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We reach the homestretch in our top ten countdown for area teams and for Pella High, a final five list that includes some remarkable moments.

For number five from Pella, we highlight an incredible race to the finish at the famous Blue Oval at Drake Stadium.

One of the rare and true four-sport athletes, Avery Van Zee knew coming into the year he wanted to be in the mix for a state title during the spring, after a personal best finish at the state meet in 2017 in the 400 meter hurdles.

After the dust settled from district meet qualifying, Van Zee was assigned a lane most track athletes dread in his strongest race — number eight, which meant no matter how fast he started, Van Zee was the one being chased.

But, in a truly inspired effort, Van Zee was chased, but never passed, and shaved off nearly two seconds from his own personal best to claim an individual state championship in the 400 meter hurdles. Van Zee, who was clearly exhausted after the race, made sure to thank those who believed he could win the whole thing.

“This is something I’ve been dreaming off ever since I started doing the 400 hurdles last year,” Van Zee told KNIA/KRLS News post-race. “The coaches believed in me, told me I could do it, and I didn’t run the fastest district time so I knew I had to come out here and compete with a whole bunch of great guys, so just coming out in lane eight and knowing I just had to turn it on, and coach just said ‘let them catch you,’ and that was just my whole goal coming into this.”

Van Zee’s individual title was the exclamation point on a career that included participation on varsity when Pella’s boys won a team track and football title in 2016. He will continue his track and field career as a multi-event athlete at Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

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