wrestle in kindergarten,” according to his mom, Faye Persinger.
The 17-year-old had to wait… until first grade… for his first match on the mat.
Ramos, who was born in Garden City, Kansas, attended grades K-7 in Choteau, and it was during eighth grade that the family moved to Fairfield.
Miguel wrestled throughout junior high and high school, telling the Sun Times, “I always wanted to be a part of wrestling.” In third grade, with his stepdad coaching, Miguel “began to excel in wrestling,” according to Persinger. Miguel, though, said that it was in junior high where be started to excel, saying that is when he began to “build his techniques.”
Asked about the techniques he developed, Miguel cited the “arm bar, tilts, feet and finishes.” He then went on to explain each. “Tilts have been my savior,” allowing him to put his opponents “on their back.” Asked if he has developed his on technique, Miguel said that he “hasn’t found his own technique; I change my style for different opponents.”
Earl Persinger, Miguel’s stepfather and coach, with Miguel in 2012.
Fairfield Wrestling head coach Mike May, who has coached the high school team since 2009, can see a technique in Miguel’s wrestling, “Miguel’s technique is very offensive, he’s an offensive wrestler that likes to wrestle on his feet. He takes advantage of opportunities when he’s on top, but Miguel’s best wrestling is when it’s at a fast pace from the start.”
Miguel told a story about his brief time on the football field. The young player was injured, but coach Les Meyer wanted him to continue to on the team. After all, Fairfield is a football town. May said that he wanted to keep Miguel on the wrestling team, and was concerned that, considering his size at the time, Miguel would be at a great risk for injuries with football. May visited Coach Meyer, and said, “If you can show me anyone at that weight class that can get a football scholarship to play football, he can play.” Coach May explained that after his time as a wrestler, Miguel had developed a wrestler’s mentality. “That doesn’t work on the football field,” he added. After that, Miguel went to the mat, not the field.
May said that Miguel puts in a lot of time and effort. “Wrestling is a team sport; your partners in the room make you better, but when you step onto the mat, it’s ultimately up to the individual.” May went on to say that it all comes down “to preparation, how hard you work on the fundamentals; your drills; your mental status, believing you can do anything. You have to believe in yourself.
Over the years, Miguel has traveled to meets across the nation, and while different regions may approach wrestling differently, the wrestlers form bonds with other grapplers. Faye, speaking as a parent, said wrestling parents also bond during meets. When the schedule takes them to Sidney, Montana, there is a family of another wrestler that will put them up in their home.
When asked to name schools with prime wresting programs in the state that have impressive programs, Miguel names Great Falls High School, and the schools in Sidney, Kalispell, Lewistown and Bozeman.
But, with graduation looming, Miguel seems to enjoy talking about the program, and the coach, at University of Providence (UP) in Great Falls. “I’ve known him for a while.” While Miguel was a sophomore, when UP Wrestling Coach Steve Komac watched him during a match and said, “Future UP wrestler on our hands.” Miguel added, “They (UP) have a really good wrestling program, and I want to be part of an up and coming team.” He plans on studying criminal justice.
Miguel Ramos at Butte, Montana on June 30, 2021 swearing in ceremony at Army National Guard.
Coach Komac took the position as head wrestling coach at UP in 2020. Before that, he was head wrestling coach at Great Falls High for 19 seasons. Before Great Falls High Komac was head coach at Browning High School for six years.
Miguel signed on with the UP Argos earlier this year and will attend the school with the help of a wrestling scholarship.
The Sun Times reached out to Coach Komac for comment: “We are excited to have Miguel joining us at the University of Providence. Miguel is a talented young man that understands body position and has a very good skill set already. I have gotten to know Miguel over the last few summers by running into him at off-season wrestling camps. This commitment to camps, work ethic in practices where I have been present, and Miguel’s understanding of solid wrestling positions is what attracted us to recruit Miguel. We are excited to have him joining us.”
In his early days of wrestling, Miguel was trained by coach and stepfather Earl Persinger, who grew up in Choteau and, from an early age, was himself a wrestler.
Earl, who now lives in Georgia, told the Sun Times that he coached Miguel “from about the age of six” up until about two years ago.”
“We had a mat in the basement, and Miguel wanted to get on the mat every chance he could.” As far as Miguel earning a wrestling scholarship, Earl said, “I think it’s great... awesome.”
Regarding Miguel’s joining the Army National Guard, Earl told the Sun Times, “I think it will be something good for him, in addition to the wrestling.”
College and wrestling aren’t the only passions in Miguel’s future. He has signed on with the Army National Guard. He will be shipped off to Ft. Benning, Georgia for his basic training on June 13. He plans on becoming a Cavalry Scout. “I’ve been interested in the military since I was little. I liked to play ‘Army’.” He said that he also enjoys military and history documentaries. Faye said that at a very early age Miguel told her that Abraham Lincoln was the “best President” for the way he conducted the Civil War. Faye said the interest in the military comes honestly, as the family has a lengthy history of military service. But it’s obvious that Faye, like any mom whose kid has signed up to serve the country, is a bit nervous. Faye said that the people at University and Providence have been great to work with when it comes to coordinating Miguel’s college life with Army life.
Coach Mike May spent 21 years in the Army National Guard. “It’s a good deal for Miguel. He will learn a lot about himself, and gain structure in his life.” Asked if wrestling would help him prepare for military life, May said, “Wrestling is a discipline… a total mindset. It helps in anything you do. Wrestling is like life, one minute you’re on top of the world, the next minute you’re humbled.”
We couldn’t end the interview without asking Miguel his opinion on his mom’s reporting on Fairfield wrestling over the years. Faye’s work has been a front-page fixture in the Sun Times over the past several years, with a style enjoyed by readers across the area. Miguel said that his mom’s reporting is “… really good; better that what I’ve seen in other papers.” We hope that Faye will continue her coverage of Fairfield wrestling, and maybe even cover some of the UP Argos matches. Coach Mike May agrees, “It’s great to see something in the paper every week, and the photos, about the kids. The kids enjoy the recognition and some of the parents that are unable to attend the matches enjoy reading about how the kids are doing.”