University of Minnesota Athletics
2019-20 Wrestling Roster
Mitch McKee
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- St. Michael, Minn.
- High School:
- St. Michael-Albertville HS
- Position:
- 141 lbs.
| PRONUNCIATION |
- Letterwinner ('17, '18, '19)
- Four-time NCAA Qualifier ('17, '18, '19, '20)
- 2019 NCAA All-American (6th)
- 2020 NWCA All-American (Second Team)
- 53rd all-time with 91 carer wins
- 12th all-time with 33 career pins
- Three-time Big Ten Placer
- Two-time NWCA All-Academic ('17, '18)
- Team's Freshman of the Year award winner ('17)
- Won team's most exciting wrestler award ('18)
- Led team in falls as a true freshman (6) and true sophomore (9)
- Led starters in falls as a true junior (10)
- Two-time U.S. junior national freestyle champion at 60 kg ('16, '17)
- Silver Medalist at Junior World Championships (Freestyle) in 2017
- 2019 Academic All-Big Ten
Overall Record: 24-7
Dual Meet Record: 11-5
Big Ten Record: 5-6
Pins: 8
Major Decisions: 2
Technical Falls: 4
Finished 6th at the Big Ten Championships • Season ended on March 12, 2020, when the Big Ten and NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns • Recorded five straight pins between Nov. 9 and Nov. 17 earning himself a spot tied for sixth on the Gophers all-time list • Bison Open and Daktronics Open Champion • Won the first 15 bouts of the season • Finalist at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational • Ten-seed entering the canceled NCAA Championships •
2018-19 • JUNIOR
Overall Record: 24-8
Dual Meet Record: 12-3
Big Ten Record: 14-6
Pins: 10
Major Decisions: 1
Technical Falls: - -
Daktronics Open Champion • Didn't lose until Dec. 30 against UNC • Entered Gophers top-25 in career pins • Led Gophers starters with 10 pins • Finished 4th at Big Ten Championships • Finished 6th at NCAA Championships as a first-time All-American • Defeated Wisconsin's Tristan Morn in Bloodround after falling to him in the dual earlier this season • Academic All-Big Ten •
2017-18 • SOPHOMORE
Overall Record: 21-8
Dual Meet Record: 10-4
Big Ten Record: 7-3
Pins: 9
Major Decisions: 3
Technical Falls: 1
NCAA Qualifier • Letterwinner • NWCA All-Academic • finished one match short of All-America status at NCAA Championships • placed fourth in Big Ten • Won Daktronics Open to begin season • Won silver medal at Junior World Championships during summer prior to season • Won eight straight matches during the year, including a stretch of seven straight over Big Ten opponents • led team with nine pins, with one coming at 13-seconds, which is the second fastest in Minnesota Wrestling history.
2016-17 • FRESHMAN
Overall Record: 22-19
Dual Meet Record: 4-8
Big Ten Record: 4-5
Pins: 6
Major Decisions: 2
Technical Falls: 3
NCAA Qualifier • Letterwinner • NWCA All-Academic • finished one match short of All-America status at NCAA Championships • placed sixth in Big Ten • finished runner-up at Daktronics Open to begin collegiate career • opened college career with four straight bonus point wins (two falls, two tech falls) • won 133-pound title at Journeymen Collegiate Classic • finished fourth at Cliff Keen Invitational • finished sixth at Southern Scuffle • earned first career ranked win over No. 16 Anthony Tutolo (Kent State) at Cliff Keen Invitational • six falls on season led team • wrestled a team-high 22 matches against ranked opponents as a true freshman
HIGH SCHOOL
Six-time wrestling letterwinner • three-time state champion • six-time Fargo national champion (four-time Greco champ; two-time freestyle champ) • three-time folkstyle national champion • three-time Minnesota Christmas Tournament champion • four-time academic letterwinner • two-time choir letterwinner • National Honor Society member • Coached by Dan Lefebvre
PERSONAL
Son of Steve and Nina McKee • Has one sibling, Patrick, who is also competing at the U of M starting in 2018 • Most memorable sports thrill was winning The Clash national team title his freshman season • Away from the mat and classes, he has performed in choir and band since fifth grade • Plans to be an engineering major.
| Season | Overall | Dual | Big Ten | Pins | Maj. Dec. | Tech. Fall | B1G Finish | NCAA Finish |
| 2016-17 | 22-19 | 4-8 | 4-5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6th | Rnd of 12 |
| 2017-18 | 21-8 | 10-4 | 7-3 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4th | Rnd of 12 |
| 2018-19 | 24-8 | 12-3 | 14-6 | 10 | 1 | -- | 4th | 6th |
| 2019-20 | 24-7 | 11-5 | 5-6 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6th | CANCELED |
| Totals | 91-42 | 37-20 | 30-20 | 33 | 7 | 8 | 4th | 6th |
Highlights: Gophers 14, SDSU 18
Tuesday, November 25
Coach's Corner with Brandon Eggum
Sunday, November 23
Highlights: Gophers 25, Virginia Tech 10
Sunday, November 16
Highlights: Gophers 15, Missouri 14
Sunday, November 16
