The Bobcats shot a 313 to finish three strokes ahead of Ottumwa for the top spot in the 5-team meet, led by medalist Eli Polley shooting a 3-over 73.

Ty Faltys was two strokes back as runner-up, Adam Boone shot an 82 to finish sixth overall and Jacob Seberger and Joe Greazel each carded 83s to share the last counting score for MHS. Parker Christen contributed an 89 as the final score of the day.

Polley was 2-over at the turn before bogeying three of the next four holes, but played the final five holes at 2-under with birdies on Nos. 15 and 17.

Faltys recovered from a 4-over 39 on the front nine, including a double bogey on No. 3, to play a much more steady back nine, including a birdie on the par-5 No. 15, to finish at 5-over for the day.

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Marshalltown senior Eli Polley tees off on the par-3 16th hole during Tuesday’s meet at the American Legion Memorial Golf Course. Polley won medalist honors with his round of 3-over-par 73 to help the Bobcats win the six-team tournament to start the season.

“We had to lock in and focus for those last nine holes,” MHS head coach Lucas Johnson said. “I think our guys did that for the most part, I was really proud of how they finished because we talk all the time about how it’s not about the opening holes but how you bring it in the end.”

Adam Boone, one of the three seniors on this year’s team along with Polley and Faltys, birdied No. 4 to try and ease the sting of back-to-back double bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3 and didn’t shoot worse than a bogey the rest of the way.

“He did a nice job of just keeping it together,” Johnson said. “I know he wants some of those bogeys back but at the end of the day, it was enough for us to sneak out a win.”

After hitting double bogey on the par-5 No. 2, Joe Greazel birdied the next two par 5s he faced to bounce back from a shaky first round as a high school varsity golfer.

“Really happy for him to just get that experience under his belt,” Johnson said. “That was probably one of the worst rounds he’s played this summer but it was still enough to get him a counting score right alongside Jacob Seberger who was also playing in his first varsity meet along with Parker.”

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Marshalltown senior Adam Boone attempts a putt on the 14th green during Tuesday’s home meet at the American Legion Memorial Golf Course. Boone shot an 82 to finish sixth overall in the six-team tournament.

Two more 18-hole meets await the rest of this week: another Alliance meet at Veenker on Wednesday followed by a large meet at the Saddleback course in Solon on Thursday.

“It’s good to play some meets before school starts when we can just play 18 holes and find out where our games are at,” Johnson said. “It gives us a really good opportunity to go back to the drawing board and see where we can continue to make strides later on in the season.”

Fort Dodge shot a 354 for third in the team standings, Des Moines Lincoln was fourth at 430 and Des Moines North finished with 484.

Iowa Alliance Meet

American Legion Memorial Golf Course, par 70

Team Standings — 1. Marshalltown 313, 2. Ottumwa 316, 3. Fort Dodge 354, 4. Marshalltown JV 363, 5. Ottumwa JV 394, 6. Des Moines Lincoln 430, 7. Fort Dodge JV 468, 8. Des Moines North 484.

Medalist — Eli Polley, MHS, 73; Runner-up — Ty Faltys, MHS, 75.

MARSHALLTOWN (313) — Polley 73, Faltys 75, Adam Boone 82, Joe Greazel 83, Jacob Seberger 83, Parker Christen 89.

MARSHALLTOWN JV (363) — Carter Bell 88, Gavin Misek 89, Bryson Payne 91, Tayven Dutton 95, Trae Misek 97, Korben McKibben 103.