APOLLO — Xander Downing stood atop a hill 300 feet from the final pin Saturday and under low, gray clouds backlit by weak sunshine.

“I knew if I parred the hole I would have a 79 again,” the Butler County Community College freshman golfer said. “I knew if had a 79 again, I would have a pretty good chance of winning.”

Facing an 11 mph wind pushing 56-degree temperatures, and with the 2023 Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference championship tournament’s individual title on the line, Downing reached for his gap wedge and, moments later, swung.

His shot arced over a 120-foot-wide pond and stuck at the base of a sloping green.

One uphill 24-foot putt and a tap-in later, Downing had parred No. 18, finished with a two-round 158 and won the WPCC individual title by two strokes at The Links at Spring Church in Apollo.

“I’m definitely proud of myself,” said Downing, BC3’s seventh WPCC individual title winner since 2014. “Placing first out of the whole group was definitely an accomplishment for me. The conditions weren’t great. It rained the first day and the second day it was cold. But I kept a level head and fought through the rounds with bad weather.”

BC3 captured its ninth WPCC team title since 2013 with a 659-669 victory over Westmoreland County Community College and the Pioneers’ Bill Miller was chosen as conference coach of the year for a ninth time since 2013.

The Pioneers were 12-0 in fall 2023.

“We didn’t lose a match,” said Miller, whose teams ended 12-0 in fall 2022 and 11-0 in fall 2021. “I can’t ask for much more than that.”

Cory Voltz, BC3’s only sophomore, placed second with a 160; Westmoreland County Community College’s Conner Iarussi and Carson McCully finished third and fourth, respectively, with 161s; and the Pioneers’ Jonah Kozora was fifth with a 163.

Kozora, Voltz and Downing were selected to the 2023 WPCC all-conference squad based on regular-season scoring averages of 76.8, 77 and 78.8, respectively. Voltz was also chosen for the 2022 WPCC all-conference squad with an average of 80.

Downing follows BC3’s Chris Kier in 2014, Anthony Lewis in 2017, Carmen Oliva in 2016 and 2019 and Troy Loughry in 2021 and 2022 as WPCC individual title winners since 2014.

His pair of 79s in the WPCC championship tournament followed a regular season in which Downing shot only 78s, 79s or an 80.

“That,” Miller said, “says a lot about Xander. He’s a smart young man who plays a solid game. He doesn’t get rattled. You really don’t know if he thinks he’s playing well or not because he keeps the same demeanor the whole way through.”

Downing had a 39 on the front nine in the first round and a 41 on the front nine in the second.

“Consistently good,” Voltz said.

Downing had a 40 on the back nine in the first round and a 38 on the back nine in the second.

“Not a lot of ups and downs,” BC3’s Devin Latsko said.

“It’s great to know,” Kozora said, “that he is always going to come in with nearly identical numbers.”

Only the top four individual scores are counted toward the team total in the WPCC championship tournament. Behind Downing, Voltz and Kozora was Latsko with a 170. The Pioneers’ Xavier Farmer finished with a 172 after a first-round 83, his best outing of the season.

The WPCC team title in golf was BC3’s 13th since 1972.

“A huge accomplishment for the program,” Kozora said. “I’m really proud of my teammates and the golfers who came before us.”

“I think everyone in our conference knows we have a pretty solid group,” Miller said, “and that we tend to do well in the tournament. I’m very proud of the success. This year’s team kept it going.”

Only BC3’s volleyball program with 18 has won more WPCC team titles among the college’s athletics programs.

Downing and Farmer are general studies students at BC3 and Butler High School graduates. Voltz is a computer information systems-networking and cybersecurity student and Knoch graduate; Kozora is a computer science student and Mars graduate; and Latsko is a physical education-sport management option student and Seneca Valley graduate.

The Pioneers’ fall season concluded with the WPCC championship tournament. The Pioneers’ spring season features regional play, regional tournaments and a possible appearance in National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national championship tournament, where golfers compete for All-American status.

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