2015-16 UConn Golf Media Guide

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UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

2015-16 UCONN GOLF

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUTUNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT GOLF

2015-16 University of Connecticut Men’s Golf Team

Name Cl. Hometown/High School John Flaherty* Senior Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HSZach Zaback* Senior Farmington, Conn./Farmington HSCorey Birch Senior Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield HSCameron MacKay Senior Brookfield, Conn./The GunneryEric Dietrich Junior Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire HSTyler Cooke Junior Warwick, R.I./Toll Gate HSSasha Wortelboer Sophomore Geneva, Switzerland/Ecole Internationale de GeneveNick Harrington Freshman Chaplin, Conn./Parish Hill HSJimmy Hervol Freshman Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton HS Zach Iannone Freshman Hamden, Conn./Notre Dame-West Haven HSBlake Kelley Freshman Manchester, Conn./Manchester HSNabeel Khan Freshman Westerville, Ohio/Columbus Academy

* --- Co-captains

Head Coach: Dave Pezzino (9th year)Volunteer Assistant Coach: Jon Wortmann

Front row (l-r): Blake Kelley, Nabeel Khan, Zach Zaback, John Flaherty, Nick Harrington, Cameron MacKay. Second row (l-r): Volunteer Assistant Coach Jon Wortmann, Eric Dietrich, Corey Birch, Sasha Wortelboer, Jimmy Hervol, Zach Iannone, Tyler Cooke, Head Coach Dave Pezzino.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

Dave Pezzino is in his ninth season as the head coach of men’s golf at the University of Connecticut. He was named to the position on August 24, 2007. The Pezzino Era at UConn has been marked by a significant upgrade to the competition schedule, especially with the beginning of the American Athletic

Conference two years ago, which joined UConn and former Big East members Cincinnati and USF with the strong golf programs at UCF, Houston, Memphis, SMU, and Temple. Starting with the 2014-15 season, solid programs at East Carolina and Tulsa were added to the AAC lineup. “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 32 players named Conference Academic All-Stars (24 Big East, 8 American Athletic), three Big East All-Conference picks, seven All-Northeast Region selections, five All-New England picks, and a New England All-Rookie Team selection. Pezzino guided the Huskies to an outstanding season in 2014-15, as the team had Top 10 finishes in eight of the10 regular-season tournaments, five of them in the Top 5. The season was highlighted by a second consecu-tive victory in UConn’s own Connecticut Cup, second-place finishes in both the FAU Slomin Autism Championship and the Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational, and third-place finishes in both the Hartford Hawks Invitational and the Quechee Club Collegiate Challenge. The Connecticut Cup victory was Pezzino’s fifth team title at UConn. Individually, he guided senior Chris Wiatr to medalist honors in The Connecticut Cup, becoming the fifth UConn player to win a tourney under Pezzino. The players recorded a total of nine individual Top 10 finishes. Just as importantly, last year’s team was honored by the Golf Coaches Association of America as an All-Academic Team, one of only 90 Division I teams, and one of only two in the American Athletic Conference, to earn the recognition. For nine consecutive years, the Huskies had received an Academic Rate Public Recognition Award from the NCAA, given each year to teams with APRs in the top 10 percent of their respective sports. Pezzino also guided the Huskies to an excellent season in 2013-14, as the squad recorded Top 10 finishes in all 11 of its regular-season tourna-ments, six of them in the Top 5, including a team title in The Connecticut Cup. In 2013-13, Pezzino nutured 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. 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 Shelter 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

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT GOLF

Dave PEZZINOHead Coach

finish 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 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, including 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 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.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF


UConn senior co-captains John Flaherty and Zach Zaback.

Jon WORTMANNVolunteer

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 fifth year as a volunteer assistant coach for the UConn men’s team.

Wortmann is the author of five books, two of which have been bestsellers in 10 catego-

ries, including communication, leadership, and stress management. He also works with professional golfers, three of whom have earned PGA Latin America status, and they collectively have six victories.

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 play-ers 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.

Close to a scratch golfer himself, Wortmann lives with wife Jennifer, who holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, in Arlington, Mass.

In May, 2015, the University of Connecticut men’s golf team was honored by the NCAA with the Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Award --- given each year to teams with APRs in the top 10 percent in their respective sports. It is the 10th consecutive year the UConn golf team has received the honor, since the inception of the award in 2006. APR scores are a measure of classroom performance of student athletes on every Division I team based on the eligibility and retention for each semester. The award was based on the multi-year APR scores that include the four aca-demic years from 2010-14. The men’s golf team score through that period was a perfect 1000 for each season. In addition, the 2014-15 men’s golf team earned All-Academic Team recog-nition from the Golf Coaches Association of America, which was bestowed on just 90 Division I programs across the country. To be eligible, a university must submit the GPAs of each player on its official roster and the team GPA must be a 3.0 or better.

UCONN GOLF EARNS MULTIPLE ACADEMIC AWARDS


After losing four seniors to graduation following the 2014-15 season, and with four more seniors scheduled to graduate this coming spring, it was clear that the UConn golf program was going to need a heavy infu-sion of young talent. That’s exactly what head coach Dave Pezzino has done with the 2015-16 edition of the Huskies, adding five freshmen to a roster that boasts a wealth of senior experience at the top. Seniors Zach Zaback, John Flaherty, Corey Birch and Cameron MacKay have played a combined 103 events and 296 rounds of golf for UConn as they head into their final college year. “Those seniors have played together for four years and the team chem-istry is terrific,” Pezzino said. “I’m excited to see them push each other through this season as well as provide a ton of leadership for our younger guys.” Juniors Eric Dietrich and Tyler Cooke and sophomore Sasha Wor-telboer are also returning veterans, while an abundance of fresh energy will come from talented freshmen Nick Harrington, Jimmy Hervol, Zach Iannone, Blake Kelley, and Nabeel Khan. “We do a lot of qualifying and working with this lineup is certainly going to help our team in the long run,” Pezzino said. “It can’t help but improve everybody’s game and get us ready to face the tough competition on our schedule.” Each of the freshmen came to UConn following outstanding high school golf careers. They will get the same chance as the upperclassmen to compete for places in the in the events on UConn’s demanding schedule. “I think all our freshmen are great fits for our program,” Pezzino said. “Their work ethic is very strong, which goes along with the culture we have created at UConn, so they have all meshed quickly with our return-ing players. They are a dedicated bunch of kids that have me excited about our season.” Zaback and Flaherty will serve as this season’s co-captains. The duo, along with the graduated Chris Wiatr, were the program’s top players of the past three years. “You could see when they were freshmen that they would ease into being exemplary team leaders someday,” Pezzino said. “They have played at an extremely high level for the past few years and they both had a wonderful summer. “Zach and John are the kind of young men who speak softly and carry a big stick. They have already been great with the younger guys, mentoring them as to what we expect from our student-athletes at UConn.” The Huskies will again face a challenging schedule, including five events in the fall and five events in the spring, leading into the American Ath-letic Conference Championship and possible postseason play. The slate

