2014 UConn Men's Golf Media Guide

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

2013-14 UCONN GOLF

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT GOLF

2013-14 University of Connecticut Men’s Golf Team

Name Cl. Hometown/High School Mike Masso* Senior Suffield, Conn./SuffieldChris Wiatr* Junior Woodbury, Conn./Canterbury SchoolDan Myers Junior Ridgefield, Conn./RidgefieldDane Rosa Junior Mansfield, Conn./E.O. SmithCorey Birch Sophomore Ridgefield, Conn./RidgefieldJohn Flaherty Sophomore Glastonbury, Conn./GlastonburyCameron MacKay Sophomore Brookfield, Conn./The GunneryZach Zaback Sophomore Farmington, Conn./FarmingtonEric Dietrich Freshman Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire

* --- Co-captain

Head Coach: Dave Pezzino (7th year)Volunteer Assistant Coach: Carl GirasoliVolunteer Assistant Coach: Jon Wortmann

(Front row, l-r) Dan Myers, Mike Masso, Zach Zaback, John Flaherty, Eric Dietrich, Stephen Pastore. (Second row, l-r) Volun-teer Assistant Coach Carl Girasoli, Head Coach Dave Pezzino, Cameron MacKay, Chris Wiatr, Corey Birch, Dane Rosa, Volun-teer Assistant Coach Jon Wortmann.


2013-14 UCONN GOLF

Dave Pezzino is beginning his sev-enth season as the head coach of men’s golf at the University of Con-necticut. He was named to the position on August 24, 2007. The Pezzino Era at UConn, marked by a significant upgrade to the competi-tion schedule, begins a new chapter in

2013-14 with UConn now part of The American Athletic Conference, joining new colleagues Central Florida, Memphis, Houston, Southern Methodist, and Temple, as well as former Big East members Cincinnati, Louisville, Rutgers, and USF. “I’m excited because the quality of the golf in our league is really strong,” Pezzino said. “We have a lot of national qualifiers team-wise. The depth of the league is so good --- it’s going to help with recruiting and with our scheduling. I have tried to challenge our team with the schedule and I think it has really paid off for us. By playing tough competition and great layouts, our squad learns how to compete and, more importantly, learns how to win.” Under Pezzino, UConn has had 24 players named Big East Academic All-Stars, three Big East All-Conference picks, six All-Northeast Region selections, and four All-New England picks. Pezzino did an outstanding job last year, nuturing a young squad to nine Top 10 finishes in 12 tournaments, four of them in the Top 5, including a team title in the New England D-I Championships. It was the coach’s third team title at UConn. Individually, he guided freshman Zach Zaback to individual medalist honors in two events, The Connecticut Cup and the New England D-I Championships. The Fall of 2009 saw the Huskies capture the New England Championship, the first title under Pezzino. Jeb Buchanan also became the first individual medalist under Coach Pezzino when he won the Adams Cup of Newport by shooting three successive scores of 69. He was also named the Golfweek Magazine National Player of the Week. UConn finished sixth in the team competition against a standout field at the Adams Cup, despite having only four players for the final two rounds due to injury. In the Fall of 2011, Pezzino and the Huskies captured another tournament title, winning the Hartford Hawks Invitational by eight strokes as Buchanan won individual medalist honors. That victory was the start of an outstanding three-tourney stretch that saw the Huskies finish third at The Connecticut Cup and second at The Classic at Sheltor Harbor. UConn started the spring portion of its 2011-12 schedule by winning two of its three matches in BIG EAST Match Play and ended with a solid sixth-place finsh in the BIG EAST Championships. Pezzino came to UConn after spending one year as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois and 11 previous seasons as a head coach at the collegiate level. Pezzino (pronounced Pezz-EENO) spent seven years, from August of 1999 to May of 2006, at Florida International as the head coach of the women’s golf program. He led FIU to four tournament victories and 10 individual titles during his tenure and coached 10 All-Sun Belt Conference selections, includ-ing 2001 NGCA All-American Michelle Simpson. He had three student-athletes earn Academic All-American recognition and five former team members that are currently playing professionally. During his time at Florida International, Pezzino also worked at the Jim McLean Golf School at Doral Golf Resort, one of the premier golf teaching facilities in the world. He earned the status of master instructor, one of few instructors in the country to reach that level for McLean. Pezzino played his collegiate golf at St. Thomas University in Miami, where he became a student-head coach during his senior year of 1996-97. Upon graduation, he continued to serve as the head men’s coach at St. Thomas until August, 1999. He led St. Thomas to consecutive NAIA National Championship


Dave PEZZINOHead Coach

appearances in 1998 and 1999, and was named Florida Sun Conference Coach of the Year in ’98, leading the squad to the conference title. He coached six individuals to all-conference honors during his tenure. Pezzino has worked with three of Golf Digest’s Top 100 Instructors, and six of his former student-athletes are golf professionals on various tours. Pezzino was born on 3/22/72 in North Haven, Conn. He attended Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, N.J., while living in Mahwah, N.J. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sports administration from St. Thomas in 1997. Dave and his wife, Kristy, were married in 1998. They are the parents of two sets of twins: Joseph and Matthew, born 2/26/04, and Daniel and Kaitlin, born 4/23/09.

