Haverford School’s Jay McDonnell is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week (Dec. 19-25)
The senior 133-pound wrestler won his first six decisions this season (including one at the prestigious Beast of the East tournament) and recently won his second consecutive Pottstown Invitational Tournament title, pinning three opponents, including his finals match, and winning the other match by major decision. He won 31 matches as a freshman and got off to a great start as a junior, winning two matches at the Beast of the East before injuring his elbow (UCL tear), which required Tommy John surgery. “Jay is one of the hardest-working wrestlers I’ve coached in years,” said Haverford School wrestling coach Jesse Sataloff. “He loves learning and refining his technique and is constantly improving. Jay embraces the grind and focuses on doing the little things right throughout practice, which sets the tone for everyone else in the room. He’s not the loudest leader, but his hard work makes everyone around him better.”
Q: What do you think was your best match of the Pottstown Invitational Tournament, and what was the biggest key to your success?
A: I think my best match of the tournament was my semifinal match. I felt really good and fast on my feet which let me get to my attacks easily. I feel like the biggest key to my success is my mindset. I used to get really nervous before most matches but now I just feel loose and confident. Coach Sataloff has really helped me with the mental side of the sport. My confidence comes from the work I put in the room with all my coaches and partners.
Q: What do you consider your biggest strength on the mat?
A: I feel my biggest strength on the mat is my leg attacks and my movement on my feet. I feel like my setups and hand fighting has been at a level it’s never been before and I can thank Strath Haven’s coach, Tony Gilliano, for that. Throughout the offseason when I was hurt, he always had something for me to do to improve my wrestling on my feet.
Q: What you are working on most currently?
A: The most current thing I am focusing on is my conditioning. I really like to push the pace in my match and outwork my opponents.
Q: Tell us a little about the Tommy John surgery rehab, the biggest challenge you faced during the rehab, and how you met that challenge.
A: The rehab was pretty tough. Thankfully, I had JJ Thomas by my side the whole way and still do today. She owns Primal Physical Therapy and ever since she found out about my injury, she did everything in her ability to get me to where I am today. She helped me get in touch with a fantastic surgeon, Dr. Dodson, who ended up doing my surgery. I wouldn’t be writing this if it wasn’t for JJ. I think the biggest challenge I faced was I wasn’t going to accomplish my goals this year. I worked so hard to achieve them but the opportunity was stripped from me and I had to accept that.
Q: What sparked your initial interest in wrestling, when did you start wrestling competitively? Who have been your biggest wrestling mentors, and what were the most important things you’ve learned from each of them?
A: I started wrestling when I was in 1st grade. I stuck with it for a couple years but didn’t enjoy it so I took a year off. During that year off, I realized I missed wrestling and decided to come back. I started wrestling competitively when I was in 7th grade. I started going to national tournaments all along the East Coast but would always get beat up. In 8th grade, I went down to Virginia Beach for a tournament and went 1-9 on the weekend. That lit a fire inside of me and I haven’t looked back since then. My biggest mentor is Coach Ianny. He has been my coach ever since I was in 1st grade so I’ve been with him for a good amount of time now. He has always been teaching me new things on the mat and I mostly learn it from him whooping up on me. Although he’s a dad, he’s still got it in him to wrestle me. He and I have a special relationship that I will truly miss when I am gone next year.
Q: What do you think has been the best match of your Haverford School career, and what do you think was the highlight of that match?
A: My favorite match was during my sophomore year when Haverford did two tournaments with the Inter Ac. I had wrestled a friend of mine from EA in the first tournament and lost 6-5. I remember being dialed in for those next two weeks and knew I was gonna have to work super hard in order to get that win back. When I wrestled him again, it went to the ultimate ride out OT and I won 2-1. It really showed me that my hard work paid off.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-match preparation the day of a wrestling match.
A: I usually like to keep low energy and just be very relaxed. If it is a dual meet after school, I like to check my weight a couple times throughout the day and be mindful of what I can eat and when I can eat. A couple hours before the match I like to listen to music and just be in the moment. I like to get a hard warmup in and get a really good sweat going so I can be ready for my first match since it is always the hardest one. Around 30 minutes before my match, I do a couple sprints, do some stance and motion, and like to pace back and forth while listening to music.
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Haverford School? What do you think you would like to major in at college? Is there a particular career field that interests you at the present time?
A: I really enjoy Social Psychology. I find it very interesting how people act in a social setting and what causes people to act the way they do. I would like to major in Psychology in college because while going through my injury, I met with a sports psychologist. He really helped me get through the fear of getting hurt again and I feel like I would really enjoy helping others with similar problems since I was able to experience that.
Fun facts – Jay McDonnell
Favorite TV show: Jersey Shore, Family Vacation.
Favorite movie: Superbad.
Favorite athlete: Charles Oliveira.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Skyfall by Adele.
Favorite team: Boston Red Sox.
Favorite place to visit: Outer Banks, N.C.
Favorite pre-meet meal: Chicken and rice with asparagus.
Person I most admire, and why: “My teammate DJ Pennewill because I see myself in him. He is a hard worker and pushes me in practice all the time. He doesn’t care about being tired and getting beat up here or there. He filled my spot last year when I was hurt and he ended up breaking his nose in a match but came right back that same week like nothing happened. Whenever he is beating me in a sprint, it reminds me that I have to work harder.”
Family members: parents Jamie and Jennifer, sister Lilly.
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
