Patrick McKee

Patrick McKee Preps for NWCA All-Star Classic

MINNEAPOLIS – Golden Gopher 125-pounder Patrick McKee will head to the Lone Star State this week for some exhibition mat time, as he receives the nod to compete in the NWCA All-Star Classic in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, November 22.

The event returns after a four-year hiatus from the sport and showcases some of the best wrestlers that collegiate wrestling has to offer to make for one of the premier wrestling events of the season.

McKee is slated to be the first bout of the evening at 125 pounds, as he will square off against Iowa State’s Kysen Terukina in what will be the two lightweights that have squared off in their careers. McKee was originally slated to wrestle Arizona State’s Brandon Courtney in a rematch of last season’s NCAA fifth-place match, however, Courtney withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons.

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Checking In with Patrick McKee

Gopher Sports: 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. Continue reading at gophersports.com →

McKee Named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week

University of Minnesota sophomore Patrick McKee was named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week following his performance in a tri-meet at Michigan State on Saturday. McKee shared the honor with Iowa’s Spencer Lee.

McKee finished the weekend with a 2-0 record as he earned a 19-6 major decision against Maryland’s King Sandoval and a 10-6 decision against second-ranked Rayvon Foley of Michigan State. In the upset of Foley, McKee erased a 3-0 deficit with four takedowns during the second period.

The St. Michael, Minn., native is currently ranked No. 9 in the country at 125 pounds and is the first Gopher to receive the honor since teammate Brayton Lee earned conference accolades in December, 2019.

The No. 11 Gophers will host their first home dual of the season when they face top-ranked Iowa at Maturi Pavilion on Friday. The match will begin at 8 p.m. and air live on Big Ten Network.

Lee Crowned Junior National Champion, McKee Places Third

Fargo, ND – Three future Gophers took to the mats in Fargo this week competing at the Junior National Championships. Brayton Lee and Patrick Mckee each ended their tournaments on the podium gaining Junior National All-American Honors.

Brayton Lee wrestled to a first-place finish in Fargo and earned the title of Junior National Champion at the 152-pound weight class. The Brownsburg, Ind., native held an unblemished record through seven matches and entered the finals of his weight class having won all of his previous matches by technical fall, outscoring his opponents by a score of 61-0. Lee defeated his final opponent by criteria after finishing the match 3-3 and taking the top spot on the podium.

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Gable Steveson named to ASICS America Boys First Team for third time

McKee and Kerkvliet named to 2nd Team; Robb 3rd Team; Lloyd and Kennedy HM

ASICS America Corporation is pleased to announce the 33rd annual ASICS Boys All-America Wrestling Team, and honors senior Gable Steveson (285) of Apple Valley (Minn.) and junior Adam Busiello (126) of Eastport (N.Y.) Eastport-South Manor as repeat First Team selections.

The ASICS All-America Team, selected by a nationwide panel of wrestling experts, is the only national all-star team for which wrestlers enrolled in all four high-school grades are eligible.

The ASICS All-America Team includes eight wrestlers at each of the 14 high school weight classes – the First, Second, and Third Teams and five Honorable Mention selections. To be considered, a wrestler must have competed during the scholastic season, and all team members were selected at the weight class at which they competed, or would have competed, in their state tournament or the National Prep Championships this year.

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McHenry, Sasso among impressive winners at Flowrestling’s Who’s #1

#4 Patrick McKee of Minnesota knocks off #1 Robert Howard of New Jersey

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The nation’s best high school wrestlers went head-to-head to determine the top-ranked wrestler in each weight at Flowrestling’s Who’s #1, which took place at Lehigh University’s Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall on Sunday afternoon.

The dual followed collegiate folkstyle rules with a five-minute first-takedown sudden victory in overtime situations.

The event opened with two upsets, including an exciting match at 113 pounds with No. 1 and three-time age-group World Team member Malik Heinselman of Colorado taking on two-time Cadet World champion and second-ranked Kurt McHenry of Maryland.

McHenry maintained control of the first two periods, holding a 5-2 lead going into the final period, where eight points were scored between the two. With just over a minute left, Heinselman threw McHenry for a takedown and followed up with a two-point nearfall to take over the lead, 7-5. However, World champion McHenry responded with an escape to trail by one before scoring a takedown on the restart with three seconds left in the match to steal an 8-7 win. Continue reading at www.teamusa.org