UConn Division of AthleticsQUICK FACTS

Location: Storrs, CT 06269-3078Founded: 1881Enrollment: 28,083Colors: National Flag Blue and WhiteNicknames: Huskies, UConnConference: American Athletic ConferencePresident: Dr. Susan HerbstDirector of Athletics: Warde ManuelMen’s Golf Head Coach: Dave PezzinoOffice Phone: (860) 486-6058EMail: [email protected]’s Golf SID: Phil ChardisOffice Phone: (860) 486-3531EMail: [email protected] Web Site: uconnhuskies.com

2013-14 UCONN GOLF


Carl Girasoli is in his ninth season associated with the UConn golf program and has been a volunteer assistant coach since April, 2008. Carl is a native of Norwich, Conn., and gradu-ated from Norwich Free Academy in 1962. He served four years in the United States Air

Force and then worked for 31 years with the Connecticut Department of Transportation as a Senior Engineer before retiring in 1997. Carl has two sons, Anthony (Tony) and Brian and two grandsons, Gio and Nico. Tony and Brian are both alumni of the University of Connecticut. Carl has also worked as a shop clerk at Mohegan Sun Country Club @ Pautipaug since April of 1998 and has been an active member at the Univer-sity Club of Connecticut (formerly Willimantic Country Club) since 1992.

Carl GIRASOLIVolunteer

Assistant Coach

Jon Wortmann, a noted author, non-profit leader and corporate coach and trainer who specializes in communication, leadership, and stress reduction skills, is in his third year as a volunteer assistant coach for the UConn men’s golf team.

Wortmann works with UConn coach Dave Pezzino to help the UConn players develop the mental strength necessary to improve in all phases of the game. He puts emphasis on the decision-making process the players use to become singularly focused on doing one thing at a time. Once each individual discovers how he can focus on the task at hand, blocking out distractions, the stress level is reduced, and the results are improved scores and better consistency. Pezzino credits Wortmann’s coaching with helping UConn’s young players gain the concentration necessary for last year’s successful season. Close to a scratch golfer himself, Wortmann lives with wife Jennifer, a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology at UConn, in Ellington, Conn.

Jon WORTMANNVolunteer

Assistant Coach

In June, 2013, the University of Connecticut men’s golf team, as well as the men’s cross country and women’s tennis teams, were honored by the NCAA with Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Awards --- given each year to teams with APRs in the top 10 percent in their respective sports. It is the eighth consecutive year the golf team has received the honor since the inception of the award in 2006. “I want to congratulate the student-athletes on our men’s golf, women’s tennis, and men’s cross country teams for their outstanding success in the classroom,” said UConn Director of Athletics Warde Manuel. “Their commit-ment to excellence in both academics and athletics is to be highly admired. I want to thank the coaching staffs of all three sports and the staff of the Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletics for all their efforts to support the academic success of our satudent-athletes.” APR scores are a measure of classroom performance of student athletes on every Division I team based on the eligibility and retention for each se-mester. The award was based on the multi-year APR scores that include the four academic years from 2008-12. The men’s golf team score through that period was a perfect 1000.

GOLF EARNS NCAA PUBLIC RECOGNITION AWARD


With every player returning from a team that produced some impressive results during the spring portion of last year’s schedule, the UConn men’s golf team might find it hard to keep its optimism in check as it looks ahead to the 2013-14 season. “I know they’re excited to get going,” seven-year coach Dave Pezzino said. “I think the guys had a good summer, playing a ton of tournaments and having a lot of strong finishes. With a young group, there’s a lot of expectation that it’s going to be a positive semester. I’m really looking for-ward to getting everybody back here, helping them continue to develop, and playing the challenging schedule that we have coming at us.” The Huskies ended last year with four consecutive Top 10 finishes, in-cluding a victory at the New England D-I Championships at Newport (R.I.) National Country Club, a tournament that UConn then-freshman Zach Zaback also won individually. It was Zaback’s second tournament victory of his first year, adding to his crown at The Connecticut Cup last fall. “I think the program took some positive steps last year,” Pezzino said. “I think they are growing up and that’s a big deal. Youth is served in the game of golf, but I also think knowing how to handle certain situations is a big deal. I thought we would have a successful year and have the opportu-nity to compete, but that was a nice win in some really tough conditions at Newport National … and I was really impressed with how the guys handled that. They acted like they’d been there before. They were like, ‘Hey, we came here to do this, and we did it.’ I think the guys understand that their best golf is ahead of them. They want to grow and compete … they always want to take the next step. It’s a very teachable group.” The Huskies’ leadership this year will come from co-captains senior Mike Masso and junior Chris Wiatr. Both played in every tournament last season and have a wealth of experience. “I think Mike and Chris will make a great combination as our team leaders,” Pezzino said. “Their respective strengths complement each other, especially off the course. They will get things done as they’re supposed to be done.” Along with the co-captains and Zaback, UConn will have a deep team competing for tournament spots. Juniors Dane Rosa and Dan Myers and sophomores John Flaherty, Corey Birch, and Cameron MacKay continually push each other to improve and joining the team this year is the lone freshman, Eric Dietrich. All 10 players are in-state products. “I think our rotation of players, the competition we had in qualifying, had a lot to do with our success last year,” Pezzino said. “I’m expecting them to prepare to play every week, whether they are going to play or not going to play. That’s something that this group has taken to heart.”

