There is no other moment on any of the top countdowns featured these past few weeks on KNIA/KRLS that reminds us more about the power of sports beyond the competition itself than the No. 2 story from Pella High School in 2021-2022.
The highlight of the night at the Little Hawkeye Conference cross country meet on October 11th didn’t come during the varsity races as Norwalk’s boys and Indianola’s girls won league titles; it happened while those teams were receiving their medals after the sun set at Central College.
Crossing the finish line: Pella's Isaac Treimer finished his first career cross country race tonight, with a big cheering section from the schools of the Little Hawkeye Conference.
Posted by KNIA KRLS on Monday, October 11, 2021
Pella’s Isaac Treimer told the Des Moines Register last fall he wanted to finish a 5K. He’s a student with down syndrome who is as busy as any of his classmates — serving as a student manager for the football team, drummer for the Marching Dutch, regular wrestler, and a runner for the Pella JV Cross Country team. He’s also an individual who has dealt with serious health issues while growing up.
His career goal was to finish a 5K by graduation; and with some pacing help from Head Coach Doug Cutler and teammate Stephen Gaul, Treimer crossed the finish line for the first time at the Little Hawkeye Conference meet in October, with a cheering section made up of fans, athletes, and coaches from all eight schools pumping him up through the 3.1-mile trek and the finish line at Central College.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH ISAAC: