Photo by Tara Trine

The Pella girls track and field team continues its fast start to the season, and at the first outdoor meet of 2022, earned another automatic qualifying bid to the Drake Relays.

For the 2nd year in a row at the DCG meet, Pella broke a Blue Standard — this time, in the 4×200 meter relay (Delanie Reynolds, Calla Kerndt, Emily McMartin, Jacie Trine) with a time of 1:46.94 seconds earlier today. That mark is the fastest so far in all of Iowa (as of Friday, April 1st) regardless of class, and has earned Pella’s girls track and field team their second automatic bid to the showcase of Iowa’s best track and field runners on Friday, April 29th and Saturday, April 30th at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

The Dutch 4×100 relay featuring four returning state qualifiers (Delanie Reynolds, Calla Kerndt, Marissa Hackman, and Emily McMartin) also broke the standard during the indoor season at the Iowa Track and Field Coaches Association Indoor State meet in March. Click here for an interview with that group that aired March 16th.

Each year, the Drake Relays releases Blue Standard times and distances for high school athletes — if they are broken, that individual or relay will automatically compete against the best in Iowa in April. Several other at-large qualifiers can qualify by having the best times or distances in certain events by Friday, April 22nd. Click here for more details.