“Overall I’m pretty happy with how I played,” Henson said. “The goal was to win state and I almost did that but just came up short on the playoff hole, but Shannyn [Vogler] is a great player.

“Losing to a birdie, I’m OK with.”

With a two-day score of 73-70–143 (1 over par) at Otter Creek Golf Course, Henson tied for first place after 36 holes with the Bettendorf senior Vogler for the individual title. They went to a sudden-death playoff on the par-3 15th hole, where Vogler hit her tee shot to within six feet of the hole and buried the birdie putt to take her second-consecutive title.

Henson’s second place helped to put the Bobcats in third in the team standings with a two day score of 333-332–665, the realization of a preseason goal of the team.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Marshalltown’s Amber Henson acknowledges her fans after closing her round with a birdie on the 18th hole during Friday’s final 18 holes at Otter Creek Golf Course in the Class 4A girls’ state golf tournament in Ankeny.

Marshalltown head coach Lucas Johnson was extremely proud of his team for their collective performance over the two days.

“Tremendously proud of the way our girls competed over two days,” Johnson said. “The fact we were here last year and finished in the top five I think gave the girls confidence because they knew what to expect, especially our seniors.

“I’m just really proud of the way they competed and kept themselves in the game as long as possible.”

One of three seniors competing in their final rounds for Marshalltown, Henson was 2-over through the first seven holes of the round. On the par-4 eighth hole, she made her first birdie of the event. Making another birdie on the ninth, she then birdied the par-5 11th hole to go 1-under on the round. After a bogey on the 12th and pars on 13 and 14, she began a three-hole stretch of good birdie opportunities that went begging. While she was a little frustrated, she was encouraged by her shotmaking. On her 18th and final hole of regulation, she finally cashed in — making birdie from 12 feet out to post a 1-under 70.

Despite missing out on the title, she said she was proud of what she’d done — and what the Bobcats did as a team.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Marshalltown’s Norah Wilson watches her putt roll on the fourth green during Friday’s final 18 holes of the Class 4A girls state golf tournament at Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny. Wilson finished with a 12-over-par 83, tying her for 18th place overall.

“I’m just really proud of the season as a whole, not just the state tournament,” Henson said. “I’m also really proud of the team. One of our goals was to get third at state, and we accomplished that. That’s really awesome for us, and I’m really proud of the girls and how far they’ve come along this season.”

Another of the strong performances on Friday was from Norah Wilson, who followed up her 84 on Thursday with a 12-over 83 on Friday to finish off her high school career.

Wilson played consistent, strong golf on Friday, and said she used the knowledge of Otter Creek to her advantage — with the course a little firmer and wind down, it was a course without its defenses.

“It played nicely today,” Wilson said. “This is a course I know very well, so I was pretty confident coming into it and I think I played fairly well.”

Natalie Henson followed up her first-day 85 with a 15-over 86, while fellow freshman Gaby Estabrook was again the fourth counting score with a 22-over 93. Johnson said he was impressed with how the freshmen handled themselves on a big stage and said he hoped this was just a starting point for the duo.

Senior Brynn Van Buren ended her career with a 93, while Autumn Thompson improved on her Thursday score by 11 shots with a 100 on Friday.

The Bobcats finished nine shots behind second-place Pleasant Valley in the team standings, and champions West Des Moines Valley shot a two-day mark of 637.

Johnson was complimentary of the three seniors on the roster, all of whom made their second appearances at state this season.

“Our seniors are just a special group,” Johnson said. “They’ve been with our program since they were in seventh grade. They’ve worked hard, they’ve gotten better and for them to be able to end it at state and finish top-three just makes me awfully proud of the work they’ve done.

“They’ve left our program in a really good place going forward.”

Iowa High School Girls State Golf Tournament

CLASS 4A

Otter Creek Golf Course, par 71

(* won on first hole of playoff)

Team Standings — 1. West Des Moines Valley 325-312–637, 2. Pleasant Valley 325-331–656, 3. Marshalltown 333-332–665, 4. Cedar Falls 344-342–686, 5. Western Dubuque 352-339–691, 6. Southeast Polk 349-344–693, 7. Bettendorf 354-346–700, 8. Waukee Northwest 349-356–705, 9. Linn-Mar 362-343–705, 10. Ankeny Centennial 364-357–721.

Individual (top 10) — 1. *Shannyn Vogler, BET, 72-71–143; 2. Amber Henson, MHS, 73-70–143; 3. Isabella Pettersen, Iowa City Liberty, 77-72–149; 4. Hallie Yates, VAL, 79-72–151; 5. (tie) Maura Peters, PV, 77-77–154; Morgan Rupp, L-M, 76-78–154; McKenna Stackis, WD, 78-76–154; 8. (tie) Addie Berg, Cedar Rapids Prairie, 80-76–158; Saffire Sayre, VAL, 76-80–158; 10. (tie) Erika Holmberg, PV, 76-81–157; Hannah Pettitt, WNW, 80-77–157.

WDM VALLEY (637) — Yates 79-72–151, Sa. Sayre 76-80–156, Kayla Moline 81-79–160, Shanel Sayre 90-81–171, Katelyn Williams 89-89–178, Mariah Jensen 108-114–222.

PLEASANT VALLEY (656) — Peters 77-77–154, Holmberg 76-81–157, Elizabeth McVey 83-85–168, Isabella Steele 89-88–177, Lily Dumas 104-91–195, Jillian Keppy 109-118–227.

MARSHALLTOWN (665) — A. Henson 73-70–143, Norah Wilson 84-83–167, Natalie Henson 85-86–171, Gaby Estabrook 91-93–184, Brynn Van Buren 92-93–185, Autumn Thompson 111-100–211.

CEDAR FALLS (686) — Marley Richter 81-80–161, Molly Ratchford 85-79–164, Haley Jacobs 97-91–178, Taylor Urbanek 91-92–183, Zoe Sexton 98-94–192, Jacy Nielsen 102-104–206.

WESTERN DUBUQUE (691) — Stackis 78-76–154, CeCe Ball 91-85–176, Gabi Fagerlind 94-86–180, Hanna Kluesner 91-92–183, Addy Jones 92-92–184, Ella Kluesner 93-95–188.

SOUTHEAST POLK (693) — Rylin Davidson 84-83–167, Lauren Brown 85-86–171, Olivia Prunty 89-86–175, Lillian Wheeler 95-89–184, Hannah Schwemm 91-95–186, Sophia George 114-106–220.

BETTENDORF (700) — Vogler 72-71–143, Sarah Giese 90-91–181, Olivia Belanger 95-92–187, Annabelle Donohoo 101-92–193, Elli Danielsen 97-97–194, Victoria Batey 104-NC, Kyleigh Meier NC-113.

WAUKEE NORTHWEST (705) — Pettitt 80-77–157, Jenna Van Bell 88-89–177, Amelia Habgood 90-91–181, Chloe Sundet 91-104–195, Ella Thompson 107-99–206, Hannah Kenkel 116-102–218.

LINN-MAR (705) — Rupp 76-78–154, Ava Kline 90-82–172, Abby Hoefle 98-88–186, Gabby Mercure 98-95–193, Avery Carlson 109-109–218, Nina Mercure NC-106.

ANKENY CENTENNIAL (721) — Payton Drefke 82-79–161, Vivian Wilson 92-91–183, Olivia Joensen 96-90–186, Kaitlyn Ault 94-97–191, Grace Miller 105-112–217, Samantha Lazear 111-114–225.

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