includes two new tournaments for the Huskies – the Jackrabbit Fall Invita-tional in Nebraska and the Mountaineer Intercollegiate in West Virginia, as well as two in-state tournaments that UConn will host --- the Connecticut Cup in Ellington and the Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational in Baltic. “This schedule goes along the lines of what we always attempt to do, which is play a national schedule against NCAA national qualifiers,” Pezzino said. “We want our guys to experience great courses in different parts of the country and play against the best fields possible and I think we’ve at-tained that goal once again this year.”

HUSKIES FEATURE PLENTY OF FRESH FACES


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

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John FLAHERTYSenior Co-CaptainGlastonbury, Conn.

Glastonbury High SchoolTPC at River Highlands

WHILE AT CONNECTICUT: Will serve as team co-captain in 2015-16. … Emerged as one of team’s top golfers the past two years… Has played 33 events for the Huskies, averaging 75.0 per round for 95 rounds, with three sub-70 rounds, 13 rounds of par

or better and team-low round of 64. Has six Top 10 and 13 Top 20 finishes, including a career-best fourth-place finish twice – at the 2013 Hartford Hawks Invitational and the 2013 Connecticut Cup. Named 2015 All-New England pick by Division I head coaches. Had an outstanding summer in 2015, reaching a sudden death playoff for the second straight year before bowing at the Palmer Cup in Waterbury and also earning second-place honors at the Connecticut Open, finishing as the low amateur. Finished his freshman season with four straight Top 20 finishes. Over the summer of 2014, he played in the U.S. Open qualifier and missed the cut by just two strokes. He was runner-up at the Palmer Cup at the Country Club of Waterbury and was a semi-finalist at the Connecticut Amateur Championships. He also finished 14th at the New England Amateur and finished as the second alternate in the U.S. Amateur qualifier. At the 2014 Connecticut Open, he finished in a tie for 11th.

SPRING 2015: Played in all six events on UConn’s schedule, averaging 75.0 per round for 17 rounds, with a low round of 71 (twice) and a best finish of a tie for seventh at the FAU Slomin Autism Championship in Lake Worth, Fla. He had three Top 30 finishes and shot par or better once.

FALL 2014: Played in all five of the events on UConn’s schedule, averaging 73.9 per round for 14 rounds, with a low round of 68 at the Quail Valley Intercollegiate (Vero Beach, Fla.) and a best finish of sixth at the Connecticut Cup at Ellington Ridge Country Club (Ellington, Conn.). Had three Top 20 finishes and shot four rounds of par or better.

SPRING 2014: Played in all six of UConn’s tournaments, plus the American Athletic Conference Championships, averaging 75.8 per round for 20 rounds, including a low round of 72 (twice). Best finish was a tie for 10th at the New England D-1 Championships.

FALL 2013: Participated in five tournaments, averaging an outstanding 73.07 per round, including a career-low 64 at the Hartford Hawks Invitational. Had two Top 10 finishes, fourth at the Hawks Invitational and tied for fourth at The Connecticut Cup. Shot four rounds of par or better.

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 consecutive 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 tournament.

HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered in golf four years and served as team captain for one year at Glastonbury High School under Coach Tom Zelek. … Four-time All-Conference selection, three-time All-State selection, three years named to All-Academic Team. … As a senior, Connecticut Division I high school champion, 2012 Wildcat Invitational individual cham-pion, 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 HIGHLIGHTS: 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.

PERSONAL: John J. Flaherty. ... Born September 10, 1993. ... Son of James and Felicia Flaherty. ... Has one sister, Amanda. … Home course is The TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

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Zach ZABACK Senior Co-CaptainFarmington, Conn.

Farmington High SchoolTPC at River Highlands

WHILE AT CONNECTICUT: Will serve as team co-captain in 2015-16. Has been one of UConn’s top golfers for the past three seasons. Has played in 35 tournaments, averaging a team-leading 74.4 per round for 100 rounds, with three tournament

victories --- the 2012 and 2013 Connecticut Cups and the 2014 New England D-1 Champion-ships --- 10 finishes in the Top 10 and 17 finishes in the Top 20. He has shot nine sub-70 rounds, including a career-best 66, and has played 27 rounds in par or better. Named to the 2013 and 2015 Division I PING All-Northeast Region Team. Named to the 2014-15 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Named to 2015 All-New England Team by Division I head coaches. Named to the 2013 All-Big East Conference Team, was the Big East Men’s Golf Athlete of the Week on April 18, 2013, and the Big East Men’s Golf Player of the Month for October, 2012. Named to the 2014 Division I All-New England Team. Had an outstanding summer in 2014, winning the 2014 Connecticut State Amateur Championship, finishing third overall in the New England Amateur Championship, finishing tied for sixth in the Palmer Cup at the Country Club of Waterbury, finishing tied for 11th (with UConn teammates John Flaherty and Chris Wiatr) in the Connecticut Open, and finishing second in the U.S. Amateur qualifying round, allowing him to play in the U.S. Amateur Championship in Johns Creek, Ga. During the summer of 2015, finished tied for third, just one stroke back, at the Palmer Cup in Waterbury.

