O-R Athlete of the Week: Jacob Dunkle, Trinity
Name: Jacob Dunkle
School: Trinity
Grade: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Dunkle’s week: A glance at the scoreboard going into halftime of last week’s game at Hampton showed Dunkle that he had seven points, which left him two shy of hitting 1,000 for his career.
His goal was in sight and on the first possession of the third quarter, he hit a baby hook shot from the right block to achieve a dream he’s had since before he put on a Trinity varsity jersey.
“The number means a lot to me,” Dunkle said of hitting 1,000 career points. “I’ve wanted to get my name on that banner in the gym since I was in middle school. Being able to actually do it now is pretty cool.”
The game was stopped to recognize Dunkle’s accomplishment, and he got a moment to celebrate with his coaches and teammates, then it was right back to work.
He ended up scoring 21 points and the Hillers defeated Hampton 53-46.
Standing tall: It’s not hard to spot Dunkle on a basketball court. He stands at 6-foot-8 and with that size he draws a lot of attention from opponents.
That’s something he’s become accustomed to on a nightly basis.
“When you’re tall, even if you’re not a skill player, you still draw respect, whether that’s from grabbing rebounds or blocking shots,” Dunkle said. “It’s a piece that needs to be respected because of the advantages physically. Then when you put hours in and have skill on top of it, that makes it really hard to guard.”
With his size Dunkle is a natural post presence, but he’s also adept at stepping out and hitting a jumper.
In middle school Dunkle was a point guard, so he’s been working on his handle for a long time.
“Ever since I was a kid, I never put myself in the box of only being a post player,” Dunkle said. “Now I probably fill the role of a post player more than I used to. Growing up I trained like a guard more than a big man.”
The future: Dunkle will continue his basketball career at Penn State Behrend. He plans to study Mechanical Engineering.
“The big thing I’m looking forward to is the education side of it,” Dunkle said. “Basketball is something I love and want to do for the next four years, but I need to make sure I’m set up after the next four years, so that was a big part of my decision.”
Hitting the links: In his spare time, Dunkle enjoys hunting, fishing and hanging out with his friends. A fairly new activity he’s gotten into is golfing.
It’s a new challenge he enjoys, but with his height there’s unique challenges.
Most golf clubs off store shelves are fitted for people well under 6-foot-8 and Dunkle hasn’t got a set fitted to him, so he said his stance draws some attention on the course.
“I look so weird lining up to the ball, but I don’t feel like paying to get custom clubs,” Dunkle said. “That’s usually the first thing someone says to me is “You’re using normal clubs?” when they see me getting ready to hit the ball.”
Compiled by Jerin Steele