Megan McConnell named Atlantic 10 Conference defensive player of the year
McConnell, a standout at Chartiers Valley before attending Duquesne, was named All-Conference First Team and All-Academic Team in addition to her defensive player of the year honors.
McConnell, a senior, is leading all of NCAA Division I players with 115 steals and has had five or more steals in a game on 11 different occasions this season.
"We celebrate Meg and all of her achievements," head coach Dan Burt said. "She has made our team better both on and off the court with her play and leadership. Meg is the best player I've ever coached and the most improved player I've had in 28 years. She truly deserves all the recognition."
McConnell also leads Duquesne in nearly all offensive statistical categories, leading the Atlantic 10 Conference with 18.8 points per game. She is the only player in all of Division I with more than 500 points, 200 rebounds, 100 assists, and 100 steals.
Duquesne is 18-11 on the season with a 9-9 conference record.
The Lady Dukes will face Fordham on Thursday in the second round of the Atlantic 10 Championship.
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A weekend packed with high-speed racing brought both progress and points. Billy McConnell and the C&L Fairburn Properties Look Forward Racing Honda team claimed 14th, 12th and 13th place finishes at the latest round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in Thruxton, earning valuable points and showcasing steady improvement. Despite hopes of repeating last year's standout podium performance at the Hampshire circuit, the team faced challenges adapting to new tyre compounds, as were many other riders. The team worked hard throughout the weekend to try and make them work well for the longer race distances but were just unable to get it perfect. Read more Kent enjoys double dose of BSB wins after battling Ray in Thruxton finale South Wilts step up survival bid with seven-wicket win at Burridge Couple defend title at English Open Pickleball Championships Bennetts British Superbike Championship came to Thruxton over the weekend. (Image: Ian Hopgood) McConnell said: "It was a fantastic weekend, last year was obviously exceptional getting on the podium. "However, the pace was crazy fast this year, in race two I was over a second faster than I was last year. "We've made good progress using the same set-up, but we had to make a few changes with the D tyre. "I was able to hang in with the front runners until a couple of tyre issues but great to be in the mix of it all. "I love Thruxton, it's such a fast fun circuit to ride. "On to Cadwell next which is another track I love racing at." McConnell narrowly missed out on Q2 during qualifying, starting 16th on the grid for the opening race. A strong start saw him climb to eighth in the early laps and setting a good time for the second race whilst also trying to hold off the insanely fast Ducati's of Redding and Haslam, but tyre wear in the closing stages dropped him to 14th. McConnell claimed 14th, 12th and 13th place finishes. (Image: Ian Hopgood) In the second race, he finished 12th, and in the final outing of the weekend he placed 13th after focusing on tyre conservation. Chris Fairburn, owner of C&L Fairburn Properties Look Forward Racing, said: "Progress has been made once again this weekend. "We were hoping we might be further up in the fight but three points scoring places is a strong weekend still. "It produced some thrilling racing, and it was great to see Billy a part of that and fighting for positions. "There is still a long way to go in the Championship, and we are certainly moving in the right direction. Onwards to Cadwell."
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Before hundreds of swimmers are set to jump into the Chicago River in September, organizers and advocates say they are taking a 'victory lap' of their own. On Thursday, organizers said the city of Chicago approved the final permit for the first official open-water swim to take place in its urban waterway in almost a century. It comes after 13 years of planning, and after last year's event had to be relocated to Lake Michigan when, just two months out, transportation officials denied a permit citing safety concerns. 'This is, really, a long time coming,' said Doug McConnell, organizer of the Chicago River Swim and founder of A Long Swim, an area nonprofit that will produce the event to fund Northwestern University research for ALS, a fatal neurological disorder known also as Lou Gehrig's disease. 'It's been a lot of pick-and-shovel, hard work, and people really dedicated to a common goal and outcome.' 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'The tour boats and the architecture boats and the kayaks and all the rest — we don't want to be in their way.' Applications for the swim are open to the public at until Monday at 10 p.m. There is no fee to apply, but prior experience as an open-water swimmer, Olympian or triathlete is required. Those selected to participate will be notified of their acceptance. The day of the race, spectators will be able to watch and follow along from the Chicago Riverwalk between Lake and Clark streets, where vendors will offer refreshments. Tickets will also soon be available for purchase for an official VIP viewing party. Like last year, the event will raise money to pay for swim lessons for kids in underserved local communities. And this time, advocates say, it will also be an opportunity to celebrate the river's bounce back from murky and polluted to inviting, swimmable waters that teem with aquatic life. 'Now is the time to fly that banner,' McConnell said. The river is the cleanest it has been in a long time, especially since the Clean Water Act of the early 1970s and since the Environmental Protection Agency declared the river safe for swimming in 2011. 'So this, really, is the natural next step for what's right for Chicago, what's right for the Chicago River, and what's right for the people who live here,' said Margaret Frisbie, executive director of advocacy nonprofit Friends of the Chicago River. Today, the waterway is home to a thriving economy and restored wildlife, including migratory birds, beavers and turtles, as well as almost 70 species of fish — up from fewer than 10 in the 1970s. 'A lot of them are native fish, and I like to talk about how the native fish are pretty picky about what they enjoy, from a water quality standpoint,' said Austin Happel, research biologist at the Shedd Aquarium. 'Seeing a ton of native fish really speaks to the increase in health of the ecosystem.' 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Besides real-time water quality monitoring that the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and local water innovation hub Current already carry out in the main branch of the river, scientists from the University of Illinois Chicago will test the water for bacteria levels every day for three weeks leading up to the event, McConnell said. In the news release, organizers said they are committed to allowing swimmers in the river 'only if it meets all safety standards for human contact.' 'Data collected in the lead-up to the event will guide the final call, and the team is prepared to postpone or cancel the swim if necessary,' according to the statement. In Chicago, heavy rains can cause overflows in its sewer system, with pipes that carry both stormwater runoff and sewage, releasing fecal matter into local waterways. Rains can also transport contaminated sediment from industry and even dog poop, which also has fecal coliform — the bacteria found in waste from warm-blooded animals. Drinking or coming into contact with elevated levels of fecal coliform may cause an upset stomach, vomiting, fever or diarrhea in people. It can also cause serious conditions or death in vulnerable populations such as children, older people and immunocompromised individuals. Some of these concerns about bacteria have recently played out on an international stage. Last July, the open-swimming competitions of the Paris Olympics were held in the iconic Seine River after initial contention and canceled test runs due to water quality concerns. After competing, many of the athletes experienced symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. But water quality readings in the Chicago and Calumet rivers last summer showed that conditions remained good or low-caution for recreational users on 78 of 101 days, according to a Current report released in May. The other 23 days last summer had high caution readings that lasted anywhere from one to 24 hours, only four of those corresponding with sewer overflows. Earlier this month, three new swimming sites opened on the Paris riverbank for locals and tourists after a $1.5 billion cleanup project. Taking a dip there had been illegal since 1923 due to pollution and river navigation. 'I think there's a global surge in interest in swimmable urban rivers,' said Alaina Harkness, CEO of Current. 'To have Chicago front and center, bringing a river swim back — it's just such an important way for us to showcase all the investment over decades (in) making our river safe to swim.' President Donald Trump promises clean water. 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