SPRING 2015: Played in all six tournaments on UConn’s schedule, averaging 73.9 per round for 17 rounds with a low round of 69 in the Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational, with one Top 10, and two Top 20 finishes. Best finish was second at the Til Duty Is Done event at Lake Of Isles in North Stonington, Conn., where he shot a two-over 75-69=144. He shot five rounds of par or better.

FALL 2014: Played in all five tournaments on UConn’s schedule, averaging 74.5 per round for 14 rounds, with a low round of 70 at the Quail Valley Intercollegiate in Vero Beach, Fla., and a best finish of a tie for 11th place at the Hartford Hawks Invitational at South Kent, Conn. He shot par or better twice.

SPRING 2014: Played in six tournaments, plus the American Conference Championships, averaging a team-best 74.8 per round for 20 rounds with four Top 10 finishes, including a fall-best fourth at the Rutherford Intercollegiate. He shot seven rounds of par or better, including a fall-best 67 at the Snowman Getaway in Phoenix.

FALL 2013: Participated in five tournaments and had two Top 10 finishes, including a win at The Connecticut Cup for the second straight year, the third victory of his career. Averaged 73.27 per round for 15 rounds, including a 69 at The Connecticut Cup, and shot par or better in six rounds.

SPRING 2013: Participated in seven events, averaging 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 Conference tournament and placed third in the New England High School Championship. … As a junior, placed second in state tournament, one stroke behind current UConn teammate 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 Championship … 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 TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

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Corey BIRCHSenior

Ridgefield, Conn.Ridgefield High School

Silver Spring Country ClubWHILE AT CONNECTICUT: Has participated in 18 tourna-ments at UConn, averaging 76.6 per round for 52 rounds, with a low round of 68, which came in the 2013 Hartford Hawks Invitational. Has three top-11

finishes, including a career-best tie for seventh in the 2014 New England D-1 Championships. Has shot par or better in nine rounds. Named to the American Athletic Conference 2013-14 and 2014-15 All-Academic Teams. During the summer of 2013, shot rounds of 69 and 70 at the Links at Union Vale (Lagrangeville, N.Y.) to take medalist honors at the sectional qualifying round for the 113th U.S. Amateur Championship. Competed in the 2013 U.S. Amateur in Brookline, Mass. During the summer of 2014, he finished 13th at the Palmer Cup in Waterbury, he participated in the Connecticut Amateur Championship, qualified for the New England Amateur and finished 39th. During the summer of 2015, he finished tied for seventh at the Palmer Cup, just 3 strokes behind the winner. At the 2015 Connecticut Open, he was tied for the lead (with UConn teammate John Flaherty) after a first-round 65 (which tied for the low round of the tournament) and finished in the top 40.

SPRING 2015: Played in two tournaments on the spring schedule, averag-ing 76.8 per round for five rounds, with a low round of 72 in the FAU Slomin Austism Invite in Lake Worth, Fla. Best finish was a tie for 33rd at the Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational at Lake of Isles in North Stonington, Conn.

FALL 2014: Played in one tournament, The Connecticut Cup, shooting a low round of 74 and finishing in a tie for 51st with a 230 total.

SPRING 2014: Played in all six tournaments on UConn’s schedule, plus The American Athletic Conference Championships, averaging 75.7 per round for 20 rounds, with a low round of 70 in the FAU Slomin Autism Invite in Lake Worth, Fla. Had two top 11 finishes, including a career-best seventh in the New England D-1 Championships. Shots four rounds of par or better.

FALL 2013: Played in all five tournaments on the schedule, averaging 77.6 for 15 rounds. He shot three rounds of par or better, including a career-low 68 at the Hartford Hawks Invitational in South Kent, Conn., where he had a best finish of the fall with 11th place.

SPRING 2013: Played in two tournaments 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 Ridgefield’s Outstanding Achievement Golf Award, placed third at state tournament to help Ridgefield win Division I State Championship.

ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS: 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.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Cameron MacKAYSenior

Brookfield, Conn.The Gunnery

Redding Country ClubWHILE AT CON-NECTICUT: Has played in 17 events at UConn, averag-ing 76.1 per round for 49 rounds, with a low round of 70,

shot in the second round of the 2015 Loyola Golf Invitational. Best finish is a tie for 16th at the 2014 Connecticut Cup at Ellington Ridge Country Club. Has shot par or better in six rounds. Named to the 2014-15 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Over the summer of 2014, played in the South Carolina Open, South Carolina Amateur Championship, and the Hilton Head Open.

SPRING 2015: Played in all six events on UConn’s spring schedule, averaging 75.1 per round for 17 rounds, with a low round of a career-best 70 at the Loyola Invitational in Goodyear, Ariz., and a best finish of a tie for 17th in that tournament. Shot par or better twice.

FALL 2014: Played in five tournaments during UConn’s fall schedule, averaging 77.0 per round for 11 rounds, with a low round of even-par 72 at the 2014 Connecticut Cup at El-lington Ridge Country Club and a best finish of a career-best tie for 16th place at that tournament. Shot par or better once.

SPRING 2014: Played in four events, averaging 76.0 per round for 12 rounds, with a low round of 71 (twice) and a best finish of 20th at the Mission Inn Spring Spectacular in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. Shot par or better twice.

FALL 2013: Played in two events, the Hartford Hawks Invi-tational and The Connecticut Cup, averaging 76.8 per round for six rounds, with a low round of 71 and a best finish of 33rd in the Hawks Invitational.

SPRING 2013: Did not play in tournament competition.

FALL 2012: Played in one event on the UConn schedule, The Connecticut 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: Quarterfinal-ist in the Conn. Junior Amateur Championship. … Member of Team Connecticut for New England Junior Championship. … Qualified for both the Connecticut Amateur and Connecticut Open. … Finished fourth in the Computer Merchant Cup. … Did not finish outside the Top 10 in any metropolitan junior events.

