Pittsburgh, Pa. – Fifth-year
Shannon Small of the Duquesne University bowling team added another postseason honor to her ledger Monday, as she was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A pharmacy major, Small has maintained a 3.43 cumulative grade point average (GPA) during her academic career on the Bluff.
The NEC Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Year nod adds to the list of accomplishments in Small's final season of NCAA Division I competition. Selected as the
2025 NEC Bowler of the Year, Small was named an All-American across three different organizations. She was first named to the
National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Honorable Mention All-America Team before earning a
pair of All-America Second Team accolades, including one from the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) and the other from the International Bowling Media Association (IBMA).
Small, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., led the Dukes during the 2024-25 campaign with an average frame score of 20.31 in 1,238 completed frames while also producing team highs in fill percentage (88%), average first ball (9.04) and strike percentage (47.8%). As the anchor bowling for Duquesne, Small recorded an average of 20.14 in the 10th frame while also compiling an 88.4 frame percentage as well as a 49.2 percent strike percentage in the final frame.
In the Player Composite Performance Index (PCPI), Small ranked 26th in NCAA Division I and 88.12 percent while also finishing sixth in the country in traditional average according to the USBC with an average score of 209.211 in 38 games.
In addition to the NEC Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Small was one of five student-athletes for the Dukes to be named to the NEC Winter Academic Honor Roll. Joining Small is sophomore
Maribeth Baker, freshman
Anna Clark, junior
Emma Siekierski and senior
Ranelle Ulanday.
To be eligible for the NEC Winter Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must be an active member of an officially recognized varsity team and own a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher. Freshman are eligible for the honor roll. Clark, a marketing major who has compiled a 3.81 GPA, was also named to the NEC Winter Commissioner's Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes that have accrued a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or better.
A total of 702 student-athletes across seven winter sports in the NEC finished with a 3.20 grade point average or better, including 262 named to the NEC Winter Commissioner's Honor Roll.
Led by head coach
Jody Fetterhoff, Duquesne finished with an overall record of 58-47 (.552) during the 2024-25 season, including a record of 15-9 (.625) in the NEC. The Dukes advanced to their first final of the NEC Championship in program history, falling to No. 16 FDU, 2-1. Duquesne finished the season ranked 14th in the final NTCA Top 25 poll for the 2024-25 campaign, the 39th consecutive poll dating back to 2018 that the Dukes have been ranked in the NTCA Top 25.
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