Player Profile: Gabby Dixon

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Junior English major Gabby Dixon had never picked up a lacrosse stick before her sophomore year of high school.

“My basketball friends were all trying out for the team, just for fun,” said Dixon. “I wanted to do two sports, and lacrosse is in the spring. It ended up becoming a passion.”

Dixon stuck with lacrosse through high school at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace in San Diego, California. She was captain of the lacrosse team her junior and senior year, in addition to being twice-captain of the women’s basketball team. 

Her favorite memory from high school was winning the league, her school’s conference, during her junior year of high school. They went head to head with a team they had previously fallen to. In overtime, Dixon’s team was victorious after winning sudden death.

She chose to attend the University of Dallas because of its welcoming atmosphere. During the application process, the then-lacrosse coach reached out to recruit her. Three of her siblings also previously attended UD.

“I love the people here,” said Dixon. “I love the culture because it allows you to be yourself, and pushes you to be better at the same time.

“I love the English department because the professors really care. I feel like I’ve grown so much as a writer just by reading so many amazing authors I had never known before.”

Her favorite Core book is “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

While managing her classes and social life, Dixon has served as the captain of the UD women’s lacrosse team both her sophomore and junior seasons.

“I try to be the best captain I can be through leading by example,” said Dixon. “I build up the younger girls’ confidence because the seniors did the same for me when I was a freshman. That’s the best support you can give a teammate.”

Dixon started her freshman year and originally played defense. She was awarded MVP as a sophomore by team vote. She now plays midfielder, and enjoys the involvement that the position allows. 

“I like being able to score more, but also offer support on defense and all across the field.” 

She joked that she doesn’t enjoy all the running it involves. Last season, she scored off of a coast to coast transition.

Dixon’s fondest memory of the UD team was their trip to Kansas and pit stop at an alpaca farm. It was added to the team’s schedule as a bonding experience.
“It was just a bizarre experience,” Dixon laughed. “There were 40 alpacas in the middle of nowhere, and they showed us how they make socks out of the wool. The owners were super excited to have young people visiting.”

Dixon, who now calls La Crosse, Wisconsin, home, recently got engaged to Matthew Quinlan, a senior business major and rugby player at UD. She hopes to one day be a writer or to own her own business.

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