Checking In with Patrick McKee
2/4/2021
GS: It seems you’ve taken quite a big leap from last season to this season. Talk about what it was like to get that first season in the starting lineup last year under your belt, and how that has helped you this year in knocking off some of the best guys in the B1G?
McKee: I think last year, I was still young and had a lot to learn. Cutting weight was a lot tougher than in high school. I learned it’s more of a science than anything, but we’ve got that figured out now. I think going into the Purdue match last year, which was kind of the turning point for me when I realized I was right behind these guys. Last year, I was beating the No. 5 wrestler in the country at the time in that Purdue dual, and then I injured myself. So after that, for me it was a reminder to myself that I’m right there, my hard work is paying off, I just need to keep doing what I need to do. Overall, last year was just a big confidence booster for me, and a bit of a mindset change. I’m in college now; I’m one of the veterans on the team, so why can’t I be one of the top guys in the country.
GS: One thing that people who watch your matches will notice a lot more of this year is your ability to get to your offense on the feet and the pure volume of shots that you’re taking this year. Would you say that has been something that you had been working on over the course of the off-season and perhaps even in the room throughout the course of this season?
McKee: Yeah, I’ve always known that I’ve had good attacks, but last year in my matches, I felt so exhausted because of my bad weight cut that I didn’t have the confidence to get to my shots. I think, again, it comes down to a mindset change going into this year, and it started from this summer. I worked a lot with Coach Sanders on my single leg and high crotch, and I feel so much more confident in them now. It has been a thing though that I’ve been proud of myself for this year is getting to my attacks.
GS: Let’s talk about this year’s Purdue match more specifically, because last season, the Purdue dual seemed to be the defining moment of your season. You know, you were in control of that match with two early takedowns and then you had the leg injury, which influenced the rest of your year. So, what was it like to square off with that same guy again this year and to get the job done? Was any of that running through your mind going into that match?
McKee: For sure, I was thinking about it. I actually wrestled that guy earlier this year at U23 World Team Trials, and both times that I wrestled him, I knew in my mind I could beat him. The only reason I lost that match last year was because I got injured. So, I beat him in October in freestyle, and going into this last match, I was 100% confident that I could beat him. Even before the match, my coaches reminded me that he has no confidence, because the last two times we wrestled, I controlled the match. I just felt so confident going into that match and we got the win.
GS: Now let’s talk about the team a little bit. We’ve established a pretty young core throughout the lineup. What excites you the most about this team, not only for this year, but for years to come?
McKee: What I’m really excited about is some of the guys coming in. After the Iowa dual, our coaches reminded us about how young of a team we are, and we’re going to have recruits coming in that are incredible and will keep feeding into this program. Then you think about guys like Andrew Sparks, a true freshman coming in and he’s just wrestling out of his mind. That doesn’t happen a lot with freshman who come in and are that ready to go. He’s been wrestling incredibly and it’s awesome to see him do that along with everyone else on the team.
.@pmckee125 gets the stick! pic.twitter.com/gwyiB9J1aE
— Minnesota Wrestling (@GopherWrestling) January 31, 2021
GS: Obviously, this year has been quite different with no fans, and perhaps you guys have had to build off each other a little bit more. Have you noticed anything different about this season with the camaraderie between the guys or even just the overall energy level?
McKee: I’d say this year for us; we’ve been training harder than any other team out there. This summer, we had Pinnacle right up the road, we were able to head over to Wisconsin to train, and not many teams were able to do that. So, going into this season, that was the mindset we had. Also, with the uncertainty of the season, our coaches always said, “If they give us an inch, we’re going to take a mile.” We are going to take as much out of this season as we can, and that was the mentality all of us had going into this year. We saw last year that nothing was guaranteed, so we wanted to make sure that we make the most out of this year that we can. I think we’re doing a pretty good job of that, but we have to keep rolling.
GS: Another thing that’s been exciting about this team this year is the ability to win the big matches. In year’s past, we might not have gotten it done sometimes in those toss-up matches, but this year, we’ve seen it with guys like Andrew Sparks, Brayton Lee, Owen Webster last weekend. Obviously, you’ve done it a couple of times already this year. What do you think that says about this team when they’re able to go out and win those big matches?
McKee: I think what helps the most to be able to do that is watching other guys on the team do it. Once you start building that team mentality and you start going into those matches with that mindset, that’s something you carry on your shoulders. Once a match gets hard, that’s when it’s the most fun, and a lot of us have that mentality that we love the fight. We love the nose to the grindstone type of work, and when you have a team with that same type of attitude, that’s when you’ll see us win those tight matches. Once you see one guy get a win like that, then the next guy will do it. We’ve been fortunate to win those matches this year, and we’ll continue to build that.
GS: Now let’s talk about this weekend’s dual against Illinois. Clearly, every dual in the B1G is competitive but this weekend is no different, with both teams pretty close in ranking. What is your expectation for the dual, and what do you think the team needs to do to go out and get the victory?
McKee: We just need to wrestle through every position, wrestle through every whistle, and wear these guys out. We have the ability as a team to get these guys exhausted, and when we do that is when we wrestle best. I think we can do that same thing this weekend against Illinois, and we’re just going to “give them the gas” as our teammate Cael Carlson likes to say, which just means that we’re going to push the gas pedal and never stop attacking.
GS: Final question, now looking forward to the remainder of the season for you. You’ll still more than likely have some big matches coming up, both in the dual season and come tournament time. What’s the mindset like for you going forward and what expectations do you have for yourself heading into the remainder of the season
McKee: For me, I like looking forward to only one match at a time. Obviously, you have the end goal in mind, which is to be a national champ and win Big Tens, but every week is a stepping stone to that goal. For me, I am just excited to be able to compete. Obviously, NCAAs were cancelled last year, so I’m just excited to be able to wrestle at the national tournament. I’m excited to be able to compete as myself at Big Tens. Last year, I just wasn’t myself, I was still coming back from that injury. I’m just going to come into every match more free. There’s no weight on my shoulders, and I’m just excited. No other way to explain it other than that.
