(Chautauqua, N.Y.) Jacob Marquardt and Taylor Voloch have joined five other Butler County Community College golfers in the past three decades who after stellar performances at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national championships have been awarded All-American status.
Freshmen Marquardt and Voloch were presented with the prestigious postseason award late Friday afternoon in Chautauqua, N.Y., after they were each among the 18 golfers with the lowest scores in the four-round men’s and women’s tournaments played on Chautauqua Golf Club’s Lake Course.
“This means a fair bit to me.”
“I am just super-stoked. It's incredible."
Marquardt finished seventh and Voloch – BC3’s first women’s All-American in golf – 14th.
“This was my first time competing for All-American, so it was definitely good to get it the first time around,” Marquardt said. “This means a fair bit to me.”
“I am just super-stoked,” Voloch said. “It’s incredible. I am so honored.”
Marquardt and Voloch are also BC3’s second set of All-Americans in golf in the same year.
“This tournament is a real test because it’s four days and it pushes a golfer,” BC3 coach Bill Miller said. “It’s as much a mental grind as it is a physical grind. So to become All-Americans against golfers from all over the country, that’s good stuff.”
Marquardt shot a 68 on Thursday, the lowest single-round score of a BC3 golfer in the national championship, and the second-lowest score Thursday among all competitors. He had a final-round 77 on the par-72 course.
His final score of 292 is the lowest of any BC3 golfer who achieved All-American status at the national championship.
“That’s actually awesome,” Marquardt said.
Marquart’s four-round score was lower than that of Matthew Heighes in 1996; Michael Cuscino in 2008; Stefan Carlsson in 2014; Carlsson or Tommy Dimun in 2015, BC3’s first set of All-Americans in golf in the same year; and Troy Loughry in 2022 and 2023.
Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C., won its fifth consecutive team and fourth individual title in a row. The Pioneers’ men’s team placed seventh with a 1,265, tying the program’s best total in seven national championship appearances.
“The competition is really good,” Marquardt said. “Especially with the guys from Sandhills and Georgia Military.”
Sandhills men’s golfers placed first through third among individuals, led by Vegas Melen, whose 278 was 14 strokes lower than Marquardt’s score.
Georgia Military College finished second in the men’s championship.
Pioneers sophomore Xander Downing followed three consecutive 80s with a final-round and BC3-career-ending 71, the third-best score Friday in a field of 76 golfers from 10 states and 1 stroke off his best score at BC3. He finished 20th among individuals in the national championship.
BC3’s Parker Worsley and Mitchell Covert shot 83s on Friday. Worsley ended with a four-day 336 and Covert, with a 340.
Jaxon Salata had an 89 in the final round and finished at 343.
Voloch recorded a 121 on Friday and ended with a 474. The fourth female to play for Miller in his 23 years as Pioneers coach was also the first to compete in the 4-year-old women’s national championship.
“I think I improved almost much every day (at the national championship),” Voloch said. “I did not realize how much of a mental and physical tournament this would be. “
Only the lowest four scores of each player in each round are tallied in the team standings.
BC3 student-athletes have won 40 All-American awards since 1970. Marquardt and Voloch join Josie Russo, a Pioneers’ volleyball player, selected as All-Americans in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Marquardt, a Seneca Valley High School graduate, won the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference individual crown in October with a two-day 153 and in May recorded the lowest score by a BC3 golfer in capturing the two-round NJCAA Division III Region 20 title with a 144.
Voloch is a graduate of Moniteau Junior-Senior High. Downing, Salata and Worsley are graduates of Butler High and Covert, of Lincoln in Ellwood City.
Covert, Downing and Salata are business administration students. Marquardt is enrolled in the college’s computer information systems-networking and cybersecurity program; and Worsley, in business management.
Voloch is a psychology student.
The Pioneers’ spring golf team also included Ben Perris, Knoch, secondary education-social studies option; and Noah Ritchie, Butler, early childhood education (Pre K-4).
Russo, Freeport, is student in the college’s Nursing, R.N., program.
BC3 earned its seventh automatic berth in the national championship tournament by winning its seventh NJCAA Division III Region 20 championship in May.
Read more
Third round: BC3 golfer shoots second-lowest score at nationals
Second round: 2 BC3 golfers halfway to rare All-American status
First round: BC3 golfer Marquardt 3 strokes back after first round of nationals
