Dallas Miller honored at basketball game

Indiana University of Pennsylvania student Dallas Miller died in a traffic accident on Feb. 19.

The accident took place in Washington County, Md., as Miller was on his way back to IUP.    

Miller was a senior physical education and sport administration major, who was involved in an internship at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, a leader in the Spirit Team and a hockey player, among other things.  

“We as a sport administration faculty want to relay our sympathy to his family and friends,” Dr. Robert M. Kostelnik (health and physical education), who had taught Miller for four years at IUP, said.  

“We always talk about how students should create their own niche,” Kostelnik said. “Dallas did that.”

“When things weren’t going the right way, he would be a leader,” Ben Rodgers (senior, safety science), who had played hockey with Miller, said. 

“He would make the best out of a bad situation.”

At the Feb. 20 men’s and women’s  basketball games, Miller was honored with a moment of silence before the national anthem.  

“We decided as a group of friends to show up to the basketball game and pay our respects to Dallas,” Chad Westerburg (senior, sports administration) said.

“That’s what Dallas would want, for us to be there for him.”

Along with a moment of silence, there was a slide show that projected images of Miller participating at his KCAC internship.

“I thought it was beautiful,”Dylan Freeman (senior, hospitality management) said. “The video was really touching.”

Miller was expecting to graduate this spring.  

“He was 100 percent the guy who didn’t care about what anybody thought of him,” Zach Henderson (senior, sport administration) said. “He was always himself.” 

“He was by far the best of us,” Daniel Reagan (senior, philosophy) said.  “There was nothing that we can think of that was a negative light of Dallas.”

“He was more than a friend to me, he was a brother,” Alex Fisher (senior, international business) said.

“I’m going to miss the hell out of that kid.”