Sophomore (2001-02): Showed improvement with each performance and participated in UA's last six tournaments ... Had a 74.06 stroke average over his last five appearances ... Nine of his last 11 rounds counted in the team scoring ... Shot a 73-76-73-74=296 (+12) to finish tied for 102nd at the 2002 NCAA Championships ... Carded a 76-76-73=225 (+9) at the NCAA West Regional and finished tied for 68th ... Finished tied for 29th at the Pac-10 Championships with a 75-70-76-76=297 (+9) total ... Shot a one-under 69-70-78=217 to tie for 47th place at the ASU Thunderbird/Savane Invitational ... Collected his first two sub-par rounds (including a second round 69) of the season at the PING-U.S. Collegiate Championships, April 5-7, to earn his best finish of the season (T34th) with an 84-69-71=224 (+8) ... Carded a 75-76-79=230 (+14) at the Oregon Duck Invitational on March 25-26, for a then-season low in his second varsity appearance of the season ... Shot a 77 (+5) in stroke play match vs. Skidmore College on March 14 and earned six points in the UA junior varsity win ... Saw his second action of the season on Feb. 4-5 at the PING-Arizona Intercollegiate, where he shot a 78-74-80=232 (+19) to finish in 98th place ... His second-round 74 was a season low round ... Got off to a slow start at the Fresno Lexus Classic, carding a 235 (+19) to finish tied for 79th place.
Freshman (2000-01): Enjoyed a fine freshman campaign, having played in 11 events ... Ranked ninth on the team with a 74.80 stroke average, but had three top-10 finishes to rank tied for second on the squad ... Had three rounds in the 60s and 11 rounds at par or better ... Three appearances came in junior varsity events ... Shot 81-79-73-74=307 (+19) to finish in 79th place at the NCAA Championships ... Tied for 77th at the NCAA West Regional with a 227 total (+11) ... Shot a 76-73-70-75=294 (+10) April 29 at the Pac-10 Championships to tie for 42nd place ... Earned a runner-up finish at the U.S. Intercollegiate in Palo Alto, Calif., with a 67-74-69=210 (-3) to equal his career tournament low ... Tied for 76th place at the ASU Thunderbird/Savane Invitational with a five-over 221 ... Tied for seventh at the Anteater Invitational March 27 with a 222 (+6) ... Placed 75th at the John Burns Intercollegiate with a 225 total (+9) ... Shot 71-68-71=210 (-3) at the PING-Arizona Intercollegiate to finish in a tie for fifth place to open the spring ... Finished 86th at the Golf World/Palmetto Dunes Invitational with a 250 total (+34) ... Placed 35th at the NMSU/Herb Wimberly Invitational with a 222 (+6), including a final-round 69 ... Made his collegiate debut with a tie for 81st at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate after carding a 230 total (+14).
High School: A four-year captain at Denver East High School ... Lost in a playoff for the state championship ... Named High School Hero of the Week ... Came to Arizona with three top-five finishes in the American Junior Golf Association ... Won the 2000 Colorado Round Up and finished second in 1999 ... Placed fourth in the Aspen Junior Classic ... Finished 17th at the Western Junior ... Holds the course record at the Dallas Athletic Club Orange Course with a 65.
Connell's Career Statistics
Top Low Low
Year Events Rnds Strokes Avg. 10/20 Round Tourn. > Par
2000-01 11 35 2618 74.80 3/0 67 210 (-3) 11
2001-02 9 27 2033 75.29 0/0 69 217 (+1) 5
Totals 20 62 4651 75.02 3/0 67 210 (-3) 16
2001-02
Oct. 5-6 Fresno Lexus Classic 80-78-77=235 (+19) T79
Feb. 4-5 PING-Arizona Intercollegiate 78-74-80=232 (+19) 98
March 14 Stroke Play Matches vs. Skidmore College 77=77 (+5) (W3)
March 25-26 Oregon Duck Invitational 75-76-79=230 (+14) T73
April 5-7 PING-U.S. Collegiate Championships 84-69-71=224 (+8) T34
April 12-13 ASU Thunderbird/Savane Invitational 69-70-78=217 (+1) T47
April 25-27 2002 Pac-10 Conference Championships 75-70-76-76=297 (+9) T29
May 16-18 2002 NCAA West Regional 76-76-73=225 (+9) T68
May 29-June 1 2002 NCAA Championships 73-76-73-74=296 (+12) T102
2000-01
Sept. 15-16 William H. Tucker Intercollegiate 80-73-77=230 (+14) T81
Oct. 6-7 NMSU/Herb Wimberly Invitational 76-77-69=222 (+6) T35
Nov. 3-5 Golf World/Palmetto Dunes Invitational 90-76-84=250 (+34) 86
Jan. 29-30 PING-Arizona Intercollegiate 71-68-71=210 (-3) T5
Feb. 21-23 John Burns Intercollegiate 72-80-73=225 (+9) 75
March 26-27 Anteater Invitational 80-71-71=222 (+6) T7
April 13-14 ASU Thunderbird/Savane Invitational 72-75-74=221 (+2) T76
April 21-22 U.S. Intercollegiate 67-74-69=210 (-3) T2
April 27-29 2001 Pac-10 Championships 76-73-70-75=294 (+10) T42
May 17-19 2001 NCAA West Regional 75-74-78=227 (+11) T77
May 30-June 2 2001 NCAA Championships 81-79-73-74=307 (+19) 79
