Connor Winter

Position:
Distance
Height:
5-11
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Centennial, Colo.
High School:
Arapahoe

PERSONAL BESTS
INDOOR
800-Meters: 1:52.86 (2014)
Mile: 3:59.76 (2016)
3,000-meters: 7:51.85 (2016)
OUTDOOR
800-meters: 1:52.56
1,500-meters: 3:43.34 (2015)
5,000-meters: 13:55.91 (2014)
3,000-meter steeplechase: 8:40.77 (2016)

MPSF SCORING
2014 Mile, 8th (4:06.69)
2016 3,000-Meter Run, 2nd (7:51.85)

PAC-12 SCORING
2013 5,000-Meters, 4th (14:09.45)
2015 Steeplechase, 1st (8:48.93)
2016 Steeplechase, 2nd (8:40.77)

HONORS
2016 All-America Second Team (Indoor 3k)

ACADEMIC HONORS
Academic All-MPSF (2016)
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention (2016)

2016: Indoor: Winter finished his indoor career on a high note. His first race was the mile run at the Husky Classic (2/13), where he became just the third Buff to record a sub-four minute mile in 3:59.76. That time put him seventh at the meet. His following race was a 3k at the MSPF Championships where Winter placed second overall in 7:51.85, qualifying him for nationals and placing him fifth on CU’s all-time performers list. At NCAAs, Winter clocked a time of 8:04.23 for 10^th place in the 3k, earning second team All-America honors.
Outdoor: Winter became the sixth fastest steeplechaser in CU history as a senior. He started the season with a sixth place finish at the Stanford Invite, finishing in 8:42.44. A month later, Winter improved on his time, clocking in at 8:41.37 at the Payton Jordan Invite. At the Pac-12 Championships, Winter narrowly missed defeating his steeplechase title, placing second with a PR time of 8:40.77. He went on to race at the NCAA West Preliminary round and just missed advancing to NCAAs with a 14^th place finish (8:51.82).

2015: Indoor: Redshirt. Did not compete.
Outdoor: Winter proved to be a quick study in the 3,000-meter steeplechase during his junior season and also ran a pair of 1,500-meter runs. His first 1,500 was at the Stanford Invite (4/3) where he clocked a personal best 3:43.34. One week later at the CU Invite (4/11), Winter won his first steeplechase, finishing in 9:10.60. He returned to the event just five days later at Mt. SAC Relays and improved his PR to 8:54.32, which placed him second in the ‘B’ section. Winter kept racing and the following night he ran the 1,500 in 3:45.58 at the Bryan Clay Invite. At the Pac-12 Championship, Winter again went to the line in the steeplechase and again PR’d, finishing in 8:48.93 to win his first conference title over teammate Blake Theroux (8:49.00). He placed 10^th at the NCAA West Prelims (8:49.88) to advance to NCAAs where he finished 23^rd overall in 9:04.37.

2014: Indoor: Winter started off the season with a personal-best of 1:52.86 in the 800 at the Air Force Invitational, finishing fifth overall. His second race of the year was a 3k at the Husky Classic where he ran a time of 8:02.70. Winter’s last race of the campaign was the mile. He placed eighth overall at the MPSF Championships with a time of 4:06.69.
Outdoor: Winter ran the 800 and 1,500 before focusing on the 5,000 during the postseason. He clocked a season best time of 1:54.24 in the 800 at the CU Invite (4/12) after running his season best time of 3:47.32 at the Stanford Invite (4/4). Winter’s first 5k of the season was at the Payton Jordan Invite (5/4), where he ran a personal best time (13:55.91) and placed eighth overall. He went on to race the 5k at the Pac-12 Championships and took 10^th in 13:55.91. Winter qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Championships in the 5k, where he placed 29^th (14:36.50).

