One-on-One with Coppin State Track athlete Dale Dunn

by Keith Henry

How did you become interested in running track? Who introduced you to the sport?

I was always hyperactive as a youngster and I would normally disrupt my math class because of my excess energy. My math teacher would sent me outside of class to run laps and then return to do work, it turned out that it did wonders for my mathematical skills. Running laps one day caught the attention of my high school track coach and he invited me to join the track team.

Besides this sport, what other sports are you good at? Could you have played those sports at a college level?

Cycling and Swimming. I played chess for my high school, but unfortunately there aren't much scholarships available for chess players at the college level. If the opportunity presents itself, I could be a pretty good midfielder for any college soccer team.

What made you decide to come to Coppin State? What other schools were you looking at during that time?

I met Shane Smith at Empire State Games in the Summer of 2007. I told him I was interested in attending a D1 university that has mostly African American students, he said that you should come to my school and he gave Coach Hicks my number and the rest is history. Morgan State offered me a acholarship, but I was to start in the spring of 2008 instead of Coppin's Fall 2007. Initially, I was supposed to go to George Mason in Fall 2006, but there was a change of head coaches and I fell through the cracks during the transformation.

This team is as tight knit as any on campus. How does that help the team realize success?

We don't really see ourselves as a 'team' but more like a family. We do everything together, live, study, sleep, die during practice and party. On the track, as a relay team we run so that our successor will have a cushion to run with. Individually, we perform at our highest to motivate our teammates to also perform well. At a championship, we as a family score as much points as possible because we know we have a small team.

What are your thoughts about Head coach Carl Hicks? How has he helped you grow as an athlete? As a person?

Coach Hicks is the strong silent type although people may say he talks a lot. He holds any negativity that may impair his athlete's performances. Coach Hicks is at the turning point in my life. He believed in a total stranger who had one sub 1:51 clocking that he would be successful in college. As an athlete, he tailors his practices to make up for the deficiencies I have in speed and as a student he adjust to my ever changing class schedule to make sure I optimize my class and practice time. As a person, he is a role model to all African American athletes and his quotes will stay with me always. quotes such as "Coppin State, the second greatest story ever told." "Pain, thats only the punk coming out 'G'." My all-time favorite "The true measure of a man's character is not when everything is good, but when the storm hits."

Who has inspired you in your life? How? Why?

My father, I'm somewhat racing him and to academic and athletic success. My father graduated with a 3.8 GPA and went and got his PhD at age 40. My goal is to graduate witha perfect GPA and get a PhD in management science by age 28. My father didn't have the athletic ability and the luxury of a full scholarship and he achieved so much, I see that as motivation to also achieve and I have no excuse to do so.


What have you learned about yourself so far since attending Coppin State?

Can't say that I learned anything new about myself but people have told me that I'm extremely anti-social, a workaholic, a perfectionist and over achiever. I learn that I value hard work and I believe that hard work does lead to success.

After years of training elsewhere, how does it feel to FINALLY have your own track to train on? Why is it so important in your eyes?

This is the first home track I ever had in all my eight years of competitive running. It's a sense of belonging, somewhere I can say I have the home court advantage. Other than the psychological aspect, having a faster surface to train on will produce faster times and better performances. Having a home track solidifies Coppin State's place as a Division 1 track team and up there with already established teams. Having a home track also attracts the promising talent that's in the Maryland area which will aid in uplifting the sport at the school.