Kat Dunn’s transformation on and off the soccer pitch

News flash

Sept. 13, 2022

Junior Kat Dunn comes off the bench to score two goals and Skidmore’s women's soccer team cruised to its second win of the season, 3-1 over SUNY New Paltz. The two goals equal Dunn's career total through her first 17 games.

News flash

Nov. 8, 2022

Skidmore women's soccer forward Kat Dunn is named the 2022 Liberty League Women's Soccer Player of the Year. Dunn had a team-high eight goals. 

From super-sub to Liberty League Player of the Year

In less than two months, Kat Dunn ’24 transformed herself from a “super-sub” hoping for game time to Skidmore's first Liberty League Player of the Year in women’s soccer. She didn’t even know the award existed and got the news from a teammate, who texted a screenshot of the league’s announcement along with “You’re amazing.” Dunn immediately called her teammate to see if she was pranking her; she wasn’t. Her next call was to her parents back home on the West Coast. An unforgettable life moment!

The recognition was especially gratifying considering the former Walnut Creek, California, Surf FC premier player had been low on self-belief and confidence early in the 2022 campaign, so much so that she and Coach Lacey Largeteau met to discuss a way forward. Largeteau, who would go on to earn Liberty League Co-Coaching Staff of the Year honors, told Dunn she would aim to give her a heads-up on potential game time so her player could better prepare. She also connected her with a former Thoroughbred alum.

The alum suggested Dunn refocus and center herself by using guided meditation.  The psychology major followed the advice, taking four minutes before games to grounded herself.

Dunn vividly recalls her two goals at New Paltz in September 2022.

“We were playing a high press on their goal kicks, and I snatched the ball, dribbled the goalie, and scored,” Dunn said. “Later, I played a give-and-go with one of our top first-year players and ripped it into the net. It was the breakthrough game I needed.”

It was also the breakthrough that she and her roommates, forwards Bella Nevin ’23 (South Burlington, Vermont) and Izzy Sullivan ’24 (Armonk, New York), had been hoping for. Skidmore started the season with a 4-4-2 formation (two forwards), but the roommates often talked about how cool it would be to play a 4-3-3, so that all three could be on the front line at the same time. It finally happened in game seven against the nationally No. 5-ranked William Smith women’s team, a 1-1 draw. It wouldn’t be the last time.

On choosing Skidmore

When it came to finding the right college, Dunn had prioritized going to a liberal arts school on the East Coast where she could keep playing soccer at a high level. She also hoped to study kinesiology, which is available through Skidmore’s health and human physiological sciences major. Skidmore checked many of the right boxes.

Dunn reached out to Largeteau midway through her 11th grade year to introduce herself. The Thoroughbred coach emailed Dunn a few weeks later and encouraged her apply to Skidmore. They chatted several times and stayed in touch.

A year later, Dunn came for an Accepted Candidates Day program and watched the women’s team practice. She was impressed by the intensity.

“It seemed like the type of competition I wanted and needed in my life,” she said.

Dunn secretly hoped she wouldn’t enjoy her visits to other schools where she had been accepted. Skidmore felt right, and it was.

In the classroom and lab

Her second semester at Skidmore, Dunn took the course Psychological Disorders with Assistant Professor of Psychology Lucas Lafreniere. In class, she discovered a passion for clinical psychology that shifted her thinking about her major.

“I learned about the range of human disorders and personal struggles and how therapy can provide people insights into their emotions and significantly improve their lives,” Dunn said. “That felt really good to me.”

Since then, Dunn has taken several therapy/clinical courses with Lafreniere.

 “Kat always approaches scientific and technical information flexibly with an openness to setting aside common preconceptions and letting science drive her knowledge,” Lafreniere said. “She also demonstrates great compassion and empathy. Overall, she's the ideal student to have in a class full of intellectual complexity, emotional weight, and humanitarian matters.”

Dunn is now working in the Language and Social Development Lab with Assistant Professor of Psychology Jess Sullivan. Together, they study how children learn language, associate different words with images, and process concepts like disease prevention.

During winter break of her sophomore year, a friend encouraged Dunn to take Skidmore’s iconic intro business course MB 107. It sounded “fun,”and she “impulsively” added it to her schedule a week before the start of spring semester. She’s glad she did because she “absolutely loves business, especially understanding marketing and how different companies operate.” In consultation with Assistant Professor of Business Mark Youndt, Dunn decided to minor in business.

Dunn also added a Spanish minor, a language she excelled at in high school. In addition to enjoying the Spanish language and culture, she believes the minor will help her professionally:

“Having a mastery of a second language like Spanish helps you stand out as a prospective employee at many companies,” Dunn said, “and it might very well help me reach a wider client base if I join or create a therapy practice.”

In addition, Dunn serves as an Thoroughbred Ambassador for Admissions. She’s also a peer health educator in Skidmore’s Wellness Center, a great tie-in with her major.

The 2022 soccer season

The Thoroughbreds finished 5-1-3 in league, good enough for third place and for the privilege of hosting No. 6 seed Clarkson in the Liberty League playoffs. In the Clarkson contest, the team battled back from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime, thanks in part to Dunn’s eighth goal of the season, when she beat traffic in front of goal just after halftime. Unfortunately, Skidmore fell in penalty kicks, a tough way to go out. Their final overall record was an impressive 10-2-4, the most wins since 2011.

Dunn ended up tied for second in the league with 1.00 points per game and fifth with 0.50 goals per game. Five of her team-high eight tallies were game winners, and she ranked in the top 20 nationally. She led the league with three game winners.

Talking about Kat

Despite the disappointment with how the season closed, it was an incredible run for the T’Bred team and for Dunn.

 “Kat brings great speed and tenacity to the game and played a pivotal role in our team’s success. She truly earned the Liberty League Player of the Year selection,” said Coach Largeteau.  “She’s also a hard worker on and off the field, excelling in the classroom, which earned her a spot on the NCAA Division III Scholar All-America team from the United Soccer Coaches Association. She is a pleasure to coach and work with as her dedication to our sport and her studies is undeniable.”

Professor Youndt agrees.

“Kat is the quintessential student-athlete. Both in the classroom and on the field, Kat shows up prepared, is very focused and engaged, and performs at an extremely high level,” he said. “And most importantly, Kat is a nice, thoughtful human being who engages fully in life with a smile on her face, except when she’s tenacious on the soccer field.”

Her roommate and frontline mate, Bella Nevin, who took home NCAA Division III All-Region third team honors, has the final word.

“Everybody on our team and in the Liberty League knows to watch out for Kat, because when she gets the ball, you know she's going to do something good,” Nevin said. “She doubted herself the most in the beginning of the season when she hadn't gotten into her groove yet. However, as soon as the Liberty League games started, she was unstoppable. I can't wait to see what she's going to do next year and all she's going to accomplish.”