HUSKIES LOOKING TO BUILD ON SUCCESS

UConn co-captains senior Mike Masso, left, and junior Chris Wiatr.


2013-14 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Mike MASSOSenior

Suffield, Conn.Suffield High School

Lake of Isles / The Ranch Golf Club

AT CONNECTICUT: Joined the squad as a sophomore in 2011-12, and will serve as a team co-captain this year for the second consecutive season. Lone senior on the UConn roster. Has played in 15 events at UConn, averaging 79.36 per round for 42 rounds, with a low round of 70, shot in the 2013 BIG EAST Championships. SPRING 2013: Participated in all seven events on UConn’s schedule, averaging 80.6 per round for 20 rounds. Recorded a career-best finish of a tie for 10th place at the New England Division I Championships, helping Huskies win the event. Finished season with a career-low round of 70 in third round of BIG EAST Championship. FALL 2012: Played in all five events on UConn’s schedule, averaging 76.7 per round for 14 rounds, with a low round of 71 at The Connecticut Cup. Best finish was a tie for 17th place at the Philadelphia Big 5 Invitational. SPRING 2012: Participated in two tournaments, The Farms Invitational and the Wolfpack Spring Open. At the Spring Open, improved his score by 10 strokes from Round 1 to Round 2. FALL 2011: Participated in The Con-necticut Cup, earning a tie for 45th place and shooting a low round of 71. HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year varsity letter winner and three-year captain at Suffield High School under Coach Kyle McCullough. ... Named All-State as a junior and senior. ... Helped Suffield become runner-up in state tournament as a junior, when he was ranked second in the North Central Connecticut Conference. ... Led the NCCC in lowest stroke differential as a senior and also teamed with Andy Mai to win the Chappa Invitational. ... Scholar-athlete all four years. PERSONAL: Michael V. Masso. ... Born May 1, 1992. ... Son of Peter and Karen Masso. ... Has a brother, P.J., and sister, Jessica. … Home courses are Lake of Isles in North Stonington, Conn., and The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick, Mass.

2013-14 UCONN GOLF

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUTMEET THE HUSKIES

Chris WIATR Junior

Woodbury, Conn.Canterbury School

Highfield Club / Country Club of Waterbury

AT CONNECTICUT: Will serve as team co-captain this year. Has played in 22 events as a Husky, averaging 76.15 per round in 61 career rounds. Consistently one of the top scorers on the team. Has recorded three Top 5 and eight Top 25 finishes in his two-year career. SPRING 2013: Competed in all seven of the tourna-ments on UConn’s schedule, averaging 75.3 per round for 19 competitive rounds, including a career-low 70 on three separate occasions. Best finish was a tie for third at the New England Division I Championships, helping the Huskies win the event. Had a Top 20 (18th) finish at the BIG EAST Championships. Shot par or better in six of 12 tournaments in 2012-13. FALL 2012: Competed in all five of UConn’s sched-uled tournaments, averaging 75.3 per round for 14 rounds, including two rounds of 70. Had two Top 10 finishes, including a career-best tie for second at The Connecticut Cup with a 70-72-70-212. SPRING 2012: Played in five tournaments, averag-ing 78.0 per round for 14 rounds, including a then-UConn career-low 71 in the Big East Championships. Best fin-ish was fourth after an impressive 77-73-74-224 at the Rutherford Intercollegiate Tournament. FALL 2011: Played in five tournaments, averaging 76.29 per round for 14 rounds, including a then-UConn career low of 72. Best finish was 12th at The Classic at Shelter Harbor (Westerly, R.I.) and also recorded solid finishes at the Hartford Hawks Invitational, where he tied for 19th, and The Connecticut Cup, where he tied for 22nd. HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time MVP and received the Coach’s Award while playing at Canterbury School in New Milford under Coach Bob Potter. … Twice named to All-New England Team and two-time New England Indi-vidual Champion. … Captured medalist honors 16 times … Semifinalist at 2010 International Junior Masters. … Youngest player (15) to ever qualify for the Connecticut State Open. ... Also played four years of varsity soccer (team captain as a senior), earning Western New England All-Star honors, and three years of varsity squash. PERSONAL: Christopher M. Wiatr. ... Born April 4, 1993. ... Son of Francis and Mary Wiatr. ... Has three older brothers, Mark, Brian and Matt, and a twin sister, Mag-gie. … Home courses are Highfield Club in Middlebury, Conn., and The Country Club of Waterbury in Waterbury, Conn.


