A native of Ravena, N.Y., John Dunigan played tennis at Binghamton between 1986-89 and earned his bachelor’s degree in management in 1989.
Dunigan’s talent level was initially affirmed by Division I University of California, Irvine, where he competed for his first collegiate season. At Irvine, he played for a perennial top-10 national program that won the Big West Championship and advanced to the NCAA Championship during his short tenure.
A shoulder injury temporarily halted his career, and Dunigan headed back east to Binghamton, where he played a portion of one season for Hall of Fame coach Frank Pollard. After battling through recurring health problems, however, Dunigan was sidelined until the 1988 spring season.
Playing for new head coach Michael Starke, Dunigan lifted the program to its first national ranking — 24th. He became the school’s first conference champion at the top singles spot, and then advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship.
In his senior season, Dunigan was the team’s captain, and again qualified for the NCAA Championship — this time advancing to the second round. He earned a final individual ranking of No. 28, and led Binghamton to its second straight SUNYAC title and a team national ranking of No. 16.
While his collegiate accomplishments were severely hampered by the shoulder injury, Dunigan’s leadership, spirit and determination were an inspiration to his teammates. A right-handed player, he learned to serve lefty after his injury, and served portions and even entire matches with the opposite hand — a remarkable feat, especially at that competitive level.
A scholar-athlete who also played collegiate golf, Dunigan was honored with the John Bilos award in 1989.
