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Bobcats win Linda Bloom Invite

Marshalltown’s Amber Henson claims medalist

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Marshalltown junior Amber Henson tees off on the par-5 seventh hole at Elmwood Country Club during the Bobcats’ Linda Bloom Invite on Thursday. Henson was meet medalist with her 2-over-par round of 72, and the Bobcat girls claimed the team title as well.

On a day where the wind steadily grew in prevalence and it got more and more difficult to find low scores at the already difficult Elmwood Country Club, Marshalltown girls’ golf junior Amber Henson continued her strong start to the season Thursday afternoon.

A consistent score of 2-over-par 72 was enough for Henson to score an eight-stroke victory in the 10th annual Linda Bloom Invite, which the Bobcats hosted. Her score also helped the Bobcats take the team title, shooting a combined 61-over 361 to win by 19 shots over Southeast Polk.

It is the first time the Bobcats have won their home invite.

Henson wobbled at the start of her round, bogeying holes 2 and 3 to go 2-over through her first three holes. Despite the worsening playing conditions due to the gusting wind, she stayed calm. Henson did not have a birdie, but she finished the round with 15 consecutive pars to coast to the win.

Marshalltown head coach Lucas Johnson was very impressed with how Henson handled the conditions.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Marshalltown’s Kyra Feldman follows through on her shot from the seventh fairway during Thursday’s Linda Bloom Invite at Elmwood Country Club.

“Amber Henson played lights out on a day where scoring conditions steadily became more difficult as the round progressed,” Johnson said. “The winds picked up to the point where we even saw a ball get blown off the tee during one gust. For Amber to make 15 consecutive pars to end her round shows how consistent her ball-striking is right now.”

Norah Wilson grabbed a sixth-place finish in the event with a 93. Wilson had a 45 on the front nine and a 48 on the back, showing just how tough Elmwood was. Kyra Feldman had a difficult day but still pulled together a top ten by finishing eighth with a 94.

Brynn Van Buren rounded out the counting scores for the triumphant Bobcats with a 102 and a 22nd-place finish. Autumn Thompson shot a 119.

Thursday’s victory was a big development for Johnson, whose Bobcats hadn’t won an invitational for quite some time.

“Similarly to our win in Ames on Monday, our girls did a nice job bouncing back from the occasional rough holes that are going to happen when the course is playing as tough as it was,” Johnson said. “After going over a decade without an invitational win, to get two in the same week is a great indicator of the team’s potential. To win the Linda Bloom for the first time as a school on its 10th anniversary makes it even more special.”

Linda Bloom Invitational

Elmwood Country Club, par 70

Team Standings — 1. Marshalltown 361, 2. Southeast Polk 380, 3. Dallas Center-Grimes 390, 4. Ames 395, 5. Mason City 407, 6. Newton 410, 7. Ankeny Centennial 431, 8. Waukee 432, 9. Urbandale 436, 10. Nevada 445, 11. Grundy Center 455, 12. Fort Dodge 485, 13. Ottumwa 490, 14. Des Moines Roosevelt 589.

Individual (top 10) — 1. Amber Henson, MHS, 72; 2. Rylee Heryford, NWT, 80; 3. Megan Riesselman, AMES, 82; 4. Kaylin Petrak, DCG, 88; 5. Delaney Koogler, SEP, 90; 6. Norah Wilson, MHS; 93; 7. Taylor Balsley, AMES, 93; 8. Kyra Feldman, MHS, 94; 9. Emerson Kleis, DCG, 94; 10. Hannah Schwemm, SEP, 94.

MARSHALLTOWN (361) — Henson 72, Wilson 93, Feldman 94, Brynn Van Buren 94, Autumn Thompson 102.

SOUTHEAST POLK (380) — Koogler 90, Schwemm 94, Rylin Davidson 95, Emmy Monson 101, Rylie Kruse 101, Olivia Prunty 109.

DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES (390) — Petrak 88, Kleis 94, Laura Klaessy 98, Kaylee Huinker 110, Chloe Traver 121, Morgan Stork 121.

AMES (395) — Riesselman 82, Balsley 93, Bryce Bearson 104, Sydney Kain 116, Ellie Nusbaum 118, Ainsly Jurgens 124.

MASON CITY (407) — Sophie Lunning 98, Alyssa Alert 99, Ella Amundson 105, Lexis Campbell 105, Maris Clutter 112, Madelyn Benson 132.

NEWTON (410) — Heryford 80, Abby Price 105, Bekah Vasseau 109, Ella Price 116, Marin Pettigrew 122, Maddie Price 128.

ANKENY CENTENNIAL (431) — Payton Drefke 95, Vivian Wilson 106, Kaitlyn Ault 111, Tessa Woerdehoff 119, Olivia Joensen 121.

WAUKEE (432) — Bella Kennedy 104, Ella Thompson 104, Morgan Gallagher 112, Tessa Burkle 112, Ansley Adams 122, Grace Kelly 123.

URBANDALE (436) — Emma Christiansen 97, Anna Holub 113, Kayla McLeran 113, Megan Salmon 113, Keeli Stevens 115, Maddy Cochran 119.

NEVADA (445) — Ashlyn Sporrer 101, Bianca Sponseller 102, Bridget Cahill 114, Grace Heiden 128, Olivia Axmear 132, Katelyn Kingsbury 136.

GRUNDY CENTER (455) — Abbie Lindeman 96, Avery Dirks 106, Jessica Saak 126, Brylee Hoeg 127, Lauren Krausman 129, Ashlyn Kuiper 172.

FORT DODGE (485) — Alexis Kenney 111, Makayla Newson 119, Carson Zehr 127, Kaylynne Gilliland 128, Maddy Major 141, Alesha Strain 149.

OTTUMWA (490) — Zoey Jones 117, Makenzie Fischer 119, Graecie Wuebker 125, Emma Weilbrenner 129, Ava Green 131, Lilly Mitchell 145.

DM ROOSEVELT (589) — Jillian Hall 140, Katrin Klassen 146, Karly Sorrenson 149, Avery Maxwell 154.

GRINNELL — Molly Turley 144, Della Pease 147, Natalie Nieuwsma 156.

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