Conners Repeats as PING All-American
6/21/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Junior Conners named to third team, is only the seventh KSU golfer to earn All-American status in multiple seasons.
NORMAN, Okla. – Junior Corey Conners has been named to the 2013 Division I PING All-America Third Team, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced Thursday (June 20) morning. This marks the sixth consecutive year a Kent State golfer has earned All-America status.
"This is a great honor for Corey," said Director of Golf/Head Coach Herb Page. "He works so hard at improving his game and is extremely coachable. He's a great representative of our men's golf program here at Kent State."
Conners, who earned an Honorable Mention distinction in 2012, becomes just the seventh golfer in school history to be named to the All-America team in multiple seasons. He joins a list that includes David Morland, Brian Bridges, Eric Frishette, 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis, Jon Mills, and 2013 U.S. Open qualifier John Hahn. Conners was also recognized with PING All-Midwest Region, First Team All-Mid-American Conference, and MAC All-Tournament Team honors earlier this spring.
"This is the second time for him. He's moving up now to third team, which is an elite group of golfers," added Page. "Corey really became the No. 1 golfer for our team this year. He 's just so consistent and seemed to always be in contention at tournaments. And with the tough schedule we play, he was constantly going up against some of the top No. 1's in the country.
Playing in 14 events on the year for the Golden Flashes, Conners posted a 72.07 scoring average which stands as the sixth lowest single-season average in school history. He shot par or better in 21 of 42 rounds, including eight rounds in the 60s.
Conners captured medalist honors for the second time in his college career at the season-opening Gopher Invitational. He was one of 23 golfers in the nation selected to compete at the prestigious Western Refining Collegiate All-America Classic in the fall. Conners placed fifth after becoming just the fourth Kent State golfer to shoot an entire tournament in the 60s (67-67-69=203). Conners helped Kent State to its fifth consecutive MAC title, sixth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, and fourth straight trip to the NCAA Championships this past season.
A mathematics major with a 3.47 GPA, Conners carries his hard work into the classroom. Last month, he was one of only seven named to the Academic All-MAC team for the second straight years.
Kent State has now had 25 All-America selections all-time, including 23 which have come since Page took over the program in 1978.
With his senior year ahead of him, Conners will look to join Frishette (1992-94), Curtis (1998-2000) and Hahn (2009-11) as the only Kent State players to be named All-America three times during their collegiate careers. Conners and teammate Taylor Pendrith have an opportunity to join an even more exclusive group of Kent State golfers to compete at four NCAA Championships, which currently only includes departed senior Kevin Miller.
Kent State All-Americans
Corey Conners - 2013 Third Team, 2012 Honorable Mention
John Hahn - 2011 Honorable Mention, 2010 Honorable Mention, 2009 Honorable Mention
David Markle - 2008 Honorable Mention
Jon Mills - 2001 First Team, 2000 Third Team
Ben Curtis - 2000 Second Team, 1999 Second Team, 1998 Honorable Mention
Donnie Darr - 1995 Third Team
Bryan DeCorso - 1995 Honorable Mention
Kevin Kraft - 1994 Honorable Mention
Eric Frishette - 1994 Second Team, 1993 Honorable Mention, 1992 Honorable Mention
Brian Bridges - 1991 Third Team, 1990 Honorable Mention
David Morland - 1991 Honorable Mention, 1990 Honorable Mention
Karl Zoller - 1985 Honorable Mention
Tom Jereb - 1984 Honorable Mention
Ned Weaver - 1977 Honorable Mention
Mike Morrow - 1973 Honorable Mention
