But the increasing success shared by the relay team has since provided them with a means of honoring their late colleague, who lost his life in a car accident on April 1. So, it only seemed fitting that if the Warriors were to qualify just one event for state, it would be the triumphant 4x800 relay crew. On Saturday at the Class 3 Sectional meet at MICDS, Warrenton clocked a fourth-place finish and solidified a berth to this weekend's MSHSAA Championships. A team that has progressively shaved seconds off its time over the past three weeks kept its postseason goals intact. Warrenton's mark of 8:19.42 was again a season-best. The race was the first event of the day, beginning promptly at noon. "It kind of felt like a showdown," said senior anchor Cory Cameron. "Coach Mac was like, high noon!" "We'd been talking all week about the showdown at high noon," added senior Ben Tappmeyer. Initial concerns of a potential photo-finish quickly dissipated. Only the top four teams would advance to state and entering Saturday's race, Warrenton was seeded fourth with the following competitors barely trailing on paper. But during the actual race, the Warriors quickly separated themselves from any chance at disappointment. They finished 12 seconds ahead of the same Mexico team that had beaten them the previous week at districts. "We were pretty surprised about that," said senior anchor Cory Cameron. "But my goal was to go out and separate myself. When Mexico's last leg saw that, I think he just backed off to save himself for other races." Sophomores Bryan Groeper and Justin Greene had helped distance the lead early on. "I saw that gap and just went out there and tried to build on it," added Tappmeyer. Being the first event of the day to qualify help put aside some uneasy emotions, especially with Cameron battling bronchitis. "I was really stressed out before the race," said Greene. "I was getting sick to my stomach, because I knew if I didn't put my best time down there might be a chance that we didn't make state." For a group of guys whose focus was shaken and character tested when teammate Devin Sherry lost his life in a car accident on April 1 - winning has become sentimental - important for more than just the obvious reasons. The day before his passing, Sherry had helped guide the 4x800 crew to a first-place finish at the season-opening Warrior Warm-Up. The team was optimistic about its increasing potential. Racing, however, shifted to the wayside with the loss of one of the team's most valuable assets. "At the beginning of the season we knew we could build another good 4x800," said Cameron. "Then we won our first home meet and were like, woah, we could probably do some good things. Then the next day we lost Devin and were like what now?" Cameron, the only returning member from last year's 4x800 team, made certain the team did its best to honor its fallen teammate while moving forward with the season. "It's a big point of pride knowing that we were able to keep competing even after we lost him," said Cameron. "Before we ran at districts and today, Ben and I were like 'Hey, remember… (placing a fist over his heart.)" Greene was called upon to replace Sherry on the relay team. He had never before competed in the event. Making matters worse was that Greene had been the last one to spend time with Sherry before his death. And each day on his way to and from school, he passes by the wreck site adorned with crosses and momentos placed in Sherry's memory. For Greene, replacing Sherry on the 4x800 didn't just mean running two legs of an unfamiliar race. It offered him a unique chance to pay tribute to his friend. "Someone always points out that when you start feeling tired in this race, make sure you think of who's on your chest," said Greene. "We're kind of doing this for Devin. I don't know if everyone else feels this way, but I think that Devin would be proud of us and how we're working on this for him." Greene admits that he felt inferior stepping in as the replacement but knew it was his responsibility as both a friend and teammate. "I'm especially proud of Justin because he's finally starting to run well," said Cameron. Whenever doubt begins to set in, they remember their fallen teammate and the desire with which he competed. "Whenever you think about slowing down or kind of want to quit, you just think about Devin, push through it and suck it up," said Tappmeyer. "Any time I feel like I'm slowing down, I think that he wouldn't be slowing down. He pushed hard at all times," added Cameron. "It kind of gives us that extra little edge when we're getting tired," said Greene. "I always imagine Devin and how he would put his entire heart in this and strive to be the best that he possibly could. We're doing this to honor him."