Written by Doug Goodnough
Leaders come in all sizes. Mary Wiesen Dunlap, ’03, may stand just a shade over five feet, but during her time on the court as a Hillsdale Charger, she stood tall.
The gritty point guard who helped captain the Hillsdale women’s basketball team to success during her playing career is now leading in her career with General Motors. As director of Facility Operations, she uses the skills she learned on the court every day.
“Teamwork and collaboration are huge, as well as team engagement and letting people do what they need to do,” said Dunlap, who has worked at GM in various roles since her graduation. “Overcoming adversity and staying cool and collected—Hillsdale was a huge part of that.”
As a standout high school player in the Flint, Michigan, area, Dunlap heard about Hillsdale after attending a summer basketball camp in Traverse City. Then-Head Coach Dana Munk brought in Dunlap as part of a large freshman class that would eventually establish Hillsdale as a consistent conference contender.
“Once I had that on-site visit at Hillsdale, I really knew it was the right fit for me,” she said.
For a program that had only qualified for the conference tournament twice before Dunlap’s arrival, Hillsdale surged during her junior and senior seasons. The Chargers had back-to-back 23-win seasons and won Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference South Division titles. In Dunlap’s junior season, the Chargers claimed their first GLIAC Tournament title and made their first appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Dunlap and Stephanie Heid Benson, ’03, were perhaps the most formidable backcourt duo in Charger history. Dunlap ran the offense, finishing fifth in career assists (371) and ninth in steals (168) and complemented the play of Benson, who became the program’s first NCAA Division II All-American.
“We used to joke that we were the best backcourt in the nation, if only we were a little taller,” said Dunlap, who stood 5-feet, 3-inches with Benson’s 5’5″. “We were really big fans of each other. She was a great teammate, great scorer. Being the point guard, I knew the right times to get her the ball and let her shine. We worked well together.”
Dunlap said the team dynamic was also special, which translated to success on the court.
“We were all best friends off the court,” she said. “Relationships really do matter—caring about each other and putting the team before ourselves. I was more focused on making the team look good and making sure my teammates were set up the right way. I just wanted to help the team be successful and win.”
Off the court, the English and marketing double major was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and served as vice president and president of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
“I always say Hillsdale was like the best of both worlds,” Dunlap said. “You could be an awesome student and an awesome athlete. You had a lot of engagement and interaction with the professors. I’ve really translated that into being a leader, being able to take complicated things and make them simple and manageable for my teams.”
Dunlap still has that competitive fire, and she is now directing that into coaching at her alma mater. She is an assistant varsity girls’ basketball coach at Flint Powers Catholic High School, which just finished a state semifinal appearance. Dunlap, who is celebrating 15 years of marriage this year, hopes one day her 12-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son will follow her at Hillsdale.
She said she is impressed with the current Hillsdale program and is proud to be part of the Hillsdale women’s basketball tradition.
“We still love it and try to get back there as much as we can,” said Dunlap, who brought her children to Hillsdale’s Alumni Day game in February. “Hillsdale gave me so much, and I had such a fantastic experience there. My teammates are still some of my best friends today. As you get older, it’s harder and harder to stay connected. But Hillsdale was that one awesome thing we had in common.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s senior director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in April 2026
