Butler County Community College men’s golfers Friday won the program’s fourth consecutive team title, the Pioneers’ Jacob Marquardt captured BC3’s fourth individual crown in a row and Lincoln High School graduate Mitchell Covert finished second only after edging the 2023 champion in a sudden-death playoff following regulation play in the postseason tournament.
The Pioneers placed first with a two-round 621 and Westmoreland County Community College second with a 664 in the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference championship tournament at the Links at Spring Church in Apollo.
Covert shot an 82 on Thursday and a 74 on Friday – the lowest single-round score among all competitors in the 2024 championship tournament – to help earn his second place finish.
BC3’s WPCC team championship was the 10th in the past 11 seasons under coach Bill Miller and the 14th for the program since 1972.
“That’s pretty incredible,” Marquardt said.
“It’s really cool to be a part of this team,” Covert said, “and win it.”
“This program,” BC3’s Xander Downing said, “is real good. We had a strong team last year, but not as strong as this one. This is probably one of the best teams (Miller) has had.”
LHS Graduate Mitchell Covert pictured right
Nervous “about my putting in the playoff”
Covert, who shot an 82 on Thursday and a 74 on Friday, finished regulation play tied for second place at 156 with Downing, the 2023 WPCC individual champion, and forced a sudden-death playoff for runner-up.
Covert and Downing remained tied after parring the 324-yard par-4 No. 1.
They remained tied after parring the 495-yard par-5 No. 2.
Covert finished in second place after parring the third hole in the sudden-death playoff, the 395-yard par-4 No. 7, while Downing shot a 5.
“I was a little nervous about my putting in the playoff because I had a three-putt on my last hole in regulation,” Covert said. “So it felt pretty good sinking that last putt in the playoff.”
“The kid can crush the ball”
Marquardt shot a 77 on Thursday and a 76 on Friday to finish with a 9-over-par 153 and become BC3’s seventh conference individual champion since 2013.
“The course was playing pretty much tougher than any other one we’ve played,” Marquardt said, “so this feels pretty good.”
“An outstanding player,” Miller said of Marquardt. “He was the favorite. A solid player who made shots when it counted.”
Carson McCully, a Westmoreland County Community College golfer, was paired with Marquardt in the second round.
“The kid can crush the ball further than most other people I’ve played against,” McCully said, “and he is consistent.”
BC3’s Voloch second among women
Westmoreland County Community College’s Jada Ford won the WPCC women’s individual championship and BC3’s Taylor Voloch finished as runner-up.
Marquardt, Covert, Downing and BC3’s Kaden Rentz were selected to the WPCC all-conference team based on their regular-season averages. Marquardt averaged 69; Downing, 77.25; Covert, 78.75; and Rentz, 78.
Will Dempsey, of the Community College of Allegheny County; and Aiden Duffy, of Westmoreland County Community College; were also named to the WPCC all-conference team.
Marquardt, Downing, Covert, BC3’s Parker Worsley and Duffy were named to the WPCC all-tournament team.
Five Pioneers place in Top 10
Only the four lowest scores from each golfer were tallied. The team with the lowest score after two rounds won the conference championship and the golfer with the lowest score, the conference individual title.
Following BC3’s Marquardt, Covert and Downing in the individual championship standings were Worsley, 159; Duffy, 159; McCully, Westmoreland, 163; Rentz, 164; Jayvien Brumbaugh, Penn Highlands Community College, 164; Ben Perris, BC3, 165; and Will Latuch, Penn Highlands, 169.
Only the four lowest scores from each golfer were tallied. The team with the lowest score after two rounds won the conference championship and the golfer with the lowest score, the conference individual title.
Marquardt is a graduate of Seneca Valley High School and a computer information systems-networking and cybersecurity student at BC3. Covert, Lincoln High, Ellwood City, business administration; Downing, Butler, business administration; Worsley, Butler, business management; Rentz, Seneca Valley, physical education-sport management option; and Perris, Knoch, secondary education-social studies option.
Voloch, Moniteau, is a psychology student.
Marquardt joins as BC3’s WPCC individual conference champions Downing in 2023; Troy Loughry, Grove City High, in 2022 and 2021; Carmen Oliva, Neshannock, 2019; Anthony Lewis, Butler, 2017; and Chris Kier, Knoch, 2014.
The Pioneers’ fall golf season concludes with the WPCC championship tournament. BC3’s spring season features regional play, regional tournaments and possible national championship appearances where golfers compete for All-American status.
BC3 did not play in 2020 as a result of a National Junior College Athletic Association decision to postpone athletics with regard to COVID-19.
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