PERSONAL: Cameron P. MacKay. ... 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.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

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Tyler COOKEJunior

Warwick, R.I.Toll Gate High School

Silver Spring Country Club

WHILE AT CONNECTICUT: Late addition to the golf team in the spring of 2015 after playing two-plus seasons on the UConn men’s ice hockey team. Has participated in just one golf event, the 2015 Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational… Played in 76 games as a defenseman for the UConn skaters, starting 25, scoring two goals and recording eight assists. Still has two full seasons of eligibility remain-ing on the golf team.

SPRING 2015: Played in one event, the 2015 Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational (North Ston-ington, Conn.), averaged 86.5 for the two rounds, with a low round of 86, and finished in a tie for 85th place.

2013-14: Played in all 36 games ice hockey games, and earned 25 starts... One of five Huskies to appear in all 36 games.... Recorded a goal and 4 assists on the year.... Ranked second on the team with 48 blocked shots.... Scored his goal in a 3-2 loss to Robert Morris in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament Quarterfinals.

2012-13: Played in all 37 ice hockey games as a true freshman .... Finished the season with 9 points on 1 goal and 8 assists.... Tallied 2 assists in a 5-3 win over Sacred Heart.... Scored a goal in a 3-1 victory at RIT.

BEFORE UCONN: Skated for the South Shore Kings of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.... Scored 3 goals and 13 assists for 16 points in 40 games as a defenseman in 2011-12.

HIGH SCHOOL: Came to UConn after lettering in golf for four years and making the All-State Team for four years at Toll Gate High School in Warwick, R.I., under Coach William Russo.... 2009 runner-up in Rhode Island High School State Championship.

ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 Big I Youth Classic national qualifier.... 2011 member of Rhode Island Tri-State Team.... 2010, 2011 RI State Amateur round of 16... 2012 RI State Amateur round of 32.... 2014 won RI State Mixed Championship.... Career low round of 64.

PERSONAL: Tyler Cooke. ... Born April 28, 1992. ... Son of Scott and Nancy Cooke. ... Has sister, Taylor. ... Dad, Scott, was a four-year All-American golfer at Rollins College (Winter Park, Fla.).... Works with swing coaches Adam Schriber (Traverse City, Mich.) and Mike Harbour (Coventry, R.I.)... Home course is Potowomut Golf Club in Warwick, R.I.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Eric DIETRICHJunior

Cheshire, Conn.Cheshire High SchoolFarms Country Club

WHILE AT CONNECTICUT: Has played in 22 tournaments at UConn, averaging 76.3 per round for 63 rounds, with a low round of 68 and a best finish of a tie for eighth at the 2014 Connecticut Cup. Has one Top 10 and three Top 20 finishes, two sub-70 rounds, and six rounds of par or better. Over the summer of 2015, he finished in a tie for ninth at the Palmer Cup in Waterbury and 39th at the Connecticut Open. As a freshman, selected for the Division 1 All-New England Rookie Team. Over the summer of 2014, he qualified for the Connecticut State Amateur and the Connecticut Open.

SPRING 2015: Played in all six events on UConn’s schedule, averaging 76.2 per round for 17 rounds, with a low round of 71 at the Yale Invitational in New Haven and a best finish of a tie for 27th at the Colleton River Collegiate in Bluffton, S.C. Shot par or better once.

FALL 2014: Played in four events, averaging 74.3 per round for 11 rounds, with a low round of 69 at the 2014 Connecticut Cup (Ellington, Conn.) and a career-best finish of a tie for eighth in that tournament. Had two sub-70 rounds and shot three rounds of par or better. SPRING 2014: Played in all six of UConn’s spring tourna-ments, plus the American Athletic Conference Champion-ships, averaging 76.65 per round for 20 rounds. Shot a low round of 72 at the Snowman Getaway in Phoenix and that was his only round of par or better. Best finish was a tie for 26th at The New England D-1 Championships at Mohegan Sun Golf Club.

FALL 2013: Played in five tournaments, averaging 77.3 per round for 15 rounds, with a low round of 72 at The MacDonald Cup on the Yale Golf Course. Best finish was a tie for 16th at The Connecticut Cup at Ellington Ridge Country Club. HIGH SCHOOL: Came 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 honorable 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 Partners 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.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Sasha WORTELBOERSophomore

Geneva, Switzerland Ecole Internationale de Geneve

Golf Club de Lausanne

WHILE AT CONNECTICUT: Has played in three tournaments at UConn, averaging 78.5 per round for eight rounds, with a low round of 73 and a best finish of a tie for 18th at the 2015 Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational.

SPRING 2015: Played in one event on UConn’s schedule, the Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational at Lake Of Isles (North Stonington, Conn.), averaging 76.5 per round for two rounds and recorded a career-best round of one-over 73 as well as a career-best finish of a tie for 18th.

FALL 2014: Participated in two tournaments on UConn’s schedule, averaging 79.2 per round for six rounds, with a low round of 74 and a low finish of a tie for 65th place, both at the 2014 Connecticut Cup (Ellington, Conn.).

HIGH SCHOOL: Came to UConn from Geneva, Swit-zerland, as the first international player for the Huskies in the Coach Dave Pezzino Era. Graduated from Ecole Internationale de Geneve, but there are no golf teams in the schools. Participated in varsity soccer and var-sity basketball in high school, as well as tennis at the national level and competitive skiing outside of school.

ADDITIONAL GOLF HIGHLIGHTS: Graduated high school in June, 2013, then spent a year at the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy (Clermont, Fla.) to prepare for his UConn career. … Member of the prestigious Golf de Lausanne teams --- a member of the junior team for three years, helping to win all the Junior National Team events, and a member of the men’s team for two years, helping team win the Division I National Team events, including the Swiss National Championships. … In 2013, he won the Challenge Cup World Series of Junior Golf (Providence, R.I.), topping a field of 100 … Also in 2013, came in second of 95 at the Francis Ouimet Junior Championship (Bellingham, Mass.) , and 11th in the Challenge Cup Amateur Invitational (Bellingham, Mass.) … A six-year member of the Cape Cod Junior Golf Association, he was named Player of the Year in his division in both 2008 and 2011.

