Senior Eddie Hay’s talents have always shown through, whether on the mat, field, or at the coffee grinder.

“I got involved in wrestling through my dad, who was a wrestler at both Kean College and Kutztown University and coached at Kean for about five years,” Hay said.

The influence from his dad and years of hard work led Hay to grow up to be the third wrestler in Bangor history to earn 100 career wins.

“The achievement of getting 100 wins gave me a sense of satisfaction because I have put so much of myself into this sport,” Hay said. “I hope I inspire younger wrestlers to stick with it and to compete at a high level.”

Hay’s current record for his last season of Slater wrestling is 15-1, the loss being what he considers his best match.

“It was a triple overtime against a long-time personal close competitor from Palisades,” Hay said. “I was able to wrestle him smart and improve from that match last year.”

Hay hopes for a trip to states (a feat he accomplished sophomore year) with more performances like his Palisades match.

Though Hay’s main focus is wrestling, he decided to go back to being a two-sport athlete this fall when he played football as a wide receiver and cornerback.

“I wanted to play again so that I could be on the field with my friends one last time during my senior year,” Hay said. “I genuinely missed the sport and I knew I would regret not playing later on.”

Putting that helmet and those shoulder pads back on proved no mistake for Hay.

“Getting revenge on Northwestern Lehigh after losing to them last year was the best feeling,” Hay said. “We pushed ourselves all season in order to make that last game count.”

Outside of all of the pinning and tackling, Hay also has unique hobbies in the kitchen.

“My friend Haakon Mathewson and I have been roasting, grinding, and brewing our own coffee for about a year,” Hay said.

Though Hay will be busy with the challenges that college throws at him, he will be sure to make time for his avocation.

“I think I will continue making my own coffee for a while,” Hay said. “It’s honestly just fun and convenient, and the fact that I have always liked coffee helps.”

Next fall, Hay plans to put the caffeine to the test while he attends college.

“I am committed to Worcester Polytechnic Institue in Massachusetts with high hopes for myself,” Hay said.

With Hay’s ability to excel in AP and honors science courses, it is no surprise that he wishes to go into, what some would consider, a challenging field.

“I am going to major in biomedical engineering,” Hay said. “Essentially, that is designing or manufacturing equipment that contributes to the medical field in terms of surgeries or lab equipment.”

Hay’s interest in this field was very clear, even from a young age.

“Medicine has always interested me,” Hay said. “The combination of that, my math and science skills, and the fact that I have always enjoyed tinkering with equipment makes this field perfect for me.”

Along with Hay’s studies at Worcester, he also plans to continue his wrestling career as a Goat, with high expectations for himself.

“I’m just excited to be part of a new program and I’ll do everything I can to be on the starting team, and get as many matches as possible,” Hay said. “College wrestling will surely be a big change, but I’m eager to grow a lot from this new experience.”

Hay will be sure to carry his exceptional skills both on the mat and in the classroom with him to Massachusetts next fall. The lessons he learned through sports will stay with him for life.