Your Prep Sports

It took just one day at the state golf tournament for Liberty High freshman Bella Pettersen to show she belongs with the best in the state.

Pettersen fired an even-par 71 on the opening day of the Class 4A state tournament at Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny on Tuesday and currently sits in a tie for third at the 36-hole, two-day event.

West Des Moines Valley’s Paige Hoffman is the leader after shooting a four-under-par 67 on Tuesday while Bettendorf’s Shannyn Vogler is two strokes off the lead after an opening-round 69.

Pettersen positioned herself right in the thick of the individual title race by shooting a 71 in her state tournament debut on Tuesday.

The freshman opened with a one-over 37 on the front nine and shot one-under par on the back nine to finish the round even.

Pettersen is tied with Dubuque Hempstead senior Morgan Hawkins who also shot an even-par 71.

Liberty High senior Neely Maurus shot 83 on Tuesday and is in a four-way tie for 19^th place.

Pettersen had back-to-back birdies on the par-five third and par-three fourth and added two more birdies on the back nine on her way to even-par.

West Des Moines Valley shot a 304 and leads the team title race by 41 strokes over Pleasant Valley and Marshalltown which each shot 345 on Tuesday.

Play continues on Wednesday.

Class 4A State Meet

At Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny

Team scores – 1. West Des Moines Valley 304; 2. Marshalltown 345; 2. Pleasant Valley 345; 4. Bettendorf 347; 5. Cedar Falls 350; 6. Southeast Polk 356; 7. Linn-Mar 358; 8. Western Dubuque 360; 9. Waukee 361; 10. Dallas Center-Grimes 380

Individual leaders – 1. Paige Hoffman (West Des Moines Valley) 33-34 – 67; 2. Shannyn Vogler (Bettendorf) 34-35 – 69; 3. Morgan Hawkins (Dubuque Hempstead) 35-36 – 71; 3. Bella Pettersen (Liberty High) 37-34 – 71; 5. Rylee Heryford (Newton) 36-37 – 73; 6. Jaci Webb (Ankeny) 37-38 – 75; 7. Amara Lytle (Cedar Falls) 39-37 – 76; 7. Amber Henson (Marshalltown) 40-36 – 76; 9. Megan Reisselman (Ames) 30-37 – 77; 9. Erika Holmberg (Pleasant Valley) 40-37 – 77; 11. Lauren Briggs (Burlington) 40-38 – 78; 11. Saffire Sayre (West Des Moines Valley) 38-40 – 78; 11. McKenna Stackis (Western Dubuque) 40-38 – 78; 11. Hallie Yates (West Des Moines Valley) 37-41 – 78; 15. Maura Peters (Pleasant Valley) 37-43 – 80; 15. Marly Richter (Cedar Falls) 40-40 – 80; 19. Neely Maurus (Liberty High) 46-37 – 83

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