By Bill Foley

LOTHIAN, Md. — All-American golfer Troy Loughry held off a challenge in Maryland on Sunday to become Butler County Community College’s first two-time winner of a region title, and the Pioneers earned an unprecedented second consecutive berth in the national championship tournament by defeating Anne Arundel Community College at The Cannon Club in Lothian.

Loughry won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 individual crown by four strokes in the two-round tournament. The Pioneers claimed their second team title in a row for the first time with a 26-stroke victory.

Loughry finished the Region 20 tournament Sunday with a 147, topping first-round leader Chase Richardson, of Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood, who ended with a 151.

Loughry in 2022 won the Region 20 individual crown with a 146 and by eight strokes over Dylan Weiss, Anne Arundel, and the Pioneers, the team title with a 23-stroke victory against Anne Arundel at the Links at Spring Church in Apollo.

BC3’s Region 20 championship and its automatic berth in the NJCAA Division III national championship tournament in Chautauqua, N.Y., was the program’s sixth overall. In addition to 2022, the Pioneers earned berths in 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2019.

The Pioneers shot a 654 and Anne Arundel, Arnold, Md., a 680 in the 2023 Region 20 tournament.

“We came down here on a business trip,” BC3 golf coach Bill Miller said. “We called it our business trip. And I think they rose to the occasion.”

Richardson led Loughry by 1 stroke after 18 holes Saturday.

Loughry led Richardson by 1 stroke after nine holes Sunday.

“Neck-and-neck,” Miller said.

“He pushed me,” Loughry said, “for two full days.”

Loughry secured the Region 20 individual crown Sunday when he shot a 4 on the par-5 18th hole and Richardson, a 7.

“That kind of ended it,” Loughry said. “But for 35 of the 36 holes, he pushed me hard.”

BC3’s Liam Kosior finished third with a 156, Cory Voltz fifth with a 168, Tanner Hohmann ninth with a 185 and Jack Mason 10th with a 187.

Loughry is a graduate of Grove City High School; Kosior, of Neshannock High; Voltz, of Knoch; Hohmann, of Grove City and Mason, of Freeport.

Loughry, Kosior, Hohmann and Mason in 2022 led BC3 to its highest team finish at sixth place in the national championship tournament.

“We have experience,” Loughry said. “I think there are going to be less nerves for me and the rest of the team. Liam is playing well right now. Tanner, Jack and Cory all have chances to make runs. And I want to be an All-American again and for us to win the tournament.”

The 18 golfers with the lowest scores after the 72-hole national championship tournament are named All-Americans. Loughry in 2022 placed fifth and as BC3’s first first-team All-American. Kosior finished tied for 20th.

The Pioneers will face up to 100 other golfers on up to 14 other squads on the par-72 Chautauqua Golf Club course from June 6-9.

“We know what we have to do,” Kosior said. “We know that you can’t win the tournament on the first day, but you can certainly lose it. It’s a four-day tournament. You have to have a 10-second memory. You hit a good shot. Forget about it. You hit a bad shot. Forget about it. Move on to the next.”

Loughry is also a two-time winner of the fall-season-ending Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference championship tournament. The Pioneers in October won their second WPCC team title in a row and eighth since 2013.

Loughry and Kosior were named Sunday to the all-Region 20 tournament team for the second consecutive year.

BC3’s athletic programs have earned berths in NJCAA national championship tournaments 11 times since 2002.

The Pioneers’ spring golf season features regional play, regional tournaments and possible national championship appearances in which golfers compete for All-American status.

Bill Foley is coordinator of news and media content for Butler County Community College