2013-14 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Dan MYERSJunior

Ridgefield, Conn.Ridgefield High School

Ridgefield Golf Club

AT CONNECTICUT: Has played in four events at UConn, averaging 79.1 per round in 12 career rounds, with a low round of 74 (four times). Career-best finish is tie for 50th. SPRING 2013: Did not play in tournament competition. FALL 2012: Participated in one tournament, The Connecticut Cup, where he tied for 74th, with a low round of 74. SPRING 2012: Participated in one tournament, The Farms Invita-tional, earning a tie for 50th, with a low round of 74. FALL 2011: Participated in the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate and The Connecticut Cup for the Huskies, earning a tie for 64th and a tie for 56th, respectively. HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year letter-winner and served as team captain as a senior at Ridgefield High School under Coach Mike Merati. … Helped Ridgefield win the 2011 Connecticut Division I state championship. … Named to the Connecticut Division I All-State First Team and All-Fairfield County First Team. PERSONAL: Daniel K. Myers. ... Born October 19, 1992. ... Son of Daniel and Catherine Myers. ... Has a younger brother, Christopher, and younger sister, Allyson. … Home course is Ridgefield Golf Club in Ridgefield, Conn.

2013-14 UCONN GOLF


Dane ROSAJunior

Mansfield, Conn.E.O. Smith High School

University Club of Connecticut

AT CONNECTICUT: Has played in seven events in two-year career at UConn, averaging 79.1 per round for 20 rounds, including a low round of 71. Best career finish is tie for 33rd at the 2013 Rutherford Intercollegiate. SPRING 2013: Played in four events, averaging 78.36 per round for 11 rounds. Had best finish of UConn career with a 33rd place at Rutherford Intercollegiate, where he also shot a career-low round of 71. FALL 2012: Hampered by an injured shoulder, played in just one tournament, The Hartford Hawk Invitational. Tied for 68th place with a low round of 78. SPRING 2012: Did not play in any tournament competition. FALL 2011: Played in the Adams Cup of Newport, finishing in a tie for 79th and shooting a low round of 75, and The Con-necticut Cup, finishing in a tie for 79th and shooting a low round of 78. HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year varsity golf performer at E.O. Smith High School, serving as captain for three years, under Coach Marty Bissonette. … Team MVP two consecutive years after setting the school record for most rounds as a medalist (13 of 15 matches his senior year). … Earned All-State honors after a second-place finish at the state high school tournament and advancing to the New England tourney. … All-Around athlete who earned the student-athlete award three times between golf, swimming and diving (2 years), indoor track & field (1 year), and four years of varsity soccer, scoring the second-most goals/as-sists on the team and helping E.O. Smith earn recognition as one of the top five high school soccer teams in the country. PERSONAL: Dane Coleman Rosa. ... Born Jan. 7, 1993. ... Son of Mike and Susan Rosa. ... Has two older sisters, Hailey and Lauren. … Home course is the University Club of Connecticut in Windham, Conn.


2013-14 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Corey BIRCHSophomore

Ridgefield, Conn.Ridgefield High School

Silver Spring Country Club

AT CONNECTICUT: Has participated in three tournaments at UConn, averaging 76.89 per round for nine rounds, with a low round of 71. Best finish was a tied for 31st place at The Connecticut Cup. During the summer of 2013, shot rounds of 69 and 70 at the Links at Union Vale (Lagrangeville, N.Y.) to take medialist honors at the sectional qualifying round for the 113th U.S. Amateur Championship. Competed in the U.S. Ama-teur in Brookline, Mass., on Aug. 12-18. SPRING 2013: Played in two tourna-ments for the Huskies, the Mission Inn Spring Spectacular and the FAU Spring Break Championship, averaging 77.83 for six rounds and shooting a low round of 74. Best finish was a tie for 47th at the FAU Spring Break. FALL 2012: Played in one tournament, The Connecticut Cup. Finished in a tie for 31st place after shooting 225, including a 71, his low round of the season. HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered in golf four years and served as team captain at Ridgefield High School under Coach Mike Merati. High school teammate of UConn sophomore Dan Myers. … Two-time All-State and two-time All-Conference player. … As a senior, won Ridgefield’s Scholar-Athlete Award, Most Outstanding Player Golf Award, Captain’s Award, placed second in FCIAC conference tournament, placed fourth in state tournament. … As a junior, won Ridge-field’s Outstanding Achievement Golf Award, placed third at state tournament to help Ridgefield win Division I State Champion-ship. ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT HIGH-LIGHTS: Two-time (2010, 2011) Silver Spring Country Club Men’s Champion. PERSONAL: Corey John Birch. ... Born October 31, 1993. ... Son of John and Lynn Birch. ... Has two sisters, Kelly and Kaitlyn. … Home course is Silver Spring Country Club in Ridgefield, Conn.

