Following a varsity season with two seniors and the rest of the varsity lineup as freshman, a core group of returners will aim to push the Pella Cross Country team further ahead of an 8th place finish at the 3A state meet in 2020.

Head Coach Doug Cutler is excited for what this fall can bring for the Dutch, and while the team will miss the multiple-year contributions of Abby Cutler and Ashley Blommers, a deep group of sophomores lead the charge this year.

Jacie Trine is 22nd and Autumn Blink is 30th in the preseason 3A rankings among individual girls, and Tess Paulsen, Macy Schroeder, and Sophia Boonstra round out a lineup that competed in Fort Dodge in 2020.

Pella opens the cross country season Thursday at the Gilbert Invitational on the campus of Iowa State University.