PERSONAL: Sasha Robert Wortelboer … Born Aug. 16, 1995 … Speaks English, French, and Spanish. … Son of Eiso and Sally Wortelboer … Mother was born in Norwalk, Conn., but has lived her whole life in Europe. … Parents are avid sports participants --- Father played college soccer and competed as a nationally-ranked skier; Mother has represented Switzerland as an equestrian. … Home course is Golf Club de Lausanne-Switzerland.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

HIGH SCHOOL: Comes to UConn after outstand-ing high school career. Played four years at Parish Hill High School (Chaplin, Conn.) under Coach Brad Caron, three years as team captain. CIAC Division IV State Champion as a sophomore and junior and runner-up as a senior. Two-time All-New England selection. Finished second by one stroke at the 2015 New England Schoolboy Golf Championship. Three-time CIAC Division IV All-State pick. Four-time All-Constitution State Conference pick. Consti-tution State Conference champion as a senior and a junior and co-champion as a freshman. Three-time Norwich Bulletin Golf Player of the Year and All-Area Team in golf (sophomore, junior and senior)… Also a four-year varsity cross country runner, serving as captain his senior year, and four-year varsity basketball player as small forward/shooting guard.

ADDITIONAL GOLF HIGHLIGHTS: Shot a 67, the low round of the day, during the second round of the 2015 Connecticut Open at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, and was in second place, one shot back, heading into the final round before settling for a tie for 13th place… Won club championship at The Golf Club at Windham in 2014.

PERSONAL: Nicklaus James Harrington … Born March 6, 1997 … Son of James and Stephanie Harrington… One brother, Cory, age 15 … Dad is his swing coach … Home course is The Golf Club at Windham (Windham, Conn.).

Nick HARRINGTONFreshman

Chaplin, Conn.Parish Hill High School

The Golf Club at Windham


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Jimmy HERVOLFreshman

Hopkinton, Mass.Hopkinton High SchoolHopkinton Country Club

HIGH SCHOOL: Comes to UConn after play-ing four years of high school golf at Hopkinton High School under Coach Dick Bliss, serving as team captain for three years. He was two-time MVP of the Tri-Valley League and a four-time Tri-Valley League 1st Team All-Star. Helped lead Hopkinton to a perfect 18-0 regular season and a third-place finish at the Division 2 South Shore meet. Named to the Metrowest Daily News Golf Super Team.

ADDITIONAL GOLF HIGHLIGHTS: Won the 2015 Massachusetts Junior Amateur Champion-ship … Runner-up at the U.S. Amateur Sectional qualifier, allowing him to compete in the 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship at Olympia Fields (Ill.) … Finished 16th at the 2015 New England Amateur Championship … Finished 7th at the 2015 Western Junior Championship … Won the 2013 Francis Ouimet Junior Championship and finished second in the tournament in 2014 … Won the 2014 Spinal Technology Match Play … Finished second in 2014 Liberty National Junior Invitational, second in 2014 Northeast Junior Classic, fifth in 2014 AJGA New Era … Member of Team New England.

PERSONAL: James Paul Hervol … Born Au-gust 27, 1997 … Son of Jim and Kathy Hervol … One sister, Katelyn, age 20 … Works with swing coach Tom Cavicchi (Harmon Golf Club) … Home course is Hopkinton (Mass.) Country Club.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

MEET THE HUSKIES

Zach IANNONE Freshman

Hamden, Conn.Notre Dame-West Haven High School

Race Brook Country Club

HIGH SCHOOL: Comes to UConn after start-ing for four years and becoming an outstanding team leader at Notre Dame High School of West Haven under Coach Steve Kirck. Named Notre Dame 2014-15 Athlete of the Year, the school’s most prestigious athletic award, by a vote of the school’s head coaches, citing athletic achieve-ment and contributions to his team and the athletic department as a whole. Team captain. Three-time All-Southern Connecticut Conference selection. 2015 Division II All-State pick as a senior. 2015 Division II State Tournament Co-Medalist. Runner-up in 2015 SCC Tournament, helping Notre Dame win its first conference team championship in 14 years. Also runner-up in 2013 SCC Tournament. Helped Notre Dame win its first-ever state championship in golf in 2014. New Haven Register Area MVP in 2014-15 and three-time Register All-Area Team selection. Earned medalist honors in 11 matches during 2014-15 high school season and had a stretch of five consecutive under-par rounds.

ADDITIONAL GOLF HIGHLIGHTS: Finished in tie for second place at Challenge Cup Computer Merchant Cup … Tied for fifth place at AJGA New Era Championship… Qualifier for 2015 Big I Na-tional … National qualifier for 2013 Doral Publix Junior Classic.

PERSONAL: Zachary Iannone … Born March 23, 1997 … Son of Michael and Debbie Iannone … One sister, Lexi, age 21 … Works with swing coach Sean Busca … Home course is Race Brook Country Club in Orange, Conn.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

Blake KELLEY Freshman

Manchester, Conn.Manchester High SchoolManchester Country Club

HIGH SCHOOL: Comes to UConn after playing four years of varsity golf at Manchester (Conn.) High School under Coach Jim Kelly (no relation), serving as team captain for three years. Won the 2014 Division I State Championship, shooting 1-under 70 at Crestbrook Park Golf Course in Watertown, the first individual state champion from Manchester High in over 30 years, and leading Manchester to its first state tournament competition in more than 20 years. He tied for ninth place in the 2015 Division I state tourna-ment. Two-time All-State selection. Won the 2013 Central Connecticut Conference championship. Also a three-year member of Manchester High varsity swim team. Took two years off from golf in middle school to bowl and won a bowling state championship and rolled a perfect 300 at age 14. Bowled in tournaments throughout New England and captured an AAU title. Still holds a 220 bowling average.

ADDITIONAL GOLF HIGHLIGHTS: Youngest golfer to ever win the men’s club championship at Manchester Country Club. Has twice shot 68 at Manchester Country Club. Qualified for the 2015 Connecticut Open.

