Dozens of local athletes will make the trek to the famous blue oval in Des Moines this week for the 2018 Iowa High School State Track and Field meet.

The community of Pella will be more than well represented, with Pella High School athletes looking to contend for trophies in numerous individual events and for team gold. The Lady Dutch have 19 entries over 14 events, and Pella’s boys will have 15 over 13, with many seeded in the top eight and looking to rack up points for both squads.

Pella Christian will be sending 17 total entries between the boys and girls teams, with many having their sights set on top eight finishes.

While a team championship is out of the picture for the Panthers, they will hope to see another fun week out of Sophomore Katie Keitges, who qualified for all three individual distance events and the distance medley relay — the second year in a row she qualified in four races.

PCM boys and girls stockpiled meet wins for much of the season and that success translated to 16 events combined competing in the Blue Oval this week. Ashley Miller is headlining for the Mustangs qualifying for four events in her senior campaign. Freshman Margo Chipps has been nothing short of remarkable, as the freshman will be competing in three events. Noah Anderson is also in three events on the boys’ side.

Relay teams have been the strength of both Pleasantville squads and they will be represented competing in the boys 4x100m, 4x200m, and sprint medley while the girls will compete in the 4x100m. Four other events will be represented by the Trojans between the boys and girls teams.

Listen for live updates Thursday through Saturday from Drake Stadium in Des Moines on KNIA/KRLS.

Thursday, May 17th
3000 Meter Run (Finals) – 1A Girls – J’Lyn Knutson, Melcher-Dallas – 9:40 a.m.
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 1A Boys – Nick Haselhaun, Twin Cedars – 11:00 a.m. (Heat 2)
400 Meter Dash (Finals) – 1A Boys – Nick Haselhaun, Twin Cedars – 1:40 p.m. (Heat 2)
400 Meter Dash (Finals) – 1A Boys – Ethan Harrington, Melcher-Dallas – 1:40 p.m. (Heat 2)
Long Jump (Finals) – 2A Boys – Kade Vander Molen, Pella Christian – 2:00 p.m. (Flight 1)
Long Jump (Finals) – 2A Boys – Payton Strovers, PCM – 2:00 p.m. (Flight 1)
Shot Put (Finals) – 2A Girls – Allison Van Gorp, Pella Christian – 2:00 p.m (Flight 1)
Discus (Finals) – 3A Girls – Elly Cairney, Pella – 2:00 p.m (Flight 2)
4×110 Meter Shuttle Hurdle (Prelim) – 3A Boys – Pella – 3:00 p.m. (Heat 3)
3000 Meter Run (Final) – 3A Girls – Katie Keitges, Knoxville – 3:35 p.m.
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Girls – Mary Kate Bandstra, Pella Christian – 4:20 p.m. (Heat 2)
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Girls – Ashley Miller, PCM – 4:20 p.m. (Heat 2)
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 3A Girls – Annika Pingel, Pella – 4:30 p.m. (Heat 3)
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 3A Girls – Emily Vos, Pella – 4:30 p.m. (Heat 3)
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 3A Girls – Abbey Jackson, Knoxville – 4:30 p.m. (Heat 3)
Shot Put (Finals) – 2A Boys – Chaz Clark, Pleasantville – 4:30 p.m. (Flight 2)
Discus (Finals) – 3A Boys – Kody Huisman, Pella – 4:30 p.m. (Flight 1)
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Boys – Noah Anderson, PCM – 4:40 p.m. (Heat 1)
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Boys – Preston Van Wyk, PCM – 4:40 p.m. (Heat 2)
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Boys – Noah Treimer, Pella Christian – 4:40 p.m. (Heat 2)
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Boys – Thomas Ragan, Pleasantville – 4:40 p.m. (Heat 3)
200 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 3A Boys – Curtis Ware, Pella – 4:50 p.m. (Heat 2)
4×800 Relay (Finals) – 2A Girls – PCM – 5 p.m. (Section 1)
4×800 Relay (Finals) – 2A Girls – Pella – 5:25 p.m. (Section 2)
4×800 Relay (Finals) – 3A Boys – Pella – 6:10 p.m. (Section 2)
100 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Girls – Ashley Miller, PCM – 6:30 p.m. (Heat 2)
100 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Girls – Kasey Pelzer, Pleasantville – 6:30 p.m. (Heat 2)
100 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Girls – Erica Nikkel, Pella Christian – 6:30 p.m. (Heat 3)
100 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 3A Girls – Roselande Vanderhoff, Pella – 6:37 p.m. (Heat 3)
100 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 3A Girls – Emily Vos, Pella – 6:37 p.m. (Heat 3)
100 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Boys – Hunter Tyree, Pleasantville – 6:45 p.m. (Heat 1)
100 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Boys – Noah Anderson, PCM – 6:45 p.m. (Heat 3)
100 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 2A Boys – Preston Van Wyk, PCM – 6:45 p.m. (Heat 3)
100 Meter Dash (Prelim) – 3A Boys – Dalton Chapman, Pella – 6:52 p.m. (Heat 2)
400 Meter Dash (Finals) – 2A Girls – Chloe Morgan, Pella Christian – 7:00 p.m. (Section 2)
400 Meter Dash (Finals) – 3A Girls – Ashley Blommers, Pella – 7:10 p.m. (Section 1)
400 Meter Dash (Finals) – 3A Girls – Abbey Jackson, Knoxville – 7:10 p.m. (Section 2)
400 Meter Dash – 3A Boys – Nathaniel Robinson, Pella – 7:30 p.m. (Section 1)
Shuttle Hurdle Relay (Prelim) – 2A Girls – PCM – 7:40 p.m. (Heat 4)

