As Gavin Thompson wrapped up the front nine of the 49th Warrenton Invitational, he found himself in a three-way tie for sixth place.

However, the day was not over for the Warrenton sophomore. 

Thompson caught fire on the final five holes, carding three pars and two birdies, to leap into fourth place with a final score of 77. 

“I knew that if I got past the first stretch of the back nine since it’s a harder stretch, I could score well on the last couple of holes,” Thompson said. “I put myself in a good position going into the final holes.” 

Though he hovered just outside of the top five spots for most of the day, Thompson stayed composed and leaned on smart decision-making rather than forcing risky shots. 

“I didn't want to get too aggressive because I knew I had a good chance at medaling where I was at,” he said. 

He capped off his round with a birdie on the final hole, explaining that a strong drive set him up to reach the green in two strokes. Familiarity with the home course greens also gave him an edge. 

“The greens at Warrenton are much different than the other courses,” Thompson said. “I know the greens better than everyone else there.” 

Thompson noted he faced some challenges early in the day, specifically with putting which created some nerves. However, he was able to push those aside and make the necessary adjustments in the back nine. 

“Especially this year, we’ve been emphasizing trying to hit the best shot you can and if you get into trouble, then making sure you are escaping that trouble with the lowest score possible,” coach Aaron Jinkerson said. “Even though you could have one bad hole, you have 17 more to prove yourself.” 

Sophomore Gavin Solari was the other Warrior to medal at the tournament. 

Solari said he approached the tournament with the same mindset he does everyday– just play golf. 

The simple message allowed Solari to remain composed, as he medaled sixth, carding a career-best of 80. While Solari reached a new career high, he said it was also his biggest challenge from the day. 

“I was trying to keep my lowest score of my high school career and knowing that I was getting close to it was one of the bigger challenges,” Solari said. 

A highlight for the sophomore happened on the fifth hole, where Solari shot an eagle, which sparked self-confidence for the remainder of the day. 

“It was one of my better rounds and that was only on the second hole that day, so it definitely helped out,” Solari said. “I think that gave him some excitement for the rest of the day,” Jinkerson said. 

Solari finished the day with six pars and one birdie. 

“He seemed to be very calm and thoughtful over each shot.” Jinkerson said. “With (Solari) and (Thompson) both being sophomores and medaling, it’s a pretty cool accomplishment for those two kids.” 

The Warriors finished third overall in the red division with a team score of 336, behind Orchard Farm (314) and Holt (307).

Additional scoring for Warrenton came from Ethan Leavitt, who placed 19th with a score of 88. Luke Bolm and Eli Peth both tied for 24th with scores of 91. 

“I think all five of our golfers represented our school very well,” Jinkerson said. “I do feel we are trending in the right direction, score wise and competition wise, for sure.” 

Warrenton will compete at 3:30 p.m. on April 24 in an away dual match against Veritas Christian Academy.