After two days of golf against the best in state and a season of commitment, taking home top three honors all came down to Whittell, The Meadows and seven strokes.

The Whittell golf team took an eight-stroke lead over The Meadows on Tuesday, the first day of the NIAA Division III State Championships at Genoa Golf Course. It was a good start, but by no means secured the Warriors a podium position.

Steven Beeler led the way for Whittell with a 79, the third lowest score shot in Day 1 out of 46 state competitors. Anders Chaplin chipped in an 86, Derek Heldt-Werle a 92, Zoe Bertz a 97, Colin Buchholz a 96 and Spencer Buchholz a 102, as the Warriors combined for a 450 and a tentative third place heading into the second day of competition.

The Meadows, however, was breathing down Whittell’s neck with a 458. But in front of the Warriors sat Incline, tantalizingly close with a nine-stroke lead.

White Pine was somewhat out of reach with a 409, but second, third and fourth place would all come down to Day2 on the Warriors’ home turf — Edgewood Golf Course.

There was a wicked wind coming out of the West as the golfers prepared to tee off.

The weather didn’t affect Beeler, however, who blasted his first shot off the tee on the way to an 83. Beeler would again shoot the third lowest score of the day.

Bertz wasn’t far behind. She fired a 93, followed by Chaplin with a 97, Colin with a 104, Heldt-Werle with a 108 and Spencer with a 110.

All added up, the Warriors shot a 485 on Day 2. The Meadows, meanwhile, combined for a 484. Close, but the Warriors had hung on to third by seven strokes.

After two days of state championship golf, White Pine took first with 855, Incline second with 896, Whittell third with 935, The Meadows fourth with 942, Needles fifth with 945 and Battle Mountain sixth with 957.

Beeler turned in the third lowest score both days and combined for seventh place overall with a 162. Chaplin snagged 24th with a 183, and Bertz took 27th with a 190.

The state championships concluded the Warriors’ golf season.