2013-14 UCONN GOLF


John FLAHERTYSophomore

Glastonbury, Conn.Glastonbury High SchoolTPC at River Highlands

AT CONECTICUT: Came on strong in spring portion of his freshman year, ending season with four straight Top 20 finishes. Played in 10 tourna-ments in 2012-13, averaging 75.93 per round for 29 rounds, with a low round of 69. Four rounds of par or better. A total of five Top 20 finishes. SPRING 2013: Played in all seven events on UConn’s schedule, averaging 75.55 per round for 20 rounds, with a career-best finish of 9th place (69-75-72-216) in a field of 96 at the FAU Spring Break Championship. Shot career-low 69 in that tournament. Ended the season with four consecu-tive Top 20 finishes. FALL 2012: Participated in three events, averaging 76.77 per round for nine rounds. Best finish was a tie for 11th place at The Connecticut Cup with a low round of 70, also in that tourna-ment. HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered in golf four years and served as team captain for one year at Glas-tonbury High School under Coach Tom Zelek. … Four-time All-Conference selection, three-time All-State selection, three years named to All-Aca-demic Team. … As a senior, Connecticut Division I high school champion, 2012 Wildcat Invitational individual champion, 2012 Hartwell Award winner, lowest OCR in Division I. … As a junior, led team to a win at the 2011 Wildcat Invitational with an individual runner-up finish. … No. 1 player in CCC North, 2010-12. … Also played four years of basketball and two years of soccer. ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT HIGH-LIGHTS: In Junior Golf: 2009 Connecticut PGA runner-up … 2010 Connecticut PGA Player of the Year … 2011 Connecticut Junior Amateur Champion, represented Team Connecticut at New England Juniors, represented Team New England at the Doral Publix, 11th at AJGA Northern Virginia Juniors … Quarterfinalist in 2012 Connecticut Amateur Championship, losing to current UConn teammate Mike Masso. PERSONAL: John J. Flaherty. ... Born Septem-ber 10, 1993. ... Son of James and Felicia Flaherty. ... Has one sister, Amanda. … Home course is The TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.


2013-14 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Cameron MacKAYSophomore

Brookfield, Conn.The Gunnery

Redding Country Club

AT CONNECTICUT: Has played in one event at UConn, The Connecticut Cup, in Fall 2012. SPRING 2013: Did not play in tournament competition. FALL 2012: Played in one event on the UConn schedule, The Con-necticut Cup, shooting 79-78-77-234 to finish in a tie for 69th place. Low round of 77. HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered in golf four years and served as team captain as a senior at The Gunnery (Washington, Conn.) under Coach Russ Elgin. … Two-time team MVP and helped lead the team to its first-ever New England prep school championship. … Also was a four-year letter winner in varsity crew at The Gunnery and twice rowed in the Head of Charles Regatta. ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS: Quarterfinalist in the Conn. Junior Amateur Cham-pionship. … Member of Team Con-necticut for New England Junior Championship. … Qualified for both the Connecticut Amateur and Con-necticut Open. … Finished fourth in the Computer Merchant Cup. … Did not finish outside the Top 10 in any metropolitan junior events. PERSONAL: Cameron P. Mac-Kay. ... Born March 3, 1994. ... Son of Paul and Pat MacKay. ... Has an older brother, older sister, and a twin sister. … Home course is Redding Country Club in Redding, Conn.

2013-14 UCONN GOLF


AT CONNECTICUT: Had an outstanding freshman season, competing in all 12 of the events on UConn’s schedule and averaging a team-leading 74.85 per round for 34 rounds, winning two tournaments, The Connecticut Cup and the New England Division I Championships, and recording five Top 15 finishes. Shot par or better in seven rounds, had four rounds in the 60s, with a career-low 66 in the Division I Championships. Named to the PING All-Northeast Region Team, the All-BIG EAST Team, and was the BIG EAST Men’s Golf Athlete of the Week on April 18 and the BIG EAST Men’s Golf Player of the Month for October. SPRING 2013: Participated in seven events, averag-ing 74.6 per round for 20 rounds. Won the New England Division I-Championships with a 66-73-139, leading the Huskies to the tournament victory. Had two sub-70 rounds including the career-low 66. FALL 2012: Participated in five events, averaging 75.2 per round for 14 rounds. Won The Connecticut Cup over an 84-player field with a 73-69-69-211, had two other Top 15 finishes, tying for sixth in the Wendy’s Kiawah Classic and tying for 13th at the Adams Cup of Newport. Shot low round of 69 twice. HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered in golf four years and served as team captain as a senior at Farmington High School under Coach Ted Orzech (3 years) and Coach Fran Amara (1 year). … Three-time All-State and All-Conference selection. … As a senior, won Central Connecticut Confer-ence tournament and placed third in the New England High School Championship. … As a junior, placed second in state tournament, one stroke behind current UConn team-mate Stephen Pastore, and helped Farmington win the conference tournament. … As a sophomore, placed second in the state tournament. … Also played varsity soccer for two years, helping team win the state championship in his junior year and serving as team captain as a senior. ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS: Won 2012 U.S. Challenge Cup Junior Match play Champion-ship … Placed third at 2010 AJGA Killington Junior Golf Championship. PERSONAL: Zachary Francis Zaback. ... Born January 3, 1994. ... Son of Andrew and Doreen Zaback. ... Has one brother, John. … Home course is The TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.

Zach ZABACKSophomore

Farmington, Conn.Farmington High SchoolTPC at River Highlands


2013-14 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Eric DIETRICHFreshman

Cheshire, Conn.Cheshire High SchoolFarms Country Club

HIGH SCHOOL: Comes to UConn after lettering in golf for three years and serving as team captain for two years at Cheshire High School under Coach Dan Lee. … Two-year All-State, two-year All-Southern Connecticut Conference, three-year All-Housatonic Division. … New Haven Register first-team pick as junior and senior. … Scholar-Athlete as a junior. … Also played basketball four years and was named All-SCC, All-Housatonic Division, and honor-able mention All-State as a senior. Holds the school’s all-time record for three-pointers in a season. ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS: Won the 2012 U.S. Challenge Cup Junior Roundup. … Won the 2012 U.S. Challenge Cup Francis Ouimet Junior Stroke-Play Championship. … Finished 3rd at the 2013 AJGA Killington Junior Golf Championship. … Finished 13th at the 2012 AJGA Deutsche Bank Part-ners for Charity Junior Shootout. PERSONAL: Eric Russell Dietrich. ... Born December 3, 1994. ... Son of David and Sandra Dietrich. ... Has twin brother, Kevin, younger brother, Mark, and younger sister, Danielle. … Home course is Farms Country Club in Wallingford, Conn.

