After their meet Thursday at Ames was postponed until Monday due to rain in the area, the misty, cloudy skies in Marshalltown Friday afternoon were not doing the Bobcats any favors.

Upon arrival at the MHS Tennis Complex, the courts were wet enough for the meet to be delayed from its original start time of 12:30 p.m. until just after 1:30 p.m.

Christensen said it would have been a big letdown to have two straight meets affected by the elements.

“I’m really glad we were able to play the next day [after Ames],” Christensen said. “If we would have had to sit on that and kind of stew on that Friday, Saturday and Sunday, that would have eaten at us a little bit.”

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Marshalltown’s Nile Christensen makes a forehand return during the No. 3 doubles match against Newton on Friday. Christensen and teammate Ethan Benscoter defeated William Muckler and Landon Heisdorffer in straight setes, 6-0, 6-2.

The Bobcats did get on the court eventually, and the result was a resounding 11-0 victory over the Cardinals.

The catalysts for the win were the Strand brothers, Kevin and Jason. The duo is the team’s Nos. 1 and 2 players, respectively and in Kevin’s 6-1, 6-2 victory over Newton’s Beau Baumgartner the junior showed his strong ability on the volley. Jason, a sophomore in his first year of varsity action, took home a 6-1, 6-0 singles win over Trent Hamand.

Nic Price continued the good form for the Bobcats with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Thomas Hodnett. On the back half of varsity Ethan Benscoter defeated John Valtman 6-1, 6-0, Drake Davis won 6-1, 6-2 against William Muckler and John Loney beat Landon Heisdorffer 6-1, 6-0.

In the doubles, the Strand brothers took care of Baumgartner and Hamand 6-1, 6-0.

The Strands have set a good benchmark for the rest of the Bobcats, Christensen said.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

“You know what they’re going to bring every time, both of them have a good variety to their games so they can match up with all sorts of different guys,” Christensen said.

Price and Davis faced a tough test from Valtman and Hodnett but came out on top 6-2, 6-3. Benscoter and Nile Christensen won 6-0, 6-2 against Muckler and Heisdorffer. Justin Melde and John Loney stepped up to beat Kyler Van Brogen and Landon Rae 6-1, 6-0 and Colin Schmidt and Austin Christen took down Owen Sanger and Cayden Jackson 6-0, 6-1.

The Bobcats did not lose a set in the entire dual.

Christensen said that the momentum built by winning matches he expects the team to win is critical as the year progresses.

“It really sets some momentum going for us keeping the gas pedal down,” Christensen said. “If you relax against some of those teams, it’ll carry over, especially in a double dual like today. Keeping the gas pedal down, plowing through and getting as many wins as we can really sets us up well.”

At the time of writing the Bobcats had not completed their dual with Mason City, but Marshalltown had taken the win by holding a 6-2 lead in completed matches. The Bobcats also play in the Johnston Invite Saturday.

Marshalltown 11, Newton 0

Singles

Kevin Strand (MHS) def. Blake Baumgartner, 6-1, 6-2

Jason Strand (MHS) def. Trent Hamand, 6-1, 6-0

Nic Price (MHS) def. Thomas Hodnett, 6-1, 6-1

Ethan Benscoter (MHS) def. John Valtman, 6-1, 6-0

Drake Davis (MHS) def. William Muckler, 6-1, 6-2

John Loney (MHS) def. Landon Heisdorffer, 6-1, 6-0

Doubles

Strand and Strand (MHS) def. Baumgartner and Hamand, 6-1, 6-0

Price and Davis (MHS) def. Hodnett and Valtman, 6-2, 6-3

Benscoter and Nile Christensen (MHS) def. Heisdorffer and Kyler Van Brogen, 6-0, 6-2

Loney and Justin Melde (MHS) def. Kyler Van Brogen and Landon Rae, 6-1, 6-0

Colin Schmit and Austin Christen (MHS) def. Owen Sanger and Cayden Jackson, 6-0, 6-1