Maria Dunn

Maria Dunn was born March 6, 1986, in Tamuning, Guam. Dunn wrestled on her high school team.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18251087/pacific_daily_news/|title=Tackling Gender Traditions|date=July 7, 2012|last1=Martinez|first1=Lacee|newspaper=Pacific Daily News|page=A14|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}} Dunn's mother was worried, saying "I tried to stop her because I'm afraid for her". Her mother tried to get her into modeling, enrolling her into classes, but Dunn chose wrestling instead. Dunn's mother relented and allowed her to join the wrestling team.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18251148/pacific_daily_news/|title=Tackling Gender Traditions|date=July 7, 2012|last1=Martinez|first1=Lacee|newspaper=Pacific Daily News|page=A17|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}

Dunn was the first female college wrestler to receive an athletic scholarship at Missouri Valley College.{{cite web|url=https://www.kshb.com/sports/olympics/missouri-valley-college-acts-as-stepping-stone-for-olympic-bound-female-wrestlers|title=Missouri Valley College acts as stepping stone for Olympic bound female wrestlers|last1=Allen|first1=Chris|date=July 24, 2012|access-date=March 11, 2018|publisher=KSHB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312144738/https://www.kshb.com/sports/olympics/missouri-valley-college-acts-as-stepping-stone-for-olympic-bound-female-wrestlers|archive-date=March 12, 2018|url-status=dead}} She attended the university from 2004 to 2008.{{cite web|url=https://www.marshallnews.com/story/1879073.html|title=London 2012: Team MVC|last1=Allen|first1=Chris|date=August 7, 2012|publisher=The Marshall Democrat-News|access-date=May 15, 2018|archive-date=July 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707090808/http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1879073.html|url-status=dead}} Dunn graduated with a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Guam in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.guamsportsnetwork.com/2012/olympic-profile-maria-dunn/|title=Olympic Profile: Maria Dunn|publisher=Guam Sports Network|date=July 5, 2012|last1=Lujan|first1=Patrick|access-date=March 12, 2018}}

Dunn was the first-ever Guamanian female wrestler to participate in the Olympic Games, via invitational slot or 'wild card'.{{cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=2-3846-0-0-0&sID=51882&articleID=5102918&news_task=DETAIL|title=1st Guam Woman to qualify for the Olympic Games|publisher=Guam National Olympic Committee|access-date=March 11, 2018|date=March 4, 2008|archive-date=March 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312144414/http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=2-3846-0-0-0&sID=51882&articleID=5102918&news_task=DETAIL|url-status=dead}} She was the flagbearer for the Opening Ceremonies of the Games.{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Olympic-flag-bearers/42321343405386/|title=Olympic flag bearers|date=July 27, 2012|publisher=UPI|access-date=April 21, 2018}} Dunn finished in last place during the 2008 Summer Olympics in the women's freestyle 63 kg.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/oly/summer08/results?discId=50|title=2008 Summer Olympics Results - Wrestling|publisher=ESPN|access-date=March 11, 2018}}

Dunn qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics with a tripartite allocation. If the rules were the same as in 2008, she would have qualified after she won the 2012 Oceania Wrestling Championships.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19371547/pacific_daily_news/|title=Guam Olympic Team Taking Shape|newspaper=Pacific Daily News|date=June 1, 2012|page=A48|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}} Dunn was one of three female wrestlers to receive a tripartite allocation, and the only female wrestler from Oceania to receive one.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19371614/pacific_daily_news/|title=Guam Olympic Team Taking Shape|newspaper=Pacific Daily News|date=June 1, 2012|page=A45|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}} She trained for the 2012 Summer Olympics at the Aspull Olympic Wrestling Club (popularly known as "The Snake Pit") with Roy Wood and stayed with his family while practicing freestyle wrestling. While training in England, Maria met her future husband, English wrestler Nathan Tully.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-15641955|title=London 2012: Olympic wrestler trains in Wigan|publisher=BBC|date=November 8, 2011|access-date=March 11, 2018}} She was the flagbearer for Guam during the Opening Ceremonies, during which time she was pregnant with her first child.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18220881/pacific_daily_news/|title=London Welcomes World|date=July 29, 2012|newspaper=Pacific Daily News|page=A32}} Dunn was pinned by Russian Lubov Volosova early in the match. Dunn believed only one of her shoulders were down, which would mean she was not pinned, and believed the official called the pin because it was near the end of the period.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18220921/pacific_daily_news/|title=Russian pins Dunn early in match|date=August 9, 2012|publisher=Pacific Daily News|last1=Tomas|first1=Jojo Santo|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}

Dunn won silver at the 2002 Oceania Championships,{{cite web|url=http://wrestling.com.au/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2002_Oceania_Results-1.pdf|title=Oceania 2002 Results|publisher=Wrestling Australia|access-date=May 15, 2018}} and won gold at the 2007,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19371502/pacific_daily_news/|title=Values: Teaches Life Skills|newspaper=Pacific Daily News|date=February 10, 2012|page=A45|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}} 2008,{{cite web|url=http://wrestling.com.au/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2010_Oceania_SP_Results-1.pdf|title=2010 Oceania and South Pacific Wrestling Championship|publisher=Wrestling Australia|access-date=April 19, 2018}} and 2010 Oceania Championships.{{cite web|url=http://wrestling.com.au/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2010_Oceania_SP_Results-1.pdf|title=2010 Oceania and South Pacific Wrestling Championship|publisher=Wrestling Australia|access-date=April 19, 2018}} Dunn was named the outstanding female wrestler of the 2010 Oceania Championships. She did not lose a single match between the 2002 and 2011 Oceania Championships, and decided to move up a weight class to have more competition. She lost to New Zealand's Tayla Ford in the championship match of the 2011 Oceania Championships and took home a silver medal.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19371428/pacific_daily_news/f|title=Wrestle: a few bump in the road|newspaper=Pacific Daily News|date=March 9, 2011|page=A35}} {{free access}} She also won the 2012 Oceania Wrestling Championships, moving back to the 63 kg weight class.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19371636/pacific_daily_news/|title=Check Out Video Online of Jiu-Jitsu on Guam|last1=Cruz|first1=Roman Dela|newspaper=Pacific Daily News|date=February 9, 2012|page=A32|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}{{cite web|url=http://wrestling.com.au/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2012_Oceania_Results-1.pdf|title=FILA 2012 Oceania Championships Sydney Australia|publisher=Wrestling Australia|access-date=May 15, 2018}}

Maria married English wrestler Nathan Tully and the pair set up home together on Maria's home island of Guam. They co founded Snakepit Wrestling Academy Guam to teach Wrestling to children and young people. Their daughter, Marleya Louise, was born in 2012 and their son, Tyson Avoca, was born in 2015. Maria is a teacher and artist.

She currently resides in Yigo, Guam, with her 2 children and her mother. Her husband, Nathan, died in July 2020 aged 32 after a battle with oral cancer.

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Category:Living people

Category:1986 births

Category:Olympic wrestlers for Guam

Category:Wrestlers at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Category:Wrestlers at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Category:Guamanian women

Category:Guamanian female sport wrestlers

Category:People from Tamuning, Guam

Category:21st-century American sportswomen