2013-14 UCONN GOLF


In many ways, the 2012-13 season for the University of Connecticut Men’s Golf program was the most successful of the six-year era under Coach Dave Pezzino. With a young team that included five freshmen, the Huskies produced nine Top 10 finishes, four of them in the Top 5, and captured a team title at the New England D-I Championships. The season was also highlighted by two individual medalist perfor-mances by freshman Zach Zaback, at The Connecticut Cup where he and sophomore teammate Chris Wiatr finished 1-2, and at the New England D-I Championships. The season continued a period of steady program improvement since Pezzino brought more than a decade of coaching and teaching excellence to the program when he took over in 2007. That showed im-mediately in the fall of 2007, with three team top five finishes, including a second-place finish at the New England Championship. The Fall of 2009 saw the Huskies capture the New England Championship, the first title under Pezzino. Jeb Buchanan also became the first individual medalist under Pezzino when he won the Ad-ams Cup of Newport by shoot-ing three successive scores of 69, earning him recognition as Golfweek Magazine National Player of the Week. In the Fall of 2011, Pez-zino guided the Huskies to a first-place finish in the 17-team Hartford Hawks In-vitational, as Buchanan again captured individual medalist honors, winning a four-man playoff. UConn followed that with a third-place finish at The Connecticut Cup, and a second place in The Classic at Shelter Harbor. The Spring of 2012 schedule began with two wins in three matches in BIG EAST Match Play, featured competitive play throughout, and finished with a sixth place in the BIG EAST Championship. The Pezzino era has at UConn has been marked by an ambitious national schedule, giving the Huskies the opportunity to play on some of the best courses in the country and against the top collegiate com-petition in Division I. Pezzino took the reins of the the Husky golf program from Ron Dubois, who had been the coach since August of 2002. The former U.S. Army colonel continued the excellence that has marked Connecti-cut golf for more than a half a century. The Huskies captured team titles in three of his five seasons, including the 2004 fall New England Championship. Under the tutelage of Dubois, Jason Parajeckas left his mark as one of the top golfers in Husky history. He was the No. 1-ranked golfer in the New England region and among the top 80 golfers nationally. For his career, Jason was a five-time individual champion. He appeared in 38 career events and recorded Top 10 finishes in 18 of those 38 events. He was a three-time New England Intercollegiate Golf Asso-ciation First Team selection, a two-time New England Division I First Team honoree and is also a two-time honoree by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Many of the great accomplishments of the program, including New

England and BIG EAST Championships, came under the tutelage of Joe Giannelli, who earned several Coach of the Year honors in his 20 years as head coach from 1981-2000. After retiring in the summer of 2000, Giannelli remained with the team as Coach Emeritus until his death on December 9, 2002, after a valiant fight against cancer. Giannelli had served as president of the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association. The UConn Athletic Development Office maintains a Joe Giannelli Golf Fund in his memory to help sustain the legacy of golfing excellence that he established at the University. UConn men’s golf has developed into one of the top programs in New England since its beginning as a varsity sport in 1941. For the first four decades, Connecticut participated as a member of the Yankee Conference, winning 12 championships. The Huskies then joined the powerful BIG EAST Conference as a charter member in 1979. The Huskies’ proud tradition of golf success has been highlighted by both team and individual honors. The 1992-93, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 UConn squads competed in the NCAA East Regional Championships. The 1980 UConn golf team won the New England title and participated in the NCAA Championship tournament while the 1982, 1993, 1994 and 1997 squads won New England Intercol-legiate Golf Championships. Individual Husky stars who have qualified for the NCAA Championship event include: Mike Caprio (1984), Tim Heaney (1987), and Rich Pepin (1992). Caprio also received Academic All-American honors in his senior year while Greg Metro (1998) joined him as an Academic All-American. In the past two decades, Connecticut has been among the top schools in regional and conference play. The Huskies captured the 1994 BIG EAST title, paced by captain Greg Yeomans, an All-New England selection in 1994. In 1998-99, the Huskies were ranked second i n t h e r e g i on throughout the year after captur-ing two team titles and four runner-up titles over the course of both seasons. In the spring of 1993, UConn captured the New England title. In the fall of 1993, the Huskies were crowned the ECAC Champions. UConn followed this title with its first-ever BIG EAST Conference Golf Championship in September of 1994 and UConn also shared the 1994 New England Championship.

JEB BUCHANAN

GREG YEOMANS


The UConn Golf team was honored at halftime of a men’s basketball game for capturing the 2009 New England title and for Jeb Buchanan’s Adams Cup title.


