Christian Junna
NCAA Division I – Western Illinois University
Illinois
From: Illinois Central College / Canberra ACT
Athletic Scholarship – NCAA Division I (Summit League)
The Journey
Christian Junna’s story at Western Illinois University is one of the most unique in the Upper 90 College alumni community – a Canberra-born midfielder with a remarkable family sporting legacy who competed at the NCAA Division I level in the Summit League. Christian’s family background is extraordinary: his mother Kerry Junna represented Australia in three Olympic Games (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000) as a race walker, finishing seventh in Sydney; and his father Ray Junna served as assistant coach at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and worked with the Australian national men’s team in the 2007 Asian Cup. Sport is embedded in Christian’s DNA. Before arriving at Western Illinois, Christian developed his game through the JUCO pathway at Illinois Central College, earning all-conference honours in 2017 and being a three-time President’s List recipient. He even scored a penalty kick goal to help ICC qualify for a national tournament. At Western Illinois in the Summit League, Christian started 15 games in his junior year (2018), scoring a goal against Oral Roberts and adding an assist against Fort Wayne. As a senior (2019), he made 17 starts, helped record back-to-back shutouts against Detroit Mercy and Purdue Fort Wayne, and finished third on the team in minutes with 1,559 – playing the full 90 in nearly every match. Planning to major in Exercise Science, Christian’s story is a fitting tribute to a family that has given everything to Australian sport.
Challenges Overcome
Following an extraordinary family legacy in Australian sport to the NCAA D1 level required Christian to carve his own path. The transition from JUCO at ICC to D1 at Western Illinois was a significant step that he met with characteristic dedication.
Achievements
NCAA Division I student-athlete, Western Illinois (Summit League). 17 D1 starts, 1,559 minutes in senior season. Back-to-back shutout contributor (2019). All-conference at Illinois Central College (2017 JUCO). 3x ICC President’s List. Son of Olympian Kerry Junna (3x Australian Olympian) and AIS coach Ray Junna.
"Growing up in a family of elite athletes taught me that success demands complete dedication. Western Illinois was where I proved that to myself."
— Christian Junna
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