One year and 200 miles away, the Warren Central Lady Vikes got close enough to a state championship to taste it.

This time, they got a little home cooking and a chance to savor the sweet fruit of success.

Eighth-grader Karley Whittington shot a final-round 78 to earn medalist honors, and Warren Central squeaked out a six-shot victory to claim the team title at the MHSAA Class III Girls Golf Championships Tuesday at Clear Creek Golf Course in Bovina.

It’s the first state championship for Warren Central in any team sport since it won the Class 5A baseball title in 2001.

“It’s a very good day for us as a school,” WC coach Matt Williams said. “Karley, Peyton (Rutherford) and Christine (Miller) worked really hard for two years. Last year we came really close and didn’t get it. This feels really good.”

Warren Central finished as the runner-up in 2013, 12 shots behind Hancock. This time, it was on the right side of a hotly contested tournament.

The Lady Vikes entered the final round with a three-shot lead over Tupelo. St. Martin was six shots back, and Hernando, Madison Central and Hancock were all lurking in the pack if any of the leaders slipped up.

Whittington, Rutherford and Miller made sure it wasn’t going to be them.

Whittington’s 78 was the lowest round of the tournament, and allowed her to overcome a two-shot deficit to Tupelo’s Michaela Bryan and St. Martin’s Sydney Cato for the individual title.

Whittington finished with a two-day total of 162, five shots better than Cato’s 167. Bryan was third, at 168.

Cato shot an 85 on Tuesday and Bryan an 86.

“My game just wasn’t on (Monday),” said Whittington, who hit two balls in the water in her opening-round 84 on Monday. “I got a good night’s sleep and I was ready to go when I got up.”

Whittington had a comfortable lead heading to the 18th hole, but said she did feel some nerves. Her tee shot hooked into some trees on the right side, then she made a nice recovery to just in front of the green with her second shot. She ended up bogeying the hole.

“When I got on the tee box, I just knew I didn’t have to hook it. Then I pushed it,” Whittington said. “I was just hoping for the best when I got up there. I made a really nice punch shot to the green to chip.”

Rutherford had an admittedly disappointing final round with a 91 and totaled 177 for the tournament to finish in seventh place. She shot an 86 in the first round and started Tuesday tied for third.

The senior did, however, rally late to help the Lady Vikes secure the team title. She birdied the 18th hole to give the day a memorable finish and end any thoughts of a miracle comeback by either Tupelo or St. Martin.

“The whole round I was thinking, ‘What if I lose the state championship for my team?’ Luckily, that didn’t happen,” Rutherford said.

Miller shot a 94 on Tuesday and a two-day total of 193, which tied for 12th place. Only the top two scores per day for each day count toward the team total.

Warren Central’s team total of 339 edged St. Martin’s 345 and was 19 shots better than Tupelo, which faded in the second round and finished with 358. Madison Central came in fourth place, at 363.

“You have no clue how it feels to get second last year, and then my senior year get a state championship,” Rutherford said. “Today was close. It was a little too close for comfort.”