Coach Mitchem became the first head women's wrestling coach in Beavers history in August of 2021 and built the program, which began competing at the NCAA Division II level during the 2022-23 academic year.
In the second year of the program (2023-24), Coach Mitchem's team continued to hit milestones with the Beavers racking up 6 dual wins while Ari Korish (123), Bella Hernandez (130), and Haleigh Lematta (143) each became the first tournament title winners for Minot State as each won their respective weight-class championship at the Jimmie Lady Knight Open hosted by Jamestown.
The season concluded with Haleigh Lematta (143) placing 4th, Julia Petryna (116) placing 5th, Ari Korish (123) placing 8th, and Madison Parson (191) placing 8th at the NCWWC Region VI Tournament, and Lematta and Petryna earning berths to the NCWWC National Tournament.
In the program's first season on the mats (2022-23), Coach Mitchem led the Beavers to several milestones which included dual win No. 1 - 15-5 over Jarvis Christian - and 3 NCWWC National Qualifiers in Jazmin Gorder (123), Annika Gotlieb (130), and Nina Sandoval (155). Sandoval (155) also placed 3rd, Gorder (123) placed 4th, Gotlieb (130) placed 4th, and Madison Parson (191) placed 8th at the NCWWC Region V Tournament.
A two-time WCWA All-American in wrestling, Mitchem also was an all-conference soccer player at the University of Cumberlands (Ky.), where she earned her Bachelor's in Public Health and Exercise Science in 2013, and her Master's in Teaching Special Education: Learning and Behavior Disorders in 2015.
Mitchem most recently served as head coach for women's wrestling and women's soccer at Brewton-Parker College (Ga.) for the 2019-20 season after helping building the women's wrestling program at NCAA D-II Tiffin University (Ohio) from 2017-19.
She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Cumberlands with the women's soccer team, and as a volunteer coach for the women's wrestling program.
Along with her coaching experience, Mitchem played three years for the Torch FC team in Philadelphia in the Women's Premier Soccer League, and spent six months in Zambia, Africa, serving a sports ministry internship.
Brittney Mitchem Career Record (Duals)
| YEAR |
OVERALL |
CONFERENCE |
OTHER |
| 2023-24 |
6-8 |
N/A |
Haleigh Lematta and Julia Petryna to NCWWC Nationals |
| 2022-23 |
1-11 |
N/A |
Jazmin Gorder, Annika Gotlieb, Nina Sandoval to WNWC Nationals |
| 2019-20 (BPC) |
0-1 |
0-1 (MSC) |
COVID (limited competition) |
| 2018-19 (Tiffin) |
1-7 |
|
|
| 2016-17 (BPC) |
0-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TOTALS |
8-27 |
0-1 |
|
