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Dunnam is a 2015 McIntire School of Commerce alumnus who, by business day, is a retail bank director at Capital One in Philadelphia. But on nights and weekends, he devotes himself to curling – the sport that often only interests others .

It’s a game, played on a 150-foot sheet of ice, involving a 40-pound sliding rock and several synthetic-bristle brooms. The goal is to outscore the opposing team by sliding the heavy stone into a circular target, known as the “house.” 

USA Curling reports , including the Philadelphia Curling Club in Paoli, Pennsylvania, where Dunnam was introduced to the sport through his uncle, a club member. 

Dunnam celebrates on Grounds during 2015 Final Exercises. He graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce and is now a retail bank director at Capital One in Philadelphia. (Contributed photo)

Dunnam’s friends and family gathered often at the club. The kids would first watch the adults play and then, Dunnam said, “once we were old enough, they’d try to get us into it.”

It sparked a generation of talented curlers from the Philadelphia area, including Dunnam’s former mixed doubles partner, Taylor Anderson-Heide, . Anderson-Heide’s father, Wayne, coached the Philadelphia Curling Club’s competition team that Dunnam joined at age 12.

They’d travel to local, regional and national tournaments, facing curlers of all forms.

Dunnam travels the world for curling competitions. In 2019, Team Dunnam represented the United States in the Red Square Classic in Moscow. (Contributed photo)

“We’d be in these (under-21) tournaments playing against guys in college with beards,” Dunnam said. “And we’d be 12, 13 and getting crushed by them. But then eventually you become the old guys and (start winning).”

Through middle school and high school, Dunnam, enthralled by the sport’s meticulous strategy, remained a competitive curler in addition to playing soccer and golf. He didn’t plan to keep curling while in college, but Dunnam’s younger brother, Andy, needed a skip – a captain and primary strategist – on his team, and their mother called and asked if he could fill the role.

Dunnam obliged, and soon, he was back in a familiar routine.

“We would go to tournaments once a month throughout the winter,” Dunnam said, “and every time I was home, I would practice a lot.”

The team – “Team Dunnam” – became a force and won the silver medal at a junior national event during Dunnam’s third year at UVA.

“Most people thought it was cool,” Dunnam said of the reaction from his friends at UVA. “Once we started going to nationals, my friends started to take an interest in it. They started to watch my games on YouTube. They’d ask me all kinds of questions.”

Dunnam is plenty used to curling curiosities, and he’s always happy to address the inquiries around the unique sport, often describing it as “shuffleboard on ice.”

“It’s a lot more complicated than that, so curlers don’t really like that description,” he said, “but I think it’s an easy way for people to get the sense of it. 

“There are two bullseyes, two teams. They alternate throwing shots, and at the end of each round, whichever team is closer to the center of the bullseye scores points.”

Team Dunnam, which includes Scott’s brother Andy and cousin Cody Clouser, has qualified for every USA Curling National Championship since 2018 and has finished as high as fourth on multiple occasions. 

Dunnam is the skip of his team. In curling, the skip is the captain and primary strategist who throws the final shots of a turn and directs his teammates when to sweep. (Contributed photo)

Their closest pursuit of the Olympics came in 2021 – ahead of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing – when they were one of six teams entered into the U.S. Olympic Curling Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Team Dunnam .

“I have a pretty demanding, full-time job, and it would be very tough for people in my position to get there, but I would say it’s still a goal,” Dunnam said of making the Olympics. “Some things would probably need to change for that to become a reality.” 

In the meantime, he’ll keep the distinction of being, perhaps, the only Wahoo student to leave Grounds on the weekends to chase greatness – in curling. 

“I would imagine I’m the only one who’s ever done that,” Dunnam said with a laugh, “yes.”