Seven girls and seven boys from Pella High School will be amongst the estimated one thousand athletes running in the 2011 Iowa High School State Cross Country Meet today in Fort Dodge.

The Class 3A race in both girls and boys is anticipated to be the most highly competitive of all classes, as a significant portion of last year’s highest-scoring teams and highest-placing individuals are returning.

Pella head cross country coach Doug Cutler says the team has a clear-cut goal for what they hope to do on the course, as well as high aspirations for the team standings.

The Pella boys team enters the meet as the slight favorite, holding the No. 1 ranking for the majority of the season; though they expect to face heavy challenges from Boone and Decorah, among others.

In the girls’ race, Pella’s strong 1-2 combo of Gabi Meirick and Hannah Martin gives the Lady Dutch a presence out front, with their next three runners less than a minute behind. Defending champion Dubuque Wahlert, along with Solon and Decorah are also expected to finish high in Class 3A.

The meet is hosted at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge and is believed to be the largest cross country meet in America.