Colin Schmit

ANKENY — Weather can be a great equalizer in sports, but it can also separate the strong-willed from the weak.

Marshalltown boys’ golf coach Lucas Johnson liked what Wednesday’s cold and rainy conditions exposed of his squad.

The Bobcats finished one stroke shy of the team title at the Ankeny Invite, finishing in with a 160 to trail only the host Hawks (159) on an unsavory day for golf at Otter Creek Golf Course.

Marshalltown’s final count featured three rounds below 40 and narrowly missed the team’s first tournament title of the fall season, holding off West Des Moines Valley (163) for second place in the 10-team event played over the back nine.

“As a coach, you learn an awful lot about a team and its character with how they play on a day like today,” Johnson said. “It was great to see the guys battle throughout their rounds and not try and do too much given the difficult conditions.

“To have three guys finish inside the top-10 against the strongest field we’ve seen this season is a great bounce-back after a couple of off meets.”

Colin Schmit earned runner-up medalist honors as the junior shot a 2-over-par 37. Ottumwa’s Cale Leonard carded the low round of the day with his 1-over 36.

“Colin Schmit especially was dialed in with his iron play and hit some great approaches to put himself in position to score well,” Johnson said.

Marshalltown junior Grant Greazel and freshman Ryan Schmit both shot the day’s seventh-best score of 39, while Cael Sandvick scored a 45 to round out the Bobcats’ team total.

MHS will return to Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames on Tuesday for the third time this season to compete in a 15-team tournament.