PERSONAL: Blake Allen Kelley … Born April 7, 1997 … Son of Chris and Sally Kelley … One sister, Kora Gilbert, age 29 … Home course is Manchester Country Club in Manchester, Conn.

MEET THE HUSKIES


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

Nabeel KHAN Freshman

Westerville, OhioColumbus Academy

Champions Golf Course, The Golf Depot

HIGH SCHOOL: Comes to UConn after playing four years of varsity golf at Columbus (Ohio) Academy under Coach Craig Yakscoe and Coach Steve Evans. As a senior, led Columbus Academy to the Ohio Division III State Championship. Named All-Ohio Second Team All-State. Named Mid-State League Golfer of the Year. Also was Columbus Academy’s low golfer as it captured District and Sectional titles. Co-medalist at the Mid-State League Postseason Tournament after leading Columbus Academy to the MSL-Ohio Di-vision championship with a 17-1 record. Named First Team All-District, First Team All-League, and Team MVP. As a junior, helped Columbus Academy finish as runner-up at the State Cham-pionship, second at Sectionals, second at Districts and was named First Team All-MSL, First Team All-District. As a sophomore, helped Columbus Academy finish in a tie for second at the State Championship, second at Sectionals, second at Districts, and was named First Team All-League, Second Team All-District. As a freshman, named Second Team All-League, placed second at Sec-tionals.

ADDITIONAL GOLF HIGHLIGHTS: Placed sec-ond at AJGA Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior and received award for low third-round score of 66 … Finished sixth at AJGA Junior All-Star (Red Tail Golf Club) … Placed eighth at Under Armour/Jeff Overton Championship (Otter Creek Golf Course) … Finished 13th at Under Armour/Scott Stallings Championship (Oak Ridge Country Club) … Placed 14th at Memorial Junior (Longa-berger Country Club).

PERSONAL: Nabeel Ali Khan … Born September 29, 1997 … Son of Mohammad Ashiq Khan and Aishah Khan … Five siblings, Sana (21), Ammaar (20), Rabia (19), Shabaz (18), and Ali (12) … Works with swing coach Gerry Hammomd … Home courses are Champions Golf Course and The Golf Depot, both in Columbus Ohio.

MEET THE HUSKIES


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

UCONN MEN’S GOLF STATISTICS 2014-15Team ResultsDate Tournament (site) Par Score Finish Low Player 9/12-14/14 Fighting Illini Invit. (Olympia Fields, Ill.) 70 309-297-303=909 14th of 15 Zach Zaback (T19)9/22-23/14 Hartford Hawks Invit. (South Kent, Ct.) 72 291-297-294=882 3rd of 19 Chris Wiatr (5)9/27-28/14 Quechee Club Collegiate Chall. (Quechee, Vt.) 72 302-292=594 3rd of 11 Chris Wiatr (T4)10/13-14/14 The Connecticut Cup (Ellington, Ct.) 72 284-291-292=867 1st of 15 Chris Wiatr (1)10/27-28/14 Quail Valley Intercollegiate (Vero Beach, Fla.) 72 281-298-295=874 12th of 15 John Flaherty (T20)

2/22-24/15 Loyola Golf Invitational (Goodyear, Ariz.) 72 291-302-299=892 9th of 17 Zach Zaback (T17) *Cameron MacKay (T17) 3/9-10/15 Colleton River Collegiate (Bluffton, S.C.) 72 300-297-305=902 6th of 14 Zach Zaback (T23)3/27-29/15 FAU Slomin Autism Champ. (Lake Worth, Fla.) 72 294-289-93=876 2nd of 20 John Flaherty (T7)4/11-12/15 Til Duty Is Done Coll. Invite (N. Stonington, Ct.) 72 315-285=600 2nd of 16 Zach Zaback (2)4/18-19/15 Yale Spring Invitational (New Haven, Ct.) 70 300-292-289=881 10th of 14 John Flaherty (T30)4/26-28/15 The American Championship (Lecanto, Fla.) 72 298-299-296=893 9th of 10 John Flaherty (T25) * --- Playing as an individual

Individual TotalsName Events Rds. Strokes Ave. Low Rd. Par/Better Low Tourney Top 10 Top 20 Best FinishCorey Birch 3 8 614 76.8 72 1 228/156# --- --- T-33* Tyler Cooke 1 2 173 86.5 86 --- 173# --- --- T-85* Eric Dietrich 10 28 2113 75.5 68 5 217/157# 1 2 T-8 John Flaherty 11 31 2311 74.5 68 5 215/149# 2 4 6 Cameron MacKay 10 28 2124 75.8 70 3 220/153# --- 2 T-16* Mike Masso 3 8 617 77.1 73 --- 229/152# --- 1 T-16* Dan Myers 2 5 393 78.6 71 2 220/173# 1 1 T-8* Dane Rosa 8 22 1680 76.4 72 2 222/151# --- --- T-25 Chris Wiatr 11 31 2296 74.1 68 6 212/143# 4 5 1 Sasha Wortelboer 3 8 628 78.5 73 --- 234/153# --- --- T-18* Zach Zaback 11 31 2301 74.2 69 7 220/144# 1 5 2 * --- Playing as an individual; # --- 2-round tournament

Fighting Illini Hawks Invit. Quechee Club Conn. Cup Quail Valley Par:70 Par:72 Par:72 Par: 72 Par:72

Birch DNP DNP DNP 77-74-79=230 (T-51) DNPCooke DNP DNP DNP DNP DNPDietrich DNP 74-77-72=223 (T-11) 76-81=157 (T-46) 75-69-76=220 (T-8) 68-76-73=217 (T-29)Flaherty 77-72-78=228 (T-42) 79-73-75=227 (T-32) 76-73=149 (T-19) 71-74-71=216 (6) 68-71-76=215 (T-20)MacKay 86-78-83=247 (74) 74-77-74=225 (T-24) 75-78=153 (T-38) 75-72-75=222 (T-16)* DNPMasso DNP 78-78-80=236 (T-66)* DNP 77-75-77=229 (T-46)* DNPMyers DNP DNP DNP 77-72-71=220 (T-8)* DNPRosa 81-78-75=234 (T-62) 73-75-78=226 (T-29)* 78-73=151 (T-28)* 72-75-79=226 (T-25)* 75-72-75=222 (T-49)Wiatr 77-73-76=226 (T-36) 70-74-73=217 (5) 75-68=143 (T-4) 70-73-69=212 (1) 80-79-74=233 (73)Wortelboer DNP 83-78-80=241 (T-85)* DNP 79-81-74=234 (T-65)* DNPZaback 74-73-74=221 (T-19) 73-73-77=223 (T-11) 76-73=149 (T-19) 71-80-76=227 (T-34) 70-81-73=224 (T-60)

