Chartiers Valley leads all-state list
Despite not being able to complete its run toward a second straight PIAA championship because of the coronavirus crisis, three members of the Chartiers Valley girls basketball team earned all-state recognition from Pennsylvania sports writers.
Megan McConnell garnered the distinction for the fourth year in a row. The senior point guard was a first-team selection for the second year in a row. She was on the second team as a sophomore and freshman.
McConnell averaged 14 points, 4.6 assists and four rebounds a game in leading the Colts to a 27-0 season. She finished with 1,521 career points.
The Duquesne University recruit helped the Colts win 57 straight games to break the WPIAL record. They were WPIAL champions for a third year in a row and PIAA winners in 2019.
Aislin Malcolm also helped the Colts put up gaudy numbers. In gaining all-state acclaim, the sophomore guard averaged 16.7 points and 4.1 rebounds a game. She made 68 3-pointers this season.
In addition to the Colts placing two players on the first-team, their head coach was recognized. Tim McConnell won the Class 5A Coach Of The Year award for the second year in a row.
Bethel Park and Mt. Lebanon were represented on the Class 6A all-state squad.
Maddie Dziezgowski and Olivia Westphal merited second-team selection while Ashleigh Connor gained third-team distinction.
Dziezgowski averaged 15.9 points per game while Westphal contributed 14.8 points as they led the Black Hawks to a section title and the WPIAL finals before losing in overtime to North Allegheny. Both surpassed the 1,000-point plateau for their careers this season.
A senior, Dziezgowski will play basketball at St. Bonaventure. Westphal is a junior. She has received multiple Division I offers.
Connor, meanwhile, is a sophomore. She averaged 22 points for the Blue Devils, who competed in the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs before they were suspended in mid-March.
All five all-state performers were also members of The Almanac’s girls basketball all-star team. McConnell led the way as MVP and her father was named Coach of the Year.