MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Loyal West Virginia University supporters Dan and Alex Duenkel have contributed a major gift of $1.25 million to the WVU men's soccer program.
 
"We appreciate the trust and confidence that Dan and Alex have bestowed on our department and men's soccer program with this generous gift," WVU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Shane Lyons said. "We will be able to improve our training and game preparation with this gift and our men's soccer student-athletes will benefit greatly. Many thanks from the Mountaineers to Dan and Alex for being great teammates."
 
The donation will help the program upgrade its current practice facility that is located behind the Mountaineer Tennis Courts in the WVU Coliseum complex. The upgraded facility will be named Duenkel Field to recognize this generous gift.
 
"Thank you to Dan and Alex Duenkel, and their daughters, Hanna and Victoria, for their incredible generosity," coach Marlon LeBlanc noted. "This gift from the Duenkel family is both transformative and unprecedented for the program. Our student-athletes will now have a training facility that supports the vision we have for the men's soccer program. On and off the pitch, our program continually strives for excellence. Thanks to the Duenkel family, we will also have a training facility that matches that ambition. The Duenkels have been great supporters of our program for many years, and this latest gift takes their philanthropy and love for West Virginia University to another level. On a personal level, I can't thank them enough for their friendship and support over the last few years. On behalf of the entire West Virginia University men's soccer family, and with great appreciation and admiration, thank you!"
 
The Duenkel's have been staunch supporters of West Virginia University Athletics dating back to Dan's days as a student 30 years ago.  
 
In 2017, Dan and Alex began the Duenkel Family Soccer Scholarship, a full endowment that is awarded annually to a men's soccer student-athlete. The Duenkel's also are lifetime members of the Mountaineer Athletic Club's Goal Club. In addition to the Goal Club, the Duenkel's are members of WVU's Woodburn Circle Society and the Irvin Stewart Society.
 
"Our family has always been passionate about West Virginia University and all the Mountaineer athletic programs," Dan Duenkel said. "After we chose to make a significant gift to West Virginia, Alex and I decided that we wanted to make a monumental impact on a program. I have followed the men's soccer program since the late 1980s, so it was clear to us that the impact should be felt by the program that has meant so much to me over the last 30 years."
 
Dan, a native of Fairfax, Virginia, arrived in Morgantown as a freshman at WVU in 1989. While on campus, Duenkel had close ties with the men's soccer program and played for the men's soccer club on campus. Following his junior year, Duenkel transferred to George Mason but remained a loyal supporter of the Old Gold and Blue.
 
While at George Mason, Dan met his wife Alex. Alex graduated from George Mason in 1993 with a degree in Art History, she later went on to get her master's degree in early childhood education (K-3).
 
Dan, along with his brother and two business partners, went on to found Knight Point Systems, an IT service and solution platform that served federal and commercial clients. On Aug. 1, 2019, Perspecta bought out Knight Point Systems for $250 million.
 
Following the buyout, Dan's continued passion for General Aviation is driving him in a whole new direction with his company, Mountaineer Aviation LLC.
 
Dan and Alex have two daughters, Hanna and Victoria. Hanna is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Victoria is in her freshman year at Elon University.