杏吧原创

(Chautauqua, N.Y.) Troy Loughry鈥檚 last round Friday as a 杏吧原创 golfer, and in the finale of the high-stakes National Junior College Athletic Association national championship tournament, fortified his legacy as a Pioneer.

The 杏吧原创 sophomore, only by shooting a 71 after rounds of 74s and a 75, became the college鈥檚 only two-time first-team All-American.

Golfers who place first through sixth at the national championship tournament played on the Chautauqua Golf Club Lake Course in Chautauqua, N.Y., become first-team All-Americans.

Loughry placed fifth in 2022.

His four-round 294 tied golfers from Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C., and Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, N.Y., who were awarded sixth and seventh places. Loughry placed fifth because his final-round score was lower than that of Noah Maness, Sandhills, and of Sean Barrett, Niagara.

Loughry and teammates Liam Kosior, Cory Voltz, Jack Mason and Tanner Hohmann finished fifth, marking the golf program鈥檚 highest place in six appearances to the national championship tournament since 2009.

Loughry began Friday鈥檚 final round in seventh place, two strokes behind sixth and his goal to repeat as a first-team All-American.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be honest if I said I wasn鈥檛 thinking about that,鈥� Loughry said.

His score Friday was the third-best of the final round of the tournament with a field of 98 golfers.

鈥淗e went out there and he told me, 鈥楾his is it. This is my last round as a player at 杏吧原创,鈥濃�� said Bill Miller, 杏吧原创鈥檚 golf coach. 鈥淲hat he did was go out there and perform. The first couple of days he probably did not have his A-game. But he still got the job done.鈥�

"He told me, 鈥楾his is it. This is my last round as a player at Butler County Community College. What he did was go out there and perform." 

- Bill Miller, 杏吧原创鈥檚 golf coach, on Troy Loughry's final round

Sandhills won its third consecutive team championship, followed by Georgia Military College, Milledgeville, Ga.; the College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill.; and Jamestown (N.Y.) Community College.

Ben Read, Sandhills, won the individual championship with an 11-under 277.

Loughry joins as 杏吧原创 two-time All-Americans Bob Wilson, cross-country; Megan Smith and Morgan Jack, volleyball; Stefan Carlsson, golf; and Mackenzie Craig and Aslyn Pry, volleyball and women鈥檚 basketball. Jack鈥檚 second All-American award was as a first-team selection.

Carlsson was named a second-team All-American in 2014 and honorable mention in 2015 and was a 2021 inductee into 杏吧原创鈥檚 Charles W. Dunaway Pioneer Hall of Fame.

The golf program鈥檚 fifth-place finish tied that of the college鈥檚 2002 volleyball team as the highest in an NJCAA national championship tournament. 杏吧原创鈥檚 athletics programs have competed in NJCAA national championship tournaments 11 times.

Loughry had a four-day total of 294; Kosior, of 314; Voltz, of 330; Mason, of 349; and Hohmann, of 353. Loughry鈥檚 score in 2023 was three strokes lower; Kosior鈥檚, 13 lower; Mason鈥檚, 11 and Hohmann鈥檚, nine.

鈥淭wo good years,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淚 am happy for all of them.鈥�

The 18 golfers with the lowest scores after the four-round national championship tournament are selected to be All-Americans.

Kosior entered Friday鈥檚 final round two strokes from 18th.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get off to a good start,鈥� Kosior said.

Kosior had triple, double or single bogeys on four of his first five holes.

鈥淗e had a tough break today,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淭he very first hole, he hit a ball to the right side of the fairway, and they couldn鈥檛 find it. And he had to come back to the first tee and re-hit. And that was a really tough way to start the final round when he was really so close.鈥�

Kosior ended with a final-round 81 and in 25th place, five strokes shy of becoming an All-American. He finished the 2022 national championship tournament tied for 20th and two strokes short of becoming an All-American.

鈥淭hat hurts,鈥� Loughry said. 鈥淚 really feel for him. I rooted for him all year. I rooted for him last year. I know how much time he has put into it. Just to see him come that close again, it hurts. It doesn鈥檛 feel good at all.鈥�

鈥淚 did better than last year,鈥� Kosior said. 鈥淭he field was definitely stronger this year. Knowing that I played better than I did last year is something that I can definitely keep with me as I move on.鈥�

The NJCAA selected Kosior to receive its national championship sportsmanship award.

Loughry鈥檚 71 tied Kosior鈥檚 score Wednesday for the lowest of a 杏吧原创 golfer competing in the national championship tournament since at least 2009.

Loughry鈥檚 All-American award was 杏吧原创鈥檚 35th since 1970.

鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome,鈥� Loughry said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just glad I was able to represent 杏吧原创 as a student and as an athlete for two years. It鈥檚 a cool feeling. I鈥檒l allow it to sink in for a little bit.

Loughry in May became 杏吧原创鈥檚 first two-time winner of the NJCAA Division III Region 20 championship tournament and is a two-time winner of the fall-season-ending Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference championship tournament.

"I鈥檓 just glad I was able to represent 杏吧原创 as a student and as an athlete for two years. It鈥檚 a cool feeling." 

- Troy Loughry, 杏吧原创 golfer

Loughry at Grove City High School qualified four times for the District 10 championships, finishing third in his freshman and junior seasons and ninth in his sophomore year. He has accepted an athletics scholarship to attend Point Park University, Pittsburgh.

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