Eastern junior center Pam O’Connor was named to the all-Ohio Valley Conference first team in a preseason coaches poll, which is not bad for someone that can only practice in a limited capacity.

O’Connor is recovering from a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament and fractured patella in her right knee that she suffered during the offseason.

Coincidentally enough, O’Connor tore her ACL in a pick up game April 1 – April Fool’s Day. Eastern head coach Linda Wunder thought O’Connor’s injury was a joke when she first found out about it.

“When Pam told me that she was hurt, I thought it was an April Fool’s joke,” Wunder said. “But. unfortunately, it wasn’t.”

O’Connor went to Dr. Preston Wolin of St. Joeseph’s Hospital in Chicago for her surgery. Over a month later, on May 13, Wolin successfully repaired O’Connor’s injured knee.

The surgery involves taking a graph of ligament that is connected to the patella by chipping off two pieces of bone connected to the ligament from the patella, Eastern athletic trainer Katie Rybak explained. The two pieces of bone called “bone plugs” are then inserted into holes that are drilled into the top of the tibia and the bottom of the femur.

Following the surgery, Wolin started O’Connor on rehabbing her knee. Wolin, an experienced orthopedic surgeon, has worked with several athletes and has experience helping athletes recouping from injury.

“He knows the demand of being a college athlete,” Rybak said. “His goal is the same as ours, and getting Pam back on the court.”

Rybak said the normal rehabilitation time following ACL surgery takes three months. A person recovering from ACL surgery can normally start rehab immediately following the surgery and is expected to be at 100 percent after three months.

But O’Connor suffered a setback early in June. While rehabilitating her knee, O’Connor fractured her patella. The fractured bone need three screws inserted into it while it fused back together. The three screws are permanent and will remain in O’Connor’s knee unless they cause her any future pain.

O’Connor’s rehab was on schedule leading up to the fracture. Rybak said that following the fracture, O’Connor’s knee was limited

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in motion and she couldn’t bend it much.

But now O’Connor has surpassed her doctor’s expectations and her rehab is ahead of schedule.

“I have seen huge progress over the semester, especially in the last month,” Rybak said.

O’Connor returned from a meeting with Wolin last Friday with more good news. She is now able to participate in practice with her teammates, instead of rehabbing in the weight room. Wunder said that O’Connor has participated in some passing and shooting drills already.

O’Connor has also been cleared to work on sprinting and cut moves as well.

“I’m just really happy to be doing any drills right now,” O’Connor said. “It just feels great to be back out there.”

O’Connor has one more meeting with Wolin, who is expected to clear her to fully participate in practice.

“There is no reason why she should not be playing at full go by the end of the season,” Rybak said.

Appropriately enough, after injuring herself on April Fool’s, O’Connor could be cleared for practice on Friday the 13 next month when she meets with Wolin.

“She is going to see the doctor on the 13. Hopefully it isn’t Friday,” Wunder said followed by laughter as she looked at her calender.