T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - Marshalltown senior Harper Wilson watches as her par putt on the 18th hole finds the cup during Monday’s quadrangular meet at the American Legion Memorial Golf Course. Wilson earned runner-up medalist honors with a 6-over-par round of 41 as the Bobcats placed second out of four teams in their season-opening meet.

Eleven days later than originally scheduled, the Marshalltown girls’ golf team finally got to play its season opener.

Not a bad debut for the Bobcats.

Marshalltown’s Harper Wilson and Morgan Hilderbrand tied for the second-lowest round of the day and the Bobcats finished second in a home-course quadrangular to a returning state qualifier with Monday’s meet across the back nine at the American Legion Memorial Golf Course.

Norwalk, which placed seventh out of 10 teams at last year’s Class 4A state tournament, got the hometown Bobcats by just six strokes when Marshalltown’s season got underway Monday, 170-176.

Originally slated for April 2, the Bobcats’ season-opening tee time took a while to arrive but got off to a strong start.

Wilson, a senior, and Hilderbrand, a sophomore, shared the day’s second-lowest score to lead Marshalltown past Fort Dodge (226) and Newton (236) in the four-team event. MHS and Norwalk accounted for the six lowest scores and 13 of the best 14, if you include the Warriors’ junior varsity squad.

Warm, windy and well-contested is a good way to start the season, Wilson said.

“It was definitely an adjustment to make, but with spring golf, that’s all you can think about,” she said of the wind. “The weather’s always going to be a component, especially early in the season, so you just have to think about it and make sure you’re adjusting your shots as necessary.”

Wilson took the runner-up medalist honors in a cardback with Hilderbrand. Both Bobcats had a double bogey and four bogeys during the opening day, which was enhanced by Norwalk’s presence.

The Warriors return only two members of last year’s state roster, but on Monday they counted four scores of 44 or better. Evelyn Kinney, one of those returners, took medalist honors with her 5-over-par 40 that included a birdie on the par-5 15th hole.

“I think it was good for us to gauge where we’re at,” Wilson said. “Our lineup has changed a lot in a year, so we’re just kind of seeing where we’re at, and honestly it helped us a little bit with our confidence. We see we can compete with these better teams and especially going into our busy season, where we’re going to see teams like Waukee Northwest and Southeast Polk at Invites, we’ll be able to gauge where we’re at in our confidence level.”

Marshalltown returned four players with varsity experience, and three of them have played on state tournament teams. Wilson, a senior and captain, will flourish as the team leader according to head coach Lucas Johnson.

“Harper has been a tremendous captain and leader,” he said. “So far as the season’s gone on, especially with underclassmen, she’s helping them out — not only with the technical things on the golf course but also the mental side of it. Harper’s a brilliant kid in the classroom, so that translates really well to the golf course where we’re playing a game where you have to make decision after decision after decision.”

Behind the 41s from Wilson and Hilderbrand, the Bobcats got a 45 from freshman Avery Polley and a 49 from junior Emma Clawson. Fellow junior Hanna Osgood added a 51, and sophomore Anna Phomvisay finished out with a 64.

Sophomores Kamryn Price and Teagan Niedermann shot 52 and 53, respectively, for the Bobcat junior varsity, and Betsy Wirin added a 69.

Johnson hopes early-season competition — both in practice and in meets — will make his roster decisions more challenging as the spring continues.

“At the beginning of the year, you’re just looking to get those competitive reps and to see where you’re at because we can go out as many times as we want in the preseason and put rounds together,” he said. “But that’s not the same. So for the girls to go out and compete against a very good Norwalk squad and be right there and take two of the top three spots in the meet, there are a ton of positives that we can build on going forward.”

The Bobcats are scheduled for three more meets in the next week, starting with Tuesday’s trip to Highland Park Golf Course in Mason City for an Iowa Alliance Conference dual meet at 3:30 p.m. Ankeny’s Tony Dickey Hawkette Invite is Thursday at Otter Creek, and Valley’s Lamson Invite is next Monday at Willow Creek in West Des Moines.

“We’re kind of a young team, our varsity lineup’s pretty young, so it’s just about reminding everyone that there’s no pressure,” Wilson said. “Just go out there and do what you know how to do. There’s nothing riding on this meet, and we know we can play, so just go out there and do your best.”

At Marshalltown

American Legion Memorial Golf Course, back nine, par 35

Team Standings — 1. Norwalk 170, 2. Marshalltown 176, 3. Fort Dodge 226, 4. Newton 236.

Individual (top 5) — 1. Evelyn Kinney, NOR, 40; 2. Harper Wilson, MHS, 41; 3. Morgan Hilderbrand, MHS, 41; 4. Aubrey Heaverlo, NOR, 43; 5. Addie Smith, NOR, 43.

MARSHALLTOWN (176) — Wilson 41, Hilderbrand 41, Avery Polley 45, Emma Clawson 49, Hanna Osgood 51, Anna Phomvisay 64.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE – Marshalltown sophomore Morgan Hilderbrand watches the path of her birdie putt on the par-3 18th hole during Monday’s meet at the American Legion Memorial Golf Course. Hilderbrand shot a 41 to help the Bobcats to second place.