Unlike many golfers who were born and raised on the greens, junior Dawn Shockley did not start playing until her freshman year of high school.

She focused on basketball in her high school years and ran cross country on top of playing golf and holding a job.

It was her job that got her into golf in the first place.

“My brother played golf when we were younger and I worked at the golf course which is how I started getting into the sport,” said Shockley.

Her mother, a single mom of two, worked four jobs to support her family. At school there was a good golf program that Shockley joined.

“Working helped me balance my time,” said Shockely. She would go straight from practices to work and then home. “It kept me busy.”

Shockley was not only involved in sports though, she was a member of student council all four years and served as student body president her senior year. In what free time she had left, Shockley coached youth soccer and basketball teams.

Until she began getting recruited by colleges, Shockley’s main interest was in basketball. She was a three-time all-state and all-conference player in basketball and named Miss 3A Basketball her senior season. She also won the Class 3A state cross country title as a freshman in high school.

“It was really tough to stop playing summer basketball and put golf first,” said Shockley. “I had to, though, because I knew I could play golf in college.”

It was the summer after her junior year when she really started getting competitive about golf and focusing her energy on it.

“We watched Dawn play in basketball games as well as on the course,” said Head Coach Sammie Chergo. “She had that athletic desire that we look for so that’s why we started recruiting her.”

She decided to come to Denver for the academics, especially the business school, and because she got along so well with Coach Chergo.

Shockley was not really serious about golf until she started playing for Denver. Even then, it was hard for her to give up on playing basketball.

“Freshman year was a little rocky. I missed playing basketball,” said Shockley.

Since she started focusing her energy on golf, Shockley has improved dramatically and is “one of the best players in the state,” said Chergo.

Her dedication to the team, energy and athleticism were a big part of her success and the improvement that she has made since joining the team. Shockley’s background in other sports also makes her a more competitive golfer.

“What makes Dawn special is that she came to golf late in life and didn’t take it too seriously until college, but she has improved so much here,” said Chergo.

Her freshman year, Shockley tied for 13th at the Sun Belt Conference during her sophomore year she placed 10th and finished fourth on the team. This fall she finished third at the Topy Cup of Japan and tied for fourth at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown.

“Playing golf here has been awesome,” said Shockley. “I’ve been really happy.”