Loyola Invit. Colleton River Slomin Champ. Til Duty Is Done Yale Invit. AAC Champ. Par:72 Par:72 Par:71 Par:72 Par:70 Par:72

Birch DNP DNP 81-75-72=228 (T-71)* 83-73=156 (T-33)* DNP DNP Cooke DNP DNP DNP 87-86=173 (T-85)* DNP DNP Dietrich 80-75-72=227 (T-51) 75-75-75=225 (T-27) 80-78-77=235 (T-92) 85-73=158 (T-43) 75-76-71=222 (T-41) 80-75-74=229 (T-41) Flaherty 76-83-74=233 (T-70) 78-78-75=231 (T-44) 71-72-72=215 (T-7) 83-74=157 (T-40) 76-71-72=219 (T-30) 73-75-73=221 (T-25) MacKay 78-70-72=220 (T-17)* 75-76-81-232 (48)* 72-72-79=223 (T-43) 82-73=155 (T-25) 77-71-74=222 (T-41) 75-75-75=225 (T-34) Masso DNP DNP DNP 73-79=152 (T-16)* DNP DNP Myers DNP DNP DNP 85-88=173 (T-85)* DNP DNP Rosa 73-78-77==228 (T-36) 80-80-77=237 (T-63) DNP 83-73=156 (T-33)* DNP DNP Wiatr 70-78-76=224 (T-36) 75-74-78=227 (T-32) 74-73-72=219 (T-17) 75-70=145 (T-3) 73-75-72=220 (T-36) 75-77-78=230 (44) Wortelboer DNP DNP DNP 80-73=153 (T-18)* DNP DNP Zaback 72-71-77=220 (T-17) 72-70-82=224 (T-23) 77-72-72=221 (T-33) 75-69=144 (2) 76-75-74=225 (T-50) 75-74-74=223 (T-30)*--- Playing as an individual

Tourney-By-Tourney



2015-16 UCONN GOLF

UCONN MEN’S GOLF CAREER STATISTICS(through 2014-15 season)

Events Rnds. Strokes Ave. Low Rnd. Sub-70 Par/Better Low Tourney Top 10 Top 20 Best Finish 35 100 7441 74.4 66 9 27 208+/139# 10 17 1 (3 times)

Best Finishes: 1st - 2012 Connecticut Cup; 1st - 2013 New England Division I Championships; 1st - 2013 Connecticut Cup

Zach Zaback Senior, Farmington, Conn.

Events Rnds. Strokes Ave. Low Rnd. Sub-70 Par/Better Low Tourney Top 10 Top 20 Best Finish 33 95 7123 75.0 64 3 13 215+/148# 6 13 4

Best Finishes: 4th - 2013 Hartford Hawks Invitational; T-4th - 2013 Connecticut Cup; 6th - 2014 Connecticut Cup

John Flaherty Senior, Glastonbury, Conn.

Corey Birch Senior, Ridgefield, Conn.

Events Rnds. Strokes Ave. Low Rnd. Sub-70 Par/Better Low Tourney Top 10 Top 20 Best Finish 18 52 3985 76.6 68 1 9 218+/147# 1 3 T-7

Best Finishes: T-7th - 2014 NE Division I Championships; T-11th - 2013 Hartford Hawks Invitational; T-11th - 2014 Rutherford Invitational

Cameron MacKay Senior, Brookfield, Conn.

Events Rnds. Strokes Ave. Low Rnd. Sub-70 Par/Better Low Tourney Top 10 Top 20 Best Finish 17 49 3731 76.1 70 --- 6 220+/153# -- 5 T-16*

Best Finishes: T-16th - 2014 Connecticut Cup; T-17th - 2015 Loyola Invitational; T-20th - 2014 Mission Inn Spectacular

Eric Dietrich Junior, Cheshire, Conn.

Events Rnds. Strokes Ave. Low Rnd. Sub-70 Par/Better Low Tourney Top 10 Top 20 Best Finish 22 63 4806 76.3 68 2 6 217+/154# 1 3 T-8

Best Finishes: T-8th - 2014 Connecticut Cup; T-11th - 2014 Hartford Hawks Invitational; T-16th - 2013 Connecticut Cup

Tyler Cooke Junior, Warwick, R.I.

Events Rnds. Strokes Ave. Low Rnd. Sub-70 Par/Better Low Tourney Top 10 Top 20 Best Finish 1 2 173 86.5 86 --- --- 173# --- --- T-85*

Best Finish: T-85th - 2015 Til Duty Is Done College Invitational

Sasha Wortelboer Sophomore, Geneva, Switzerland

Events Rnds. Strokes Ave. Low Rnd. Sub-70 Par/Better Low Tourney Top 10 Top 20 Best Finish 3 8 628 78.5 73 --- --- 234+/153# --- --- T-18*

Best Finishes: T-18th - 2015 Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational; T-65th - 2014 Connecticut Cup

* -- Played as an individual; + -- 3-round tournament; # -- 2-round tournament



2015-16 UCONN GOLF


UConn Quick Facts

Location: Storrs, CT 06269-3078Founded: 1881Enrollment: 30,474Colors: National Flag Blue and WhiteNickname: HuskiesConference: American Athletic ConferencePresident: 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

9/21-22Hartford Hawks InvitationalBull’s Bridge Country ClubSouth Kent, Conn.

9/26-28Jackrabbit Fall InvitationalThe Prairie ClubValentine, Neb.

