Phoebe Hermanson

DES MOINES — The Marshalltown girls track team got to compete on the Blue Oval at Drake University in the Blue Oval Invite on Saturday, and many of the girls shined on the big stage.

Bobcat freshman Phoebe Hermanson rose to the occasion in her first high school competition on the Blue Oval, as she placed third in the 3,000-meter run with a career-best time of 10 minutes, 40.86 seconds. That time is good for the 18th-best in the state regardless of class, which puts Hermanson in line for a Drake Relays qualification.

Hermanson also finished seventh in the 1,500 with a season-best 5:03.63.

The 4×400 relay team of Priscila Vergara, Sarah Trowbridge, Mya Gallegos and Mia Barajas placed sixth with a season-best 4:24.28, and the 4×100 team of Trowbridge, Kierra Gardner, Alyvia Chadderdon and Abby Welden was seventh with a season-best 53.09.

Gabby Himes got an eighth-place finish in the high jump with a vault of 4 feet, 8 inches. Three different relay placed ninth as well, with the sprint medley team of Gardner, Chadderdon, Welden and Vergara running a season-best 2:00.3, the shuttle hurdle relay of Erica Johnson, Himes, Valeria Beccera and Mia Rasmusson running a season-best 1:14.79 and the distance medley relay team of Grace Collins, Chadderdon, Gallegos and Rachel Smith running a 4:49.08.

Next up the Bobcats will be in action at Cedar Falls on Tuesday, starting at 4:30 p.m.