Friday, May 18th
Discus (Finals) – 2A Girls – Allison Van Gorp, Pella Christian – 2:00 p.m. (Flight 1)
Shot Put (Finals) – 3A Girls – Alex Hackett, Pella – 2:00 p.m. (Flight 1)
Shot Put (Finals) – 3A Girls – Kaeleigh DeWaard, Pella – 2:00 p.m. (Flight 2)
Distance Medley – 3A Girls – Knoxville – 3:00 p.m. (Section 2)
Distance Medley – 3A Girls – Pella – 3:00 p.m. (Section 3)
110 Meter Hurdles (Prelim) – 3A Boys – Jordan Buma, Pella – 3:30 p.m. (Heat 3)
100 Meter Hurdles (Prelim) – 2A Girls – Megan Cowman, PCM – 3:40 p.m. (Heat 1)
100 Meter Hurdles (Prelim) – 3A Girls – Emily Holterhaus, Pella – 3:50 p.m. (Heat 2)
4×200 Relay (Finals) – 2A Boys – Pella Christian – 4:00 p.m. (Section 2)
4×200 Relay (Finals) – 2A Boys – PCM – 4:00 p.m. (Section 3)
4×200 Relay (Finals) – 2A Boys – Pleasantville – 4:00 p.m. (Section 3)
4×200 Relay (Finals) – 2A Girls – Pella Christian – 4:30 p.m. (Section 3)
4×200 Relay (Finals) – 2A Girls – PCM – 4:30 p.m. (Section 3)
Discus (Finals) – 2A Boys – Blake Veenstra, Pella Christian – 4:30 p.m. (Flight 1)
Shot Put (Finals) – 3A Boys – Alex Buckley, Knoxville – 4:30 p.m. (Flight 1)
Shot Put (Finals) – 3A Boys – Nick DeJong, Pella – 4:30 p.m. (Flight 2)
Shot Put (Finals) – 3A Boys – Mason Huerter, Pella – 4:30 p.m. (Flight 2)
Long Jump (Finals) – 3A Girls – Paighton Malek, Pella – 4:30 p.m. (Flight 2)
4×200 Relay (Finals) – 3A Girls – Pella – 4:45 p.m. (Section 3)
400 Meter Hurdles (Finals) – 3A Boys – Jordan Buma, Pella – 5:10 p.m. (Section 1)
400 Meter Hurdles (Finals) – 3A Boys – Avery Van Zee, Pella – 5:10 p.m. (Section 3)
400 Meter Hurdles (Finals) – 2A Girls – Morgan Fopma, Pella Christian – 5:20 p.m. (Section 3)
400 Meter Hurdles (Finals) – 2A Girls – Margo Chipps, PCM – 5:20 p.m. (Section 3)
400 Meter Hurdles (Finals) – 3A Girls – Emily Holterhaus, Pella – 5:30 p.m. (Section 3)
400 Meter Hurdles (Finals) – 3A Girls – Elsie Thoreson, Pella – 5:30 p.m. (Section 3)
Distance Medley Relay (Finals) – 2A Boys – Pella Christian – 5:40 p.m. (Section 2)
4×100 Relay (Prelim) – 2A Girls – Pleasantville – 6:20 p.m. (Heat 1)
4×100 Relay (Prelim) – 3A Girls – Pella – 6:30 p.m. (Heat 3)
4×100 Relay (Prelim) – 2A Boys – Pleasantville – 6:40 p.m. (Heat 3)
4×400 Relay (Prelim) – 2A Girls – Pella Christian – 7:00 p.m. (Heat 1)
4×400 Relay (Prelim)- 2A Girls – PCM – 7:00 p.m. (Heat 2)
4×400 Relay (Prelim) – 3A Girls – Pella – 7:20 p.m. (Heat 1)
4×400 Relay (Prelim) – 2A Boys – Pella Christian – 7:40 p.m. (Heat 1)
4×400 Relay (Prelim) – 3A Boys – Pella – 8:00 p.m. (Heat 2)
4×400 Relay (Prelim) – 3A Boys – Knoxville – 8:00 p.m. (Heat 3)

Saturday, May 19th
Sprint Medley Relay (Finals) – 2A Girls – Pella Christian – 9:12 a.m. (Section 2)
Sprint Medley Relay (Finals) – 2A Girls – PCM – 9:12 a.m. (Section 3)
Sprint Medley Relay (Finals) – 3A Girls – Pella – 9:24 a.m. (Section 3)
Sprint Medley Relay (Finals) – 2A Boys – Pella Christian – 10 a.m. (Section 2)
Sprint Medley Relay (Finals) – 2A Boys – Pleasantville – 10 a.m. (Section 2)
Sprint Medley Relay (Finals) – 3A Boys – Pella – 10:10 a.m. (Section 2)
800 Meter Run (Finals) – 3A Girls – Caroline McMartin, Pella – 10:50 a.m. (Section 1)
800 Meter Run (Finals) – 3A Girls – Katie Keitges, Knoxville – 10:50 a.m. (Section 1)
800 Meter Run (Finals) – 3A Boys – Tony Schmitz – 11:30 a.m. (Section 2)
1600 Meter Run (Finals) – 2A Boys – Beau Webb, PCM – 2:22 p.m.
1600 Meter Run (Finals) – 3A Boys – Thomas Gauley, Pella – 2:30 p.m.
1500 Meter Run (Finals) – 1A Girls – J’Lyn Knutson, Melcher-Dallas – 2:45 p.m.
1500 Meter Run (Finals) – 3A Girls – Katie Keitges, Knoxville – 3:00 p.m.