Originally from Towaco, NJ McKenna spent his high school career under legendary coach Jeff Buxton at Blair Academy. As a prep McKenna won prestigious tournaments like Ironman, Beast of the East, and the prep nationals. McKenna spent the beginning of his college career at Stanford University where he would become an All-American before transferring to Ohio State to close out his collegiate career. at Ohio State, McKenna was a two time All-American finishing third and second respectfully.

• A two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American, Dean graduates as one of the top wrestlers in collegiate history.• A three-time national finalist at 184 pounds, Dean posted a career record of 152-7 with 101 bonus wins, both school records, and never finished lower than third at nationals.• He is one of just 11 wrestlers in more than 100 years to win four Eastern wrestling titles and was a two-time Ivy League Wrestler of the Year.• The four-time, first-team All-Ivy League pick was the 2014 Ivy League and EIWA Rookie of the Year and was a two-time Coaches Trophy Award winner as the most outstanding wrestler at the EIWA meet.• Dean became the third four-time Southern Scuffle champion and the sixth three-time Las Vegas Invite champ.• He was part of teams that won four EIWA and Ivy League titles and posted a cumulative 52-10 dual meet record in his four seasons, posting four top eight NCAA team finishes.• Dean's signature win came against Penn State’s two-time defending national champion Ed Ruth at the Southern Scuffle as a freshman, snapping Ruth’s 84-match win streak dating back to 2011.