2013-14 UCONN GOLF


2012-131st Place, New England D-I Championships (spring)

3rd Place, The Connecticut Cup (fall)5th Place, Hartford Hawks Invitational (fall)5th Place, BIG EAST Championship (spring)

2011-121st Place, Hartford Hawks Invitational (fall)

2nd Place, The Classic at Sheltor Harbor (fall)3rd Place, The Connecticut Cup (fall)

2010-112nd Place, New England Championship (fall)

3rd Place, The Connecticut Cup (fall)3rd Place, Hartford Hawks Invitational (fall)

2009-101st Place, New England Championship (fall)

3rd Place, The Match Play (fall)


2005-062nd Place, Quinnipiac Bobcat Invitiational (fall)3rd Place, ECAC Division I Championship (fall)3rd Place, New England Championship (fall)

1st Place, Hawks Invitational (fall)

2004-052nd Place, Yale Spring Open (spring)

2nd Place, New England Championship (spring)1st Place, New England Championship (fall)

1st Place, Quinnipiac Bobcat Invit. (fall)

2003-042nd Place, New England Championship (spring)

3rd Place, New England Championship (fall)

2002-031st Place, Yale Invitational (spring)

2001-022nd Place, Yale Invitational (fall)

2nd Place, URI Invitational (spring)

2000-012nd Place, URI Invitational (spring)

3rd Place, NEIGA (fall)3rd Place, Robert Morris Tournament (fall)

1999-20001st Place, vs. Quinnipiac (fall)

3rd Place, BIG FIVE Invitational (spring)

1998-991st Place, Army Invitational (fall)

1st Place, Hartford, Quinnipiac Tri-Meet (fall)2nd Place, New England Championship (spring)

2nd Place, Yale Invitational (spring)2nd Place, URI Invitational (spring)

2nd Place, BIG FIVE Invitational (spring)21st Place, NCAA Div. I East Regional (spring)

1997-983rd Place, New England Championship (spring)23rd Place, NCAA Div. I East Regional (spring)

3rd Place, BIG EAST Championship (fall)

1996-971st Place, New England Championship (spring)

1st Place, Rhode Island Invitational (spring)23rd place, NCAA Div. I East Regional (spring)

1995-963rd Place, New England Championship (fall)

1st Place, Dartmouth Invitational (fall)1st Place, ECAC Southern NE Qualifier (fall)2nd place, BIG EAST Championship (fall)

1994-953rd Place, New England Championship (spring)

1st Place, URI Invitational (spring)1st Place, BIG EAST Championship (fall)1st Place, UConn Golf Invitational (fall)

1st Place, ECAC Southern NE Qualifier (fall)1st place (tie), New England Championship (fall)

1993-941st Place, URI Invitational (spring)

3rd Place, New England Championship (spring)1st Place, ECAC Championship (fall)

2nd Place, UConn Golf Invitational (fall)

1992-9322nd Place, NCAA East Regional (spring)

1st Place, New England Championship (spring)1st Place, URI Invitational (spring)

1st Place, Big Four Invitational (spring)1st Place, UConn Golf Invitational (fall)

2nd Place, BIG EAST Championship (fall)


1984-852nd Place, BIG EAST Championship (fall)

1982-832nd Place, BIG EAST Championship (fall)

1st Place, New England Championship (fall)

1981-823rd Place, New England Playoffs (spring)2nd Place, BIG EAST Championship (fall)

UConn Golf Top Finishes Through the Years 2012 Fall Golf Results9/17-18 Adams Cup of Newport T-6th of 12 Newport Country Club, Newport, R.I. Carnegie Abbey GC, Portsmouth, R.I.

9/24-25 Hartford Hawks Invitational 5th of 16 Bulls Bridge GC, South Kent, Conn.

10/8-9 The Connecticut Cup T-3rd of 15 Ellington Ridge CC, Ellington, Conn.

10/13-14 Big 5 Tournament 8th of 19 Philmont CC, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

10/28-30 Wendy’s Kiawah Classic 14th of 26 Turtle Point GC, Kiawah Island, S.C.

2013 Spring Golf Results

2/18-19 Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate 16th of 18 Wexford Plantation GC, Hilton Head, S.C.

3/4-5 Charleston Shootout 10th of 12 Links at Stono Ferry, Charleston. S.C.

3/16-17 Mission Inn Spring Spectacular T-12th of 18 Mission Inn Resort, Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

3/29-31 FAU Spring Break Championship 9th of 18 The Fountains CC, Lake Worth, Fla.

4/12-13 New England D-I Championships 1st of 10 Newport National CC, Middletown, R.I.

4/20-21 Rutherford Intercollegiate 6th of 14 Penn St. Blue Course, State College, Pa.

4/28-30 BIG EAST Men’s Golf Championship 5th of 12 Reunion-Watson Course, Reunion, Fla.

2013 Fall Golf Schedule

9/1-2 Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate Turning Stone-Kaluhyat Course, Verona, N.Y.

9/16-17 Adams Cup of Newport Newport Country Club, Newport, R.I.

9/23-24 Hartford Hawks Invitational Bull’s Bridge Golf Club, South Kent, Conn.

10/5-6 The MacDonald Cup Yale Golf Course, New Haven, Conn.

10/14-15 The Connecticut Cup Ellington Ridge Country Club, Ellington, Conn.

