Last Wednesday's Class 3 District 4 golf meet at Innsbrook ended nothing like it began for Mikal Harpster. Following an erroneous first hole, it appeared Warrenton's No.1 golfer might be destined for a second straight year of district disappointment. But Harpster regained his focus, and several hours later he and his teammates were celebrating a district championship. After turning in a bogey on his first hole, Harpster wasn't ready to resign his hopes of a berth to state. He cast aside the haunting memory of the 2009 district meet in which a bad start doomed his entire round. "The very first tee shot, I think I actually saw a flashback of last year," quipped Harpster. Those mental images were enough to remind the Warrenton junior he did not want to relive that nightmare. This time the result was a dream come true. Harpster locked in his first-ever trip to state, recording the day's lowest score to be crowned district champion. Saved by his short game, he shot a 74. "The putter was just absolutely amazing today," said Harpster. "I didn't have one three putt." Harpster laid the groundwork for the Warriors, who earned their first team title since 1991. They shot a 330, besting second-place Moberly by 13 strokes. "What a building block for our program," said coach Rich Barton. After sending two golfers to state last season, the Warriors are now privileged to take the entire varsity team to the MSHSAA Championships in Republic on May 17-18. "This year it's going to be business," said Barton. "We're going to go down there with the intent that we're going to try to compete and finish as high as we can." Junior Patrick Koch may have an edge on his teammates, having qualified for the 2009 championships. "Last year was a learning experience," said Koch. "I knew I had two more years to go, so I just wanted to have fun. This year's approach is going to be a lot more serious." Koch recorded the Warriors' second lowest score on Wednesday, shooting an 83. He erased any doubt about a return to state during a warmup with his driver. "When I first got to the range, I was hitting pretty good, so that made me confident," said Koch. For the remainder of the team, it will be a refreshing new experience. Senior John Schwerdt was so elated, he used his own fictitious word to describe the emotion. "I'm really coxated about it," said Schwerdt. "I just think it's a really cool opportunity to get to go play golf for a couple of days and hang out with my friends one last time before we go off to college." Schwerdt shot an 84 in the No. 3 spot, thanks to a solid recovery. "I started off really bad," said Schwerdt. "Through my first nine I was like 10 over. So, I had no choice but to play a lot better. I ended up 14 over, so I really got it together after that." Senior Austin Gibbs battled the waiting game most of the day, shooting an 89. He shot significantly lower than the others partnered in his group, so he was the last to hear the news about the team's achievement. "It's really invigorating to know that we accomplished this," said Gibbs. "Especially because at the beginning of the season things didn't look so hot." He could never establish an accurate driving game. "Once again my long game was absolutely terrible," said Gibbs. "I felt like I was in Florida today. I think I was in like seven sandtraps." Like Schwerdt, he is looking forward to culminating his high school career with a trip to the sport's pinnacle event. "It'll be a nice little treat," said Gibbs. "Three years of varsity golf, and I finally get to go to state, so I'm really excited." Senior Kurtis Pruitt shot a 91 in Warrenton's final spot on Thursday. He and senior Chris Bardy will join the team at the championships in Republic. Barton says the Warriors were optimistic about their chances of earning a district crown entering Wednesday's meet. "I knew that if everybody shot what they were capable of shooting, that we had a really good chance of winning districts," said Barton. "I thought in the 320s would win it." Aside from a couple of unfamiliar teams from outside the area, the Warriors had already conquered the most formidable opponents. "We knew it was pretty likely because we'd beaten Duchesne and St. Charles West in the tournaments," said Schwerdt. While last year's trip to state was geared more toward having fun and gaining experience, the approach will differ this time. The Warriors may have eclipsed a program milestone, but their work is far from over. "State is where my mind is focused now," said Harpster. "I want to play good there. I've accomplished what I've set my goals on this year so far in every tournament."