At the state wrestling tournament, McKray Gayler made one last pin as his coaches, parents and community cheered him on from the sidelines. The referee called the game and held up McKray’s wrist, signifying to the crowd that he had won his fourth state championship of his high school career.
McKray had also been involved when in the fall, Piute’s baseball team took 1st at state for the fourth year in a row, making him quite possibly Piute’s only athlete to win eight state championships in two sports.
When asked what advice he would give to future athletes, McKray said to “stay positive and open-minded.”
Leaving behind High School Sports
Winning his final state championships in high school sports was “bittersweet,” McKray said. “It’s very humbling and emotional to me. My entire life has pretty much been sports, so with high school sports being over it’s hard to process what life will be like without them.”
McKray is so proud of what he has accomplished so far, but he did not get here alone. He gives much of the credit to his parents for teaching him to work hard and stay disciplined — both on and off the mat.
“Huge credit to my parents Mike and Jenna (Gayler),” he said. “They help me stay disciplined to my training and especially with my mom pushing me in my school work.”
McKray also gives credit to his entire team for what he has done. Additional credit goes to his coaches, including his head coach, Jerad Severe; his teammates; the rest of his family and the community.
Taking Life Lessons with Him
Even with as exciting of an ending as McKray’s, the end of high school can often be bittersweet. In a way, though, high school sports will stay with him his entire life through what he has learned.
“Nothing comes easy,” McKray learned from his four years of wrestling. He has not had a perfect high school career, and he knows what it feels like to lose.
When those losses happen, it can be hard to come back. What McKray did was to choose not to let discouragement stop him. “Wrestling is a tough sport mentally and physically,” he said. “It’s made me understand that it’s okay to take loses, and to always work hard and never take something for granted.”
And don’t forget, “Always make sure you tell your parents thank you,” McKray added.
Sports have taught McKray that discipline, resilience, hard work and gratitude will always work, no matter what he faces in life.
Advice to the Next Generation of Athletes
Reflecting over his time playing sports, McKray Gayler gave this advice to the next generation of athletes:
- Stay positive and open-minded.
- Always work hard and stay disciplined to yourself and your team.
- It’s okay to lose.
- Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.
- And have trust in your coaches.
There is a lot more to high school sports than just throwing the ball or working out. A big part of sports is mental work.
McKray hopes that his advice to athletes can help them accomplish their own goals in sports. “By accomplishing what I’ve done and by what I’ve said,” he added, “I hope I have inspired the younger generation of athletes.”
– The Byway
More Pictures
Feature image caption: McKray Gayler (Piute) wrestles Isaac Leech (Bryce Valley) for first in the state. Courtesy Richfield Reaper.