10/12-13The Connecticut CupEllington Ridge Country ClubEllington, Conn.

10/19-20Mountaineer IntercollegiatePete Dye Golf ClubBridgeport, W.Va.

10/26-27Quail Valley IntercollegiateQuail Valley Golf ClubVero Beach, Fla.

2/28-3/1Loyola Golf InvitationalPalm Valley Golf ClubGoodyear, Ariz.

3/7-9Colleton River CollegiateColleton River PlantationBluffton, S.C.

3/25-27FAU Slomin Autism ChampionshipThe Fountains Country ClubLake Worth, Fla.

4/16-17Rutherford IntercollegiatePenn State Blue CourseState College, Pa.

4/23-24Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invite Mohegan Sun Golf ClubBaltic, Conn.

5/1-3The American ChampionshipBlack Diamond RanchLecanto, Fla.

The Huskies display their trophies after winning the 2014 Connecticut Cup.

UCONN 2015-16 SCHEDULE

UConn senior Chris Wiatr was the med-alist at the 2014 Connecticut Cup.


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

2014-151st Place, The Connecticut Cup (fall)2nd Place, FAU Slomin Autism Champ. (spring)2nd Place, Til Duty Is Done College Invite (spring)3rd Place, Hartford Hawks Invitational (fall)3rd Place, Quechee Club Collegiate Challenge (fall)

2013-141st Place, The Connecticut Cup (fall)2nd Place, NE Division I Championships (spring)3rd Place, Hartford Hawks Invitational (fall)3rd Place, Rutherford Collegiate (spring)

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)

2007-082nd Place, New England Championship (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)

1991-922nd Place, New England 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

9/12-14 Fighting Illini Invitational Olympia Fields Country Club Olympia Fields, Ill. 14th of 15

9/22-23 Hartford Hawks Invitational Bull’s Bridge Country Club South Kent, Conn. 3rd of 19

9/27-28 Quechee Club Collegiate Challenge Quechee Club Quechee, Vt. 3rd of 11

10/13-14 The Connecticut Cup Ellington Ridge Country Club Ellington, Conn. 1st of 16

10/27-28 Quail Valley Intercollegiate Quail Valley Golf Club Vero Beach, Fla. 12th of 15

2/22-24 Loyola Golf Invitational Palm Valley Golf Club Goodyear, Ariz. 9th of 17

3/9-10 Colleton River Collegiate Colleton River Plantation Bluffton, S.C. 6th of 14

3/27-29 FAU Slomin Autism Championship The Fountains Golf Club Lake Worth, Fla. 2nd of 20

4/11-12 Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational Lake Of Isles North Course North Stonington, Conn. 2nd of 16

4/18-19 Yale Spring Invitational The Golf Course At Yale New Haven, Conn. 10th of 14

4/26-27 The American Championships Black Diamond Ranch Lecanto, Fla. 9th of 10


UConn ResultsFall, 2014

Spring, 2015


2015-16 UCONN GOLF

Another solid season in 2014-15 continued the period of steady improvement and growth since Coach Dave Pezzino brought more than a decade of coaching and teaching excellence to the UConn golf program when he took over in August, 2007. The Huskies captured another tournament victory --- the fifth tournament title in Pezzino’s eight seasons as coach --- when they successfully defended their Connecticut Cup championship. Senior Chris Wiatr won medalist honors, the first win of his college career. In addition, UConn captured two runner-up spots -- at the FAU Slomin Autism Championship and the Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational --- and two third-place finishes --- at the Hartford Hawks Invitational and the Quechee Club Collegiate Challenge -- during the year. That campaign came on the heels of the stellar 2013-14 season, in which the Huskies finished among the Top 10 in all 11 of their regular-season tourna-ments, including the win at The Connecticut Cup, a second at the New England Division I Championships, and two thirds, at the Hartford Hawks Invitational and the Rutherford Collegiate. Sophomore Zach Zaback notched the third win of his collegiate career in The Connecticut Cup. In 2012-13, with a young team that included five fresh-men, 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 Champion-ships. The season was also highlighted by two individual medalist performances by then-freshman Zaback, at The Connecticut Cup where he and sophomore teammate Chris Wiatr finished 1-2, and at the New England D-I Championships. UConn’s upswing under Pezzino showed immediately in the fall of 2007, with three team Top 5 finishes, including a second-place finish at the New England Championship. The Fall of 2009 saw the Huskies capture the New England Cham-pionship, the first title under Pezzino. Jeb Buchanan also became the first individual medalist under Pezzino when he won the Adams Cup of Newport by shooting three successive scores of 69, earning him recognition as Golfweek Magazine National Player of the Week. In the fall of 2011, Pezzino guided the Huskies to a first-place finish in the 17-team Hartford Hawks Invitational, 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 Pezzino era at UConn has been marked by an ambitious na-tional schedule, giving the Huskies the opportunity to play on some of the best courses in the country and against the top collegiate competition in Division I. Pezzino took the reins of the the Husky golf program from Ron Dubois, who had been the coach since August, 2002. The former U.S. Army colonel continued the excellence that had marked Connecticut 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 nation-ally. 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 events. He was a three-time New England Intercollegiate Golf Association 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 coach 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 Big East Conference as a charter member in 1979 and since 2013-14 has been a member of the powerful American Athletic Conference. 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 in the region through-out the year after capturing 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



2015-16 UCONN GOLF

2014-15Corey Birch

Cameron MacKayMike MassoDan Myers

Zach Zaback

2013-14Corey BirchMike MassoDan Myers

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. SiekierskiBret 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 MEN’S GOLFConference Academic All-Star Selections

COUNSELING PROGRAM FOR 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. 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 activi-

ties. 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 between 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 have been updated with new equipment 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



2015-16 UCONN GOLF

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 29 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 practice 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

The David Marks and Dr. Ann Sagalyn-Marks Golf Practice & Teaching Center


surface with multiple hole 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.

2015-16 UConn Golf Media Guide

Documents

Transcript of 2015-16 UConn Golf Media Guide