For Maximus Hay, Brown Deer wrestler, sport is a family affair
BROWN DEER, Wis. - Maximus Hay, freshman wrestler at Brown Deer High School, has called his dad his coach since first grade. The sport is a family affair for the wrestler who took eighth at Preseason Nationals.
That's what makes Hay this week's FOX6 High School Hot Shot.
"My favorite memory is my first tournament. My mom was in the stands, and I just got done with my first wrestling match. I won, but I was crying. I was like, 'Mom, I can't do this anymore. It is such a hard sport.' She was like, 'If I give you $50, you have to win all your matches.' I was like, 'OK,' and I ended up winning first place, and I got the cash prize, too," said Hay.
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"My dad has been a huge influence on me, not just from wrestling, but he also taught me a lot of life lessons from wrestling. Yes, he has been my coach all the way from first grade all the way up to ninth grade. My whole family wrestles," said Hay. "My brother, sister, most of my cousins wrestle, too. Yes, we are always competitive with everything we do. If it comes to eating, to winning a match, we are always competitive. We are always pushing somebody to the next level."
Hay said he has a "love/hate relationship" with his sport.
"It's just you and the other person on the mat. Not anybody else's fault if you lose, and it's not anybody else's glory if you win. You get all the glory, and you get all the hits," said Hay.
Hay won first place twice in Folkstyle State, and he won freestyle in Greco State, and he is an All-American.
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"My favorite medal is probably Cheesehead Apocalypse medal. It was called Cheesehead Apocalypse because it was just a zombie with cheese," said Hay.
Off the mat, Hay likes drawing and singing.
"I might sing a little quiet because I might get a little nervous from singing in front of people, but I always enjoy doing different things," said Hay.