Dawn earned nine varsity letters across the sports of volleyball, basketball, and track and field. During her time as an athlete, she was part of the first girls' basketball team to get to the state tournament (1981) and took 3rd place in the state with a javelin throw that would hold a school record for several years. In volleyball, she was a captain, team MVP, and selected to the All-Conference Team.  Dawn was instrumental in revolutionizing girl's sports at Red River and was considered one of the best all-around female athletes in her era. After high school, Dawn went on to play basketball at the University of North Dakota from 1982-1985.  Dawn later returned to Red River as an assistant coach from 1987-1992. In her coaching career, they had four postseason trips which included the 1988 state championship team.