The Ames High boys golf team played through the wind and rain for a second place finish Tuesday evening at the Ames Invite. The Little Cyclones tied for first with Johnston at 298, but when it came to their fifth best scorer, Johnston pulled ahead. The sixteen teams there included Ankeny, Valley, and Johnston, all of which finished in the top 5 last year at state. “It always feels good to beat Valley, especially at your own meet,” senior golfer Nick McDermott said. “Being at home gave us a lot of confidence, but the wind and rain did affect us a little bit.” With the Ames Invite as one of their few home meets, the boys golf team made sure to play their best. It was a close meet for Ames, finishing just five strokes ahead of Valley. McDermott, junior Gracen Kostelecky, and junior Anson Woodin all placed in the top 10 out of a tough 177 golfers. “It felt good to have three finish in the top ten out of so many people,” McDermott said. “It’s nice to do so well at home because we rarely get to play here in front of friends and family.” “Everyone is stepping up and always working for the varsity position,” junior golfer Ryan Marrs said. “We really want to make it to state and do our best.” With only three returning varsity golfers, the Little Cyclones had a lot of shoes to fill. Last year the Little Cyclones placed 9th at state. This year the state meet is October 5th and 6th in Mason City. Woodin, Marrs, and McDermott are the returning state participants. “We really want to prove ourselves this year,” McDermott said. “We all know what we need to do to get there.” With districts less than two weeks away the boy’s golf team is looking to get in top shape. The Little Cyclones have a busy schedule with four meets this week where they’ll be going up against some of the best teams in the state.