BUTLER TWP — Butler County Community College served as more than a brief stop in the education process for the latest Charles W. Dunaway Pioneer Hall of Fame inductees.

It served as a life-changer.

The Hall of Fame more than doubled its membership Saturday, inducting Andrew Matonak, Missy (Haney) Schnur, Robert Wilson and Walter Fitzpatrick during a ceremony at the BC3 Field House.

Matonak was a left-handed pitcher who posted earned run averages of 1.08 and 1.16 in 1973 and 1974 for the Pioneers. He also hit .407 and .450, respectively, during those seasons.

“BC3 changed my life and it's because of the people here,” Matonak said. “This place gives direction to people's lives.

“I wasn't the best student in high school. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. After coming here, I decided to go into higher education. I wanted to make a difference for young people like they do here.”

Matonak is the president of Hudson Valley Community College in New York.

Pioneer volleyball coach Rob Snyder described Schnur as “the first standout player we had in the program.”

Schnur led BC3 to records of 15-4 and 19-2 in volleyball in 1998 and 1999. She was an all-conference and all-state player.

And Snyder got her by happenstance.

“I came to this school with no intention of playing volleyball,” Schnur said. “The incoming freshmen were given a tour and I had mentioned to our guide that I played volleyball in high school.

“She remembered that, told Rob, we got together and the rest is history. I don't know her name, but because that guide paid enough attention to remember I said I played volleyball ... I don't know where my life would be today if she hadn't.”

Schnur added that “my life is connected to volleyball in so many ways.”

At age 37, she still plays in adult leagues.

Wilson ran cross country for the Pioneers and was the school's first All-American in 1970 and 1971. He became the first of three BC3 athletes to be named All-American twice.

“I barely got out of high school. I had no other options for college,” Wilson recalled. “I came here and Mr. Dunaway took me under his wing. That was a big plus for me.

“I wound up going from here to North Carolina State. I found my niche in life to be in sales. You do well in sales by going the extra mile and I learned that through running.

“BC3 started me on course to go somewhere. I'll always be grateful for that,” Wilson added.

Pioneer men's and women's basketball coach Dick Hartung presented Fitzpatrick, a retired professor at the college who has been keeping the scorebook for Pioneer basketball for 49 years.

“The guy is loyal to the bone,” Hartung said. “It's been an honor to rub shoulders with Walter Fitzpatrick.”

Fitzpatrick said he was never much of an athlete himself.

“I scored 12 points in a church league basketball game once — the most I ever scored in a game — and that's only because they kept feeding me the ball and telling me to shoot. I missed a lot more than I made.

“I never wanted the ball. When you got the ball, the other team tried to take it from you. When I didn't get the ball, I could run up and down the court and get my exercise.”

Fitzpatrick added that “there's a lot of good young people out there and I've seen many of them come through here.

“All of the coaches have been good to me here and the players always showed me respect. I've always appreciated that.”