Player Spotlight: Hayden McKay, Mount St. Mary's
Player Spotlight: Hayden McKay, Mount St. Mary's
Mount St. Mary's is looking to make a surge into the upper echelon of the Rugby East and D1A, and they have an impressive, but young, team with which to do it.
The Mount has an astonishing 43 freshmen on their roster, so what they also need is experienced players who will always be in the lineup to lead the way. And those players include Raymond McGettigan, Bastian Brunello, Hunter Herzog, James Stelluti, Damon James, Evan Corbett, and the subject of today;s piece, Hayden McKay.
A star for the USA U20s in what was a successful 2024, McKay is a fast, aggressive flanker/No. 8 who is quick over te ball, versatile, and has a penchant for breaking open games.
MSM Head Coach Jay Myles agrees, but also says there's more to it.
"He sets the standard on defense and work rate," said Myles. "Obviously he was outstanding at the U20 level. But for us at Mount Saint Mary's he is one of the players we lean on."
And it's not just the on-field stuff. Myles spent most of his time praising McKay's ability to help the players around him.
"His communication, his organizational skills, his management of players around him is phenomenal," said Myles. "We are blessed to have him. He works hard on the field but really it's his work rate throughout the week and how he helps guys around him that stands out.
McKay grew up in New Zealand, going to school there before matriculating to MSM. However, he has a US passport because he was born when his parents were working in Los Angeles when he was born. He has been fully commited to the USA U20 team and has stated that his goal is to be an eagle.
There will be a lot more on his plate as time goes on. McKay has more time left at MSM and he will be a huge part of helping those 43 freshmen take Mount St. Mary's Rugby forward.
