But Marshalltown was at the head of the pack behind the runaway leaders — and it’s given the team a confident mindset heading into Wednesday’s second and final round.

The Bobcats shot a team score of 345, two off the team’s all-time best at the state tournament. The score has Marshalltown tied for second place with Pleasant Valley, 41 shots behind frontrunner West Des Moines Valley. Valley came into state as the clear No. 1 team at the event and has proven it so far — but the Bobcats feel good about where they stand, according to head coach Lucas Johnson.

“We’re very pleased with how we played overall,” Johnson said. “Given the fact that we’ve played out here as much as we have here over the course of the season, all the way back to the first meet of the year, there’s a comfort level and I think that showed today. Our girls feel like they know how to navigate this course now.”

Otter Creek Golf Course is playing host to the tournament, and while usually the links-style course — set next to Interstate 35 and with few trees on the course — is often wind-swept and impacts how players have to navigate the course. But on Tuesday, Johnson said the course was as docile as he’d ever seen it. With hardly a cloud in the sky and only a light breeze present most of the day, scoring conditions were good and birdies were available.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Marshalltown senior Kyra Feldman pitches onto the ninth green during Tuesday’s round at Otter Creek Golf Courrse in Ankeny.

Junior Amber Henson proved this point at the start of her round, with a birdie on the first hole and an eagle on No. 3, her first par-5 of the day.

Henson struggled at times with her approach shots, particularly on the front nine, and shot a 5-over-par 76. Henson also had a couple of difficult chip shots, but struck the ball well off the tee and had lots of positive moments. Johnson said he wasn’t worried about Henson, and added that she is in a good spot for the second round. Henson sits tied for seventh, nine shots off leader Paige Hoffman of Valley (4-under 67).

Second in line was Kyra Feldman, the senior taking part in her first-ever state event in her final act as a Bobcat. Feldman shot a 14-over 85, but birdied her first hole and struck the ball well.

Feldman said her putter let her down on some holes, but was proud of how she performed and where the team is on the leaderboard.

“I’m hoping for good weather conditions tomorrow, I’d just love to end my career with a best score or even a low round in the 80s again,” Feldman said. “I think we’re very excited right now for being tied for second. Coming in, we were ranked fourth in the state, so we were like, ‘OK we have a chance at the top three.'”

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Norah Wilson shot an 89, her best round at the varsity level. Johnson was impressed with her ability to play her best golf at state, and said he could see a round like this coming from her play in the past few weeks.

Brynn Van Buren had the fourth and final counting score for Marshalltown with a 95. Autumn Thompson shot a 106.

Since Marshalltown is in the top five in the team standings, the Bobcats will be teeing off from hole one Wednesday morning to get their final rounds underway. The tee times for each player are as follows: Thompson at 9 a.m., Van Buren at 9:20, Feldman at 9:40, Wilson at 9:50 and Henson in the final group off hole one at 10 a.m.

CLASS 4A

At Ankeny

Otter Creek Golf Course, par 71

Team Standings — 1. West Des Moines Valley 304, 2. (tie) Marshalltown 345, Pleasant Valley 345, 4. Bettendorf 347, 5. Cedar Falls 350, 6. Southeast Polk 356, 7. Linn-Mar 358, 8. Western Dubuque 360, 9. Waukee 361, 10. Dallas Center-Grimes 380.

Individual (top 10) — 1. Paige Hoffman, VAL, 67; 2. Shannyn Vogler, BETT, 69; 3. (tie) Morgan Hawkins, Dubuque Hempstead, 71; Isabella Pettersen, Iowa City Liberty, 71; 5. Rylee Heryford, Newton, 73; 6. Jaci Webb, Ankeny, 75; 7. (tie) Amara Lytle, CF, 76; Amber Henson, MHS, 76; 9. (tie) Megan Riesselman, Ames, 77; Erika Holmberg, PV, 77.

WDM VALLEY (304) — Hoffman 67, Hallie Yates 78, Saffire Sayre 78, Kayla Moline 81, Mariah Jensen 94, Katelyn Williams 97.

MARSHALLTOWN (345) — Henson 76, Kyra Feldman 85, Norah Wilson 89, Brynn Van Buren 95, Autumn Thompson 106.

PLEASANT VALLEY (345) — Holmberg 77, Maura Peters 80, Elizabeth McVey 90, Isabella Steele 98, Lily Dumas 107, Jillian Keppy 109.

BETTENDORF (347) — Vogler 69, Rheanna DeCrow 85, Sarah Giese 95, Annabelle Donohoo 98, Audrey Whitaker 98, Olivia Belanger 106.

CEDAR FALLS (350) — Lytle 76, Marley Richter 80, Haley Jacobs 96, Molly Schlotfeldt 98, Taylor Urbanek 98, Zoe Sexton 116.

SOUTHEAST POLK (356) — Rylin Davidson 83, Rylie Kruse 86, Delaney Koogler 93, Emmy Monson 94, Hannah Schwemm 100, Olivia Prunty 105.

LINN-MAR (358) — Abby Hoefle 83, Tatum Depuydt 83, Ava Kline 90, Gabby Mercure 102, Avery Carlson 114, Nina Mecure 116.

WESTERN DUBUQUE (360) — McKenna Stackis 78, Hanna Fangmann 91, Addy Jones 95, Ella Kluesner 96, Gabbi Fagerlind 97, Hanna Kluesner 97.

WAUKEE (361) — Hannah Pettitt 84, Sydney Vicente 90, Amelia Habgood 93, Adria Steinmetz 94, Jenna Van Bell 99, Bella Kennedy 100.

DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES (380) — Laura Klaessy 92, Emerson Kleis 93, Kaylin Petrak 96, Kaylee Huinker 99, Chloe Traver 108, Morgan Stork 112.

INDIVIDUALS — Hawkins, Dubuque Hempstead, 71; Pettersen, Iowa City Liberty, 71; Heryford, Newton, 73; Webb, Ankeny, 75; Riesselman, Ames, 77; Lauren Briggs, Burlington, 78; Addie Berg, Cedar Rapids Prairie, 82; Neely Maurus, Iowa City Liberty, 83; Emma Sorg, Cedar Rapids Washington, 84; Chase Doland, Waterloo West, 95.