Fremd's Wexley knows how to function 'in the zone'

You would think the hardest, most stressful thing Max Wexley has tried to do lately is ace the ACT.

Which he did, by the way, in September with a perfect score of 36.

Less than 1 percent of high-school test-takers each year ace the ACT college entrance exam.

"I had gotten a 31 the first time around and I really wanted to get that higher. I was trying to do well, but I also knew that if I had to, I could take the test again," Wexley said of his mindset heading into his banner test-taking day.

"But with the 3-point shooting contest, I knew I had only one shot."

Wexley, a senior starter for the Fremd boys basketball team, went through another mental wringer, maybe even a more rigorous one, last year in the IHSA Class 4A state 3-point contest. He qualified for the Waukegan sectional out of the Barrington regional, and then had the fight of his life at Waukegan to qualify for state.

"I hit 10 of 15 (3-pointers) at Barrington to qualify for the sectional and then at Waukegan I hit 9 of 15, but it was a four-way tie," Wexley said. "We had to go to sudden death, and I hit 9 of 10 in sudden death."

That broke the tie and the next thing Wexley knew, he was headed to Peoria for the state 3-point shooting finals.

"That sudden death was crazy, an inexplicable feeling," Wexley said. "I was so nervous. We were shooting right before the sectional championship game. The place was filling up, there were all these people watching, but for some reason, I didn't let it get to me.

"It was like I was in an open gym shooting by myself. When people describe being 'in the zone,' that's what I was in."

Wexley is "in the zone" a lot.

From test-taking to maintaining all As in six, yes six, AP classes, to coming up with big 3-pointers for the Vikings, Wexley knows how to get results when the stakes are high and the pressure is mounting.

"I just like to challenge myself," said Wexley, who averages about 11 points per game for the 13-10 Vikings. "Over time, I've gotten to know myself pretty well and I know how I function best and shooting for the stars works for me. There are always some bumps in the road, but mostly, I can't complain."

Wexley doesn't have time for it.

His heavy class load, which includes advanced placement classes in Literature, Environmental Science, Macro Economics, Calculus, Spanish and Computer Science, demands about two hours of homework a night.

"My Mom was worried when I told her my schedule. She thought that was too much," Wexley said. "I had my own concerns. But so far, it's been a positive experience. I have some really good classes."

Wexley is also involved in National Honor Society, student council and the Green Team environmental club, which is trying to change Fremd's recycling policies.

"Max is a great kid who excels in academics, athletics, leadership and activities," Fremd coach Bob Widlowski said. "He balances it all in a seamless fashion."

Widlowski was especially proud of Wexley last season at the state 3-point championship. Wexley finished in the middle of the pack in Peoria, but was poised and impressive in what was somewhat of a coming-out party.

Wexley had spent the entire season for Fremd coming off the bench in a limited role as a reserve. He took advantage of the 3-point contest to really showcase his true potential.

"That entire experience downstate was a blur," Wexley said. "I remember going to school that day in the morning because I didn't want to miss too many classes and have a ton of homework, so I left after fourth period, I think.

"Then I get there and I'm shooting around and it's just awesome, and even though I didn't shoot as well as I wanted to in the contest, it was still really fun and I loved being there and getting to do that. I went out after with the coaches for dinner and then I think I went home that night to do homework."

Wexley is always doing homework, even when school is out of session.

Last summer, to prepare for the ACT that he aced, Wexley worked with a tutor and went to classes and did regular homework and practice tests.

"Sometimes I'd miss out on things," Wexley said of his summer social life. "But in the end, I had a goal in mind, and I wasn't going to let anything stop me from getting it."

The goal was a better score. The dream goal was a perfect score.

Wexley remembers vividly the night he found out that he had aced the ACT.

"The scores were supposed to be posted at midnight, so I stayed up to wait for them to be posted and when I logged on, I couldn't believe it. I had to look a few times at that number," Wexley said of his perfect 36. "I was speechless. So I went into my parents' room and woke them up and they were all worried. They thought that I was hurt or sick or something and then pretty soon, we were all jumping up and down.

"Then I got the letter in the mail from the ACT, and it was like, 'Wow, this really is real.' "

So are the offers that Wexley is now getting from some very reputable colleges.

He's applied to Stanford, Duke, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Michigan and Indiana and has already gotten accepted to the last three. Although he's not sure whether he'll major in business or environmental science, Wexley is fairly certain that he'll bring his basketball with him to college.

"For me, basketball is like a stress reliever," Wexley said. "If I have a big test or something tough at school coming up, I go to a gym and get shots up. I love the game so much and I've always tried to work hard to be good at basketball, but I've also found it to be a good outlet for me. It gets my mind off of things."

And for Wexley, those things are many.

Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw