Mars graduate Garrett Gabriel shot a 79 in the final round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region XX Tournament to lead the Butler County Community College men’s golf team to the championship.

The Pioneers carded a 676 as a team over the 36-hole tournament, besting CCAC South by 31 strokes.

Gabriel, who shot an 85 in the first round at Youghiogheny Country Club Monday, finished third.

His teammate, Butler grad Tyler Friel, fired an 85-81 to place fourth. Knoch grad Matt Eshelman shot an 86-84 to place fifth and Karns City grad Tucker Preston carded an 89-87 to finish seventh.

The Pioneers will travel to Chautauqua Golf Club in Chautauqua, N.Y., June 2-7 for the NJCAA National Tournament.

It is the first trip to the national tournament for BC3 since 2009.

Track and FieldThe Slippery Rock University men’s and women’s track and field teams will send nine athletes to the NCAA Division II National Championships, which begin May 23 in at Colorado State University in Pueblo, Colo.Headlining the list is senior pole vaulter Cameron Daugherty, who won the national title in the event last season.Also representing The Rock men will be Kevin Jewel in the 800 and David Reinhardt in the javelin.The SRU women will send six to Colorado, highlighted by Stephanie Case, who qualified in two events.Case will compete in the 5,000-meter run and the 10,000-meter run.Case holds the school record in the 5,000 at 16 minutes, 50.54 seconds.Lexi Arnold, who has won three PSAC championships in the javelin, will be making her third appearance at the national meet in that event.Other female athletes competing for SRU are Kaitlyn Clark and Julia Cain in the pole vault, Ashley West in the high jump and Sam Taylor in the javelin.