Senior Spotlight 12: Gracie Dunaway (Mars)

Gracie Dunaway holds a Purdue flag outside the front door of her house.

SOURCE: (Twitter, @GracieDunaway)

One in a series on tributing high school seniors, who are about to graduate high school from the WPIAL & City League.

Name: Gracie Dunaway

School: Mars

Sports: Soccer (2x WPIAL & PIAA Soccer Champion, 2019 & 2020)

Future College: Purdue University (Will play Soccer)

Future Major: Nutrition, Health and Fitness

Questions & Answers

Up to this point, what has been your favorite high school memory?

Gracie Dunaway: My favorite high school memory has been winning the WPIAL and PIAA soccer championships in back-to-back years with my best friends.

Back in November 2020, you signed your National Letter of Intent to continue your academic and soccer career at Purdue University. What made you choose to continue both your athletic and academic careers at Purdue?

GD: I chose to continue my soccer and academic career at Purdue University because I fell in love with it right away. The soccer, the academics and overall atmosphere checked all the boxes. I believe it is the best fit for me.

With high school almost over for you, and college starting in a couple of months. Tell me, how excited are you for college?

GD: I am beyond excited to start this next chapter of my life. I can’t wait for the new opportunities that are ahead me.

In your first two years of high school, your Mars girls soccer team went to the WPIAL championship games, but you all lost. However, in your junior year and senior year, your team won both WPIAL and PIAA championships in both years. How did you all turn it around?

GD: We were definitely tired of doing all that work to then lose in the WPIAL Championships twice. As a team, we came together and trained even harder, so we were more mentally and physically prepared.

Ellie Coffield is now playing Division I soccer at the University of Pittsburgh, and you two both had a huge impact on your team's success to back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA championships. Tell me, what was it like playing with her in high school?

GD: Ellie and I have grown up playing soccer together since the age of 6. Being able to play with her and win back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA championships is more than I ever imagined. I am grateful to have been able to play with her for so long because she has constantly pushed me to be the best player that I can be. I can’t wait to see her kill it at the University of Pittsburgh.

Ok, now, who would you say is your favorite soccer player?

GD: I would say my favorite soccer player is Julie Ertz (American soccer player for the Chicago Red Stars and United States women's national soccer team).

As of right now, what would you say is one of your favorite TV show?

GD: My favorite TV show is All American.

What do you think you will miss the most about high school?

GD: I think I will definitely miss high school soccer the most. The team had such a great bond, and I always enjoyed training and competing with everyone.

Where do you want to see yourself in 10 years?

GD: I'm not quite sure where I see myself in 10 years, but hopefully I'm still involved in the soccer world in some way.

What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?

GD: One thing people may not know about me is I love art. Whether it is sketching, drawing, painting etc., I just love it.

Brentaro Yamane: bkyamane@gmail.com and Twitter/Instagram @BYHilton13