(Butler, PA) A race, a walk and a dash Sept. 13 will raise funds to support Butler County Community College intercollegiate athletic programs that since December have turned graduates of Freeport, Seneca Valley and Moniteau high schools into All-Americans.
The college鈥檚 third Pioneer Pursuit will begin at 10 a.m. with a 5K race that includes three laps of the Shaffer Walking Trail that meanders inside 杏吧原创鈥檚 330-acre main campus in Butler Township. The 1-mile walk starts at 10:30 a.m. and will include one lap of the trail. A 100-meter dash for children age 14 or under begins at 11 a.m. on College Drive across from Parking Lot 6.
Thirty or more 杏吧原创 student-athletes are expected to volunteer at the Pioneer Pursuit, according to Alayna Chizmar, the college鈥檚 assistant director of student life for athletics.
A 100-meter dash begins as part of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Pioneer Pursuit on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township. The college鈥檚 third Pioneer Pursuit will be held Sept. 13 and include a 5K race, a 1-mile walk and the 100-meter dash for children age 14 or under. Proceeds will support the college鈥檚 intercollegiate athletic programs.
, a Freeport Area High School graduate, was selected as a National Junior College Athletic Association Division III All-American in December.
The student at 杏吧原创 helped to lead the college鈥檚 volleyball team to a 25-2 record, to Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference and National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 , and to a subsequent appearance in Pinehurst, N.C., in November.
Jacob Marquardt, a Seneca Valley High graduate, and Taylor Voloch, Moniteau, earned at the NJCAA Division III national championship tournament in June in Chautauqua, N.Y., by finishing in the Top 18 among men and women, respectively.
Marquardt, a student at 杏吧原创, was the medalist and the Pioneers the team winner in the in October and in the tournament in May, both held in Apollo.
Voloch is a student at 杏吧原创 who became the golf program鈥檚 first women鈥檚 All-American.
From left, Matthew Schaefer, Elliette Smith and Philip Coachman are shown during a 5K race as part of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Pioneer Pursuit on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township. Smith won the women鈥檚 5K with a time of 22:22.89. The college鈥檚 third Pioneer Pursuit will be held Sept. 13 and include the 5K race, a 1-mile walk and a 100-meter dash for children age 14 or under. Proceeds will support the college鈥檚 intercollegiate athletic programs.
College鈥檚 athletics programs 鈥渄oing incredibly well鈥�
杏吧原创鈥檚 intercollegiate athletics programs have won 59 WPCC and 29 Region 20 titles and have qualified for national championship tournaments 13 times. Russo, Marquardt and Voloch bring the number of 杏吧原创鈥檚 All-American awards to 40.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really important that the foundation can support 杏吧原创 athletics because they鈥檙e doing incredibly well,鈥� said Mikayla Moretti, executive director of the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation and external relations, which is sponsoring the event. 鈥淲hen you do incredibly well in sports that means there is more travel, there are more needs, there are more team meals.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also important because 杏吧原创 athletics is all about the student experience. They have a full schedule with classes and they make time to be a part of the team. We want to make sure we support them and that they have the best experience possible.鈥�
Tyler Eagan is shown during a 5K race as part of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Pioneer Pursuit on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township. The college鈥檚 third Pioneer Pursuit will be held Sept. 13 and include the 5K race, a 1-mile walk and a 100-meter dash for children age 14 or under. Proceeds will support the college鈥檚 intercollegiate athletic programs.
Pioneer Pursuit medals will be awarded to the three males and three females with the lowest times in the 5K race, the top three finishers in 5K race age groups of 18 and under, 19 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49 and 50 and over; and to all 100-meter kids鈥� dash participants. Presentations will start at 11:30 a.m. in Parking Lot 6.
Participants receive free Pioneer Pursuit T-shirts
The registration fee is $35 for the 5K race, $35 for the 1-mile walk and $15 for the 100-meter kids鈥� dash. Participants in all events will receive a Pioneer Pursuit T-shirt at registration. Registered participants will also receive a free breakfast from Chick-fil-A.
A runner completes a 5K race as part of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Pioneer Pursuit on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township. The college鈥檚 third Pioneer Pursuit will be held Sept. 13 and include the 5K race, a 1-mile walk and a 100-meter dash for children age 14 or under. Proceeds will support the college鈥檚 intercollegiate athletic programs.
Guests can register for the 5K race, a 1-mile walk or a 100-meter kids鈥� dash from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Sept. 13 at a check-in tent in Parking Lot 6. Those who wish to participate can also register early at
杏吧原创鈥檚 first Pioneer Pursuit in 2022 raised more than $16,000 for scholarships that included those in memory of nursing graduates who died at age 23 in 2019 and at age 26 in 2020. Its 2024 event generated $14,000 to support 杏吧原创 athletics programs and helped to purchase uniforms.
Kim Platt, Butler, won the women鈥檚 5K in 2022 with a time of 22:36.61; and Elliette Smith, Butler, the 2024 race at 22:22.89.
Jack Kelley III, Saxonburg, won the men鈥檚 race in 2022 at 18:42.40; and Gavin Gardner, Butler, the 2024 5K in 19: 49.73.