Hastings wrestling all-time great Josh McLay will be inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
McLay attended Hastings High School, graduating from there in 2000. He participated in football and wrestling. Josh was a captain his senior year in football and was a 3-year captain for wrestling. The football team finished second that year, losing to Cretin-Derham Hall and Joe Mauer in the finals. Josh was a 5x Conference Champion and a four-time state qualifier, and a 4-time section champion. He won three AAA state titles, at 145 lbs. in 1998, 152 lbs. in 1999, and 160 lbs. in 2000. He helped his team reach the MN State Team Tournament in 1996 (State Champions), 1997 (5th), 1998 (2nd), 1999 (3rd), and 2000 (3rd) Josh never lost a match at state, and his high school record was 180-30. He was named as an ASICS First Team All-American in 2000.
Josh was a 6-time finalist in Freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling at the national level. He won Greco-Roman and Freestyle titles as a second year Cadet. He was a runner-up in Greco-Roman as a sophomore in the Junior age division. He was a champion at Greco-Roman his junior year, and as a senior Josh won both Greco-Roman and Freestyle honors.
Josh attended the University of Minnesota, going 63-52 and was a 4-year letter winner for the Gophers, and he was named a Big 10 Academic All-American. Josh was a 3-year starter for the Gophers, placing 5th in the Big 10 Tournament as a junior, qualified for the NCAA Division 1 tournament, where he went 1-2.
Josh began his teaching and coaching career at Woodbury High School in 2007. He then coached at Eagan High School in 2008, then at Hastings High School in 2009, and continued to serve as head coach there until 2019. Josh’s coaching record stands at 255-113. He guided five teams to the MN State Team Tournament, 2012 (4th), 2014 (4th), 2016 (5th), 2017(4th), and 2018 (6th). Josh helped 67 wrestlers qualify for the state tournament, had 23 state place winners, and had 2 state champions. Josh was an assistant coach at Hastings from 2019-2023, helping the team to four more state tournament appearances and a team state title in 2023.
The Hall of Fame induction dinner will be on April 11.