Asia Dunn is hoping to be a part of history on the soccer field this season for Sapulpa.
Dunn, a junior midfielder, gives the Lady Chieftains a lot of versatility and is the most technical player on head coach Lori Arundell’s roster.
Dunn wants to help the Lady Chieftains advance further in the Class 5A playoffs in 2023. Sapulpa, who is 12-2 overall and in District 5A-4 through April 18, played in the quarterfinals a year ago. She also wants to maintain her high GPA in the classroom.
“Some goals I have this year are to maintain a high GPA and to get past the quarterfinals during my high school season,” she said. “We have never gotten past that stage yet, so I think it would be a really great goal to accomplish.”
Dunn was an all-district selection on Sapulpa’s 12-5 team last season.
“Asia is our most technical player that can literally be used anywhere on the field,” Arundell said. “I have used Asia more as an attacking midfielder the past couple of years since she has become more of a scoring threat for us. She can read the plays and expose the channels so well and has the speed and agility to accomplish so much on the field.”
Dunn has a wide variety of skills that she’s honed during her 12 years of playing.
“I would say some of my strengths are being comfortable on the ball, creating opportunities, determination, field vision, and tackling,” she said. “Something I’ve definitely improved on over my high school career is my strikes/long balls.”
Being named all-district last season was a big accomplishment for Dunn, who’s also a member of the National Honor Society, is a Junior Class Officer, is on the Leadership Council, and carries a 4.3 GPA.
“It’s a tough thing to do but having a schedule to physically look at helps to divide your time better,” Dunn said of balancing school and soccer. “While everything can be draining, you have to remember to have some time for yourself too.”
Being a student-athlete at Sapulpa High School is something that Dunn looks forward to every day. She’s especially fond of the leadership council for student athletics.
“We have a leadership council of student athletics and that’s probably something I’ve grown to love,” she said. “I enjoy being able to come together, share experiences, motivate and learn from each other.”
During her free time, Dunn enjoys spending time with friends and family and also likes to relax and read. After her high school career she wants to pursue a career as a NICU nurse, but hasn’t decided on a college choice.
