ANKENY — The Marshalltown girls’ golf team finally got its first chance at an 18-hole invitational this spring season at the Toni Dickey Invite hosted by Otter Creek Golf Course.

Thanks to copious rain the day before the Thursday morning event — along with a thick fog that delayed the start by an hour — Otter Creek was a changing course. Soft in the morning and drying out slightly as the day went along, head coach Lucas Johnson said it presented a solid first full-18 test for the Bobcats. Marshalltown finished third out of 13 teams in the final standings with a total score of 345.

“We were really happy to have three of the top seven golfers in the field,” Johnson said. “The most challenging aspect aside from the wind is the large green complexes. This course in particular is one that will penalize golfers if they’re not precise with their speed control. It felt like we gave away a few shots with the putter and with short game.”

Leading the way for Marshalltown was its senior leader Amber Henson. Henson struggled early in the day with the putter, but held it together and made some strong shots on the way in for a 39-36-75 and a third-place finish at 4-over.

Johnson called Amber a “rock” for the Bobcats and a consistent score-setter, despite it being so early in the season.

She was the first of three Bobcats in the top-10 individual finishers. Senior Noah Wilson shot 11-over 82 with a 6-over 42 on the front nine and a 5-over 40 on the inward nine. She birdied the par-4 12th hole and had six bogeys and three double-bogeys to finish in sixth place.

Natalie Henson, one of two freshmen on this Bobcats team, was right behind Wilson in seventh place after shooting 12-over 83. Natalie also struggled with putting early and had multiple three-putts but put together a solid round in her first attempt at an 18-hole meet at the varsity level.

Gaby Estabrook, the team’s other freshman, shot 105 and had the fourth and final counting score.

Johnson said it was a good experience for the two freshmen to get, despite not having perfect days.

“For our freshmen, they’re definitely doing new things,” Johnson said. “It’s their first true go-around for an 18 hole meet, and at this point in the season it’s all wins for us because it’s experience. It’ll make us better down the road”

Brynn Van Buren shot 35-over 106 and Autumn Thompson rounded out the scoring for Marshalltown with a 114.

Marshalltown has four meets in five days next week, starting with the Turk Bowman Invite Monday at Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames.

Toni Dickey Invite

Otter Creek Golf Course, par 71

Team Standings — 1. Valley 326, 2. Clear Lake 340, 3. Marshalltown 345, 4. Ankeny Centennial 372, 5. Southeast Polk 383, 6. Newton 391, 7. Ames 392, 8. Ankeny 394, 9. Dallas Center-Grimes 406, 10. Dowling Catholic 408, 11. Indianola 417, 12. Des Moines East 499, 13. Fort Dodge 544.

Individual (top 10) — 1. Saffire Sayre, VAL, 72; 2. Rylee Heryford, NWT, 73; 3. Amber Henson, MHS, 75; 4. Rebecca DeLong, CL, 75; 5. Hallie Yates, VAL, 77; 6. Norah Wilson, MHS, 82; 7. Natalie Henson, MHS, 83; 8. Meghan DeLong, CL, 84; 9. Payton Drefke, AC, 84; 10. Rylin Davidson, SEP, 85.

MARSHALLTOWN (345) — A. Henson 75, Wilson 82, N. Henson 83, Gaby Estabrook 105, Brynn Van Buren 106, Autumn Thompson 114.