Men’s Team of the Year: Football

Don’t let the crushing season-ending loss at Central Connecticut serve as this team’s lasting memory. Head Coach Jerry Schmitt’s Dukes were still Northeast Conference co-champions and played like it, finishing 8-3 overall and 5-1 in NEC play. Specific game highlights included a win at No. 20 Youngstown State, just Duquesne’s second-ever win over a ranked FCS team and later on, a 31-6 win in the return of the rivalry with Robert Morris. The Dukes also won eight straight games for the first time in 22 seasons and were ranked as high as No. 19 in multiple FCS polls late in the season. Darius Perrantes led the offense with a 29-15 TD/INT ratio, passing for over 2,300 yards, and was named First Team All-Conference along with seven other teammates.

Women’s Team of the Year: Swimming and Diving

Within the Atlantic 10 Conference, Duquesne women’s swimming and diving excelled. At the conference championships, it finished third in the A-10 out of 11 participating schools and cleared fourth-place Fordham by nearly 200 points. The Dukes went on to finish 16th overall at the National Invitational Championships in Florida, and at the NCAA Diving Zones, Ashley Felitsky’s one-meter finished top in the A-10.

Newcomer of the Year: Acrobatics and Tumbling

Perhaps the single greatest moment for Duquesne athletics this year was when the team event scores were announced at Cooper Fieldhouse in Duquesne acrobatics and tumbling’s first-ever meet. An 87.41 score was given over No. 3 Gannon’s 86.87, securing the win for the Dukes to cap off a dream night. Duquesne finished 4-3 in its inaugural season but finished No. 12 in NCATA’s rankings and along the way brought crowds into the Coop for its exciting meets that dwarfed basketball attendance.

Men’s Athlete of the Year: Jack Dunkley

Dunkley, a sophomore defensive lineman, was simply a nightmare for opposing offenses. After a freshman season in which he only appeared in five games, Dunkley burst onto the scene, getting 12.5 tackles and 9.5 sacks for 66 yards lost while playing the full schedule. If that wasn’t enough, he also forced three fumbles. His sacks and tackles for yards lost tied for the NEC lead and finished 11th in FCS with 0.86 sacks a game. He was named First Team All-Conference as the biggest star on a stacked defense.

Women’s Athlete of the Year: Megan McConnell

This was a no-brainer. McConnell, a senior point guard, takes home her second consecutive Women’s Athlete of the Year award after a send-off season that cemented her first in Duquesne’s history in assists (660), steals (370) and games played (144) while finishing second in points (1,795) and rebounds (1,079). In 2025, she led Division I in steals (138) and the A-10 in points per game (18.4). Her career is likely to continue, as the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury invited her to training camp.

Most Improved Team: Women’s Tennis

Win or lose in the upcoming A-10 Championships in Florida, Duquesne women’s tennis has already clinched its best record since 2018-19, as the Dukes currently sit at 10-7, including an excellent 5-1 in conference play. It’s a major improvement over last year’s 7-13 finish and a 1-4 A-10 showing. After losing to Dayton in last season’s tournament, the Dukes handled the Flyers 5-2 at their first conference meet in February before a 4-1 win at George Mason in March against a Patriots team that is currently ranked. Kaya Rand has been Duquesne’s ace in the hole in singles play, going 11-6 in the No. 2 role, while No. 1 Mila Badics has held her own against opposing top competition, compiling an 8-7 record while in the spot.

Senior Athlete of the Year: Zoltan Nagy

Nagy was Duquesne men’s soccer starting goalkeeper and played among the best in the Atlantic 10. He started all 17 games for a Dukes team that would finish 11-4-2 and gave up just 17 goals all season, nine of which were in three games. He made nine saves in a game at UMass, contributing to a season total of 72 with an .809 save percentage.