CEDAR RAPIDS — Stepping up to the No. 10 tee box at Elmcrest Country Club Saturday, it was very real for Marshalltown junior Ryan Schmit. He had arrived on the biggest stage of Iowa high school golf.

In a three-way tie for seventh place entering the final round of the Class 4A state tournament, Schmit was in the last group to go off the 10th hole and played with the eventual individual champion, Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Reid Hall. Schmit said having played with the other competitors in his group before made it easier to adjust to the intensity of the day.

Beginning the day with three straight bogeys, it took nearly nine holes for Schmit to get back in the groove that saw him shoot a 74 on Friday. After going 7-over-par through eight holes, he turned it around and shot an 8-over 78 to come home with a tie for 14th place in his first attempt at state.

Schmit said he thought he handled the experience well overall.

“I think these last two days have shown me I can compete with anyone,” Schmit said. “I have a whole winter and a whole summer to get better, and I’m really excited for what next season holds.

“I really think I have what it takes to be on top of that leaderboard next year.”

Early in the round, the greens were giving the junior a lot of issues — a sharp contrast to his Friday round in which he had no three-putts. Recording 20 putts over the first nine holes, he said the greens were much faster on Saturday and threw off his understanding of the greens — at times meaning he left putts short. Two of the first three holes were three putts.

It wasn’t until the par-four 18th hole that he had a one-putt — but it was a putt he needed to go down. Making a birdie to go out in a 6-over 41, it settled him down and he went on to par the next six holes. The positive for Schmit was his ball-striking, which was much improved from Friday’s opening round.

This level of steadiness was something Johnson was proud of, and Schmit added that it spoke to the growth in not just the play on the course but with his mental approach to the game.

“If you compare the start of my season to the end of my season, you can definitely see a huge amount of growth,” Schmit said. “My golf game improved, but I think it was mainly because of my mindset.”

Bogeys on holes seven and eight meant he ended his day with a 2-over 37 on the inward nine, finishing 12-over and 11 shots off Hall’s winning score. Braeden Wilson of West Des Moines Valley finished second at 2-over-par.

Still, it was a top-15 finish and a culmination to a strong season for the junior — after a difficult start to the fall.

Johnson was very impressed with how Schmit handled the weekend and continued his run of good form.

“It was a great experience for him,” Johnson said. “That’s been the story of his last two-three weeks of golf is having that confidence to know that however he’s hitting it, he can still put together a good score.

“I was really happy to see him find his groove the last three weeks or so, and I know he’ll build on it moving forward.”

Marshalltown will not just return Schmit, but it will also return Ty Faltys, Eli Polley, Jacob Thiessen and Brecken Payne — all of whom got extensive varsity experience in 2022.

Class 4A Boys State Golf

Elmcrest Country Club, par 70

Team Standings — 1. Johnston 304-291–595, 2. Cedar Falls 306-291–597, 3. Waukee 302-313–615, 4. Indianola 304-312–616, 5. Pleasant Valley 309-310–619, 6. Cedar Rapids Xavier 314-308–622, 7. (tie) Southeast Polk 313-310–623, Waukee Northwest 313-310–623, 9. Dowling Catholic 318-308–626, 10. Dubuque Wahlert 332-316–648, 11. Western Dubuque 340-321–661, 12. Sioux City Bishop Heelan 340-324–664.

Individual (top 10) — 1. Reid Hall, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 71-70–141; 2. Braeden Nelson, West Des Moines Valley, 72-70–142; 3. (tie) Sam Wahman, SEP, 74-69–143; Owen Sawyer, CR, 70-73–143; 5. Tanner Dinnebier, WAU, 71-73–144; 6. Keaton Thissen, Davenport Assumption, 75-70–145; 7. Andrew Johannsen, JHN, 77-69–146; 8. (tie) Blake Cronin, WNW, 72-75–147; Ben Christy, JHN, 76-71–147; 10. (tie) Maxwell Tjoa, CF, 76-73–149; Preston Bily, IND, 72-77–149.

MARSHALLTOWN — 14. (tie) Ryan Schmit 74-78–152.