2013-14 UCONN GOLF


2012-13Corey Birch

John FlahertyMike MassoDan Myers

2011-12Jeb BuchananMike MassoDan Myers

Adam Vaccari

2010-11Jeb Buchanan

Matthew CarrollChristopher DeLucia

Adam Vaccari

2009-10Jeb Buchanan

Christopher DeLuciaMatthew Dubrowski

2008-09Jeb Buchanan

Christopher DeLuciaL.J. ToschesJeremy Troy

2007-08Christopher DeLucia

A.J. Siekierski

Bret SiekierskiBrian TravaljaL.J. Tosches

2006-07Bret SiekierskiA.J. SiekierskiDaniel White

Ryan DandeneauL.J. Tosches

2005-06Jonathan KleinA.J. Siekierski

Tim StroutL.J. ToschesDaniel White

2004-05Daniel White

Michael Murphy

2003-04Jonathan KleinMichael Murphy

Daniel White

2002-03Jordan Burke

Nathan ThomsenAnthony Hrenko

1999-2000James Poist

1998-1999Michael EshooSeth Hoenig

1997-1998Josh BittnerSeth Hoenig

Gregory MetroPeter Sagnella

1996-1997Seth GoodallGreg Metro

Peter Sagnella

1995-1996David Hufner

Christopher McKnettGregory MetroPeter Sagnella

1992-1993Ross Bielak

1987-1988Peter Vescovi

1985-1986Mark Capece

UCONN GOLFBig East Conference Academic All-Star Selections

COUNSELING PROGRAMFOR INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETES

The University of Connecticut is committed to each golfer, and all of its student-athletes, and their holistic development during their undergraduate career. Participation in athletics is important, but it represents only one aspect of the players’ college experience. At the University of Connecticut, academic achievement is the primary concern. Impressively, for the past seven years, the Connecticut student-athlete retention rate has been 99.0 percent. The University’s commitment to the student-athlete is a dual one. Participation in athletics is not viewed as an obstacle to the attainment of one’s educational goals, rather it is seen as a complementary activity. Each supports the other. Athletic excellence is stressed, but academic achievement is never compromised --- indeed, it is given the utmost priority. The University realizes that the golf team and all student-athletes, due to their athletic involvement,

are required to commit a large percentage of their personal time to University-sponsored athletic activities. For this reason, the University recognizes the need for a support program for its intercollegiate athletes. The Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletes (CPIA) constantly assists all student-athletes in achieving their academic goals. The CPIA staff serves as a liaison be-tween the academic faculty, the Division of Athletics, and the student-athlete. In serving as a liaison between the Connecticut student-athletes and University faculty and staff, the CPIA counselors also provide assistance in securing appropriate support services available within the University. These include orientation for student-athletes, supervised study halls, individual tutors and tutorial centers (an English/Writing Center, Math Center and Reading Center), and learning skills seminars. With the advent of ever changing technology, all of the CPIA computer labs were updated with new equipment in the sum-mer of 2008 and allow students to access the world wide web as well as the Homer Babbidge library database that connects them to literally millions of the most recent scholarly research journals available.

Becky BACHERAssistant Director CPIA

UCONN GOLF -- A TRADITION OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE


2013-14 UCONN GOLF

THE DAVID MARKS AND DR. ANN SAGALYN-MARKSGOLF PRACTICE AND TEACHING CENTER

locations which facilitates various putting drills, a swing development booth with video swing analysis, individual lockers for each member of the team and a lounge and study area for the team with a 50” plasma television. The Full Swing Golf Simulator in the facility is the leading golf simulator on the market. Full Swing’s dual infrared ball tracking sytem has revolutionized the way golf simulators are measured. With a variety of simulated fairway, rough and sand lies at numerous golf courses around the world, the combination of ball speed, launch angle and real-time continuous visual ball flight makes the Full Swing experience a vital practice tool.

Longtime donor David Marks and his wife, Dr. Ann Sagalyn-Marks, have established themselves as leaders in the support of the UConn’s men’s golf program. They are avid golfers and their affection for the sport dates back many years. Their generosity has assisted the golf program in enhancing opportunities provided to its student-athletes. The Marks family has actively supported UConn Athletics for more than 27 years. In addition to the ongoing support for golf, the family has also shown its commitment to education through contributions to The Marks Family Scholarship Fund, which benefits student-athletes in the women’s basketball program. As annual season ticket holders for men’s and women’s basketball, David and Ann are frequently seen at games cheering on the Huskies. David received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969 and his Master of Business Administration in 1971 from the University of Connecticut. His outstanding career has featured a number of prestigious positions within the investment industry. David was named to the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame in 1994. This naming opportunity of the golf pract ice and teaching center is a fitting reflection of David’s and Ann’s continuing commitment to the student-athletes who represent the University of Connecticut, particularly those who participate in the men’s golf program. UConn golfers have total access to their redesigned indoor facilities on the Storrs campus. The David Marks and Dr. Ann Sagalyn-Marks Golf Practice and Teaching Center in Gampel Pavilion features a 30-foot pitching area, a putting surface with multiple hole

2014 UConn Men's Golf Media Guide

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Transcript of 2014 UConn Men's Golf Media Guide