2013: Indoor: Winter had an impressive sophomore campaign despite only running three races. He had his best race of the season when he clocked a time of 4:01.69 to finish ninth at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships to become the third fastest CU performer.
Outdoor: Winter focused on the distances during his redshirt freshman campaign, particularly on the 1,500. He ran 3:44.54 at his first meet of the season, the Nike Stanford Invitational (3/29). A few weeks later at the Mt. SAC Relays, Winter placed sixth in the open section, clocking in at 3:46.27. He recorded his season-best a week later at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invite (4/29), finishing fourth in the third section in 3:44.53. Winter raced the 1,500 at the Pac-12 Championship, taking 15^th overall in 3:49.69 during the preliminary round. He came back the following day in the 5,000 and placed fourth in 14:09.45 to lead the Buffs. It was the fourth fastest time for CU during the 2013 season. Winter returned to the 1,500 for the NCAA West Preliminary Championships.

2012: Indoor: Winter made his CU debut at the Air Force Team Challenge (1/28), running the 800. He placed sixth overall with a time of 1:56.49. Winter finished the season with a pair of mile runs. His first was at the Husky Classic (2/11), where he finished in 4:13.47. Two weeks later, he returned to the same track at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships and improved on his previous time. Winter crossed the finish in 4:10.33 and was 16^th overall.
Outdoor: Redshirt. Did not compete.

CROSS COUNTRY: (2015) Winter had a great final season for the Buffs. He was third overall at the Rocky Mountain Shootout and two weeks later, Winter was ninth at NCAA Pre-Nationals. At the Pac-12 Championships, he placed 15^th, helping the Buffs win their fifth straight Pac-12 Championship. Winter was 23^rd at regionals, earning all-region recognition. He finished his career at NCAAs with a 33^rd place finish. (2014) Winter had a great junior season for the Buffs, starting and finishing strong. He was seventh at the Rocky Mountain Shootout and placed 14^th at NCAA Pre-Nationals. He scored for the Buffs at the Pac-12 Championships, crossing the finish fifth overall as CU’s No. 2 runner and helped the Buffs capture their fourth straight Pac-12 Championship. At the following meet, regionals, Winter led the Buffs with a fourth place finish. He capped off the season by placing 24^th as CU took home its second straight NCAA Championship. During the year, he earned All-Pac-12 First Team, all-region and All-America honors. (2013) Winter had another nice season, playing a key role for the Buffs throughout the season. He placed third at the Rocky Mountain Shootout as CU’s No. 3 scorer. A couple weeks later, at NCAA Pre-Nationals, Winter was 28^th (CU’s No. 5). His best finish of the season came at the Pac-12 Championships where he took fourth and guided the Buffs to their third straight Pac-12 team title. Winter helped the Buffs to a runner-up team finish at regionals, placing 15^th individually, and finished the season with a 177^th-place finish at the NCAA Championships where CU took home the team title. He recorded All-Pac-12 First Team and all-region honors during the year. (2012) Winter had a great redshirt freshman season, breaking out with a seventh-place finish at the Rocky Mountain Shootout to earn a spot on the varsity squad. He went on to place 35^th at pre-nationals to seal his spot on the team. Winter helped the Buffs win their second straight Pac-12 team title; finishing 21^st overall as CU’s No. 8 finisher. He served as the alternate at regionals and scored for the Buffs at nationals, placed 65^th as CU’s No. 5 harrier.

HIGH SCHOOL: Winter earned six individual state championship titles while at Arapahoe High School. He won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs as a junior and senior. Winter earned all-state honors on the track his sophomore, junior and senior years. He was the runner-up at the 2009 state cross country championship as well his junior year.

HIGH SCHOOL BESTS: 800-meters: 1:52.56; 1,600-meters: 4:22.40; 3,200-meters: 9:09.04; 5,000-meters: 15:21.60.

IN THE CLASSROOM: Winter earned his degree in mechanical engineering and had a GPA greater than 3.00.

PERSONAL: Connor R. Winter was born on February 18, 1993 in Littleton, Colo. He is the son of Robert and Jill Winter of Centennial, Colo. and has one younger sister, Bailey. Winter was featured in Sport Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd section after sweeping the distance events at the Colorado State 5A Championships, the first athlete to do so in at least 60 years, according to CHSAA. He won the 800 (1:52.56), the 1,600 (4:22.52) and the 3,200 (9:17.17).