As the postseason drew closer for the top-ranked Pella girls cross country team, it was becoming evident the coaching staff would have a few tough choices to make about the lineup.

A 2021 All-State runner and the leader of the “Hydra” pack this fall, Raegan Snieder suffered a leg injury just after the Williamsburg meet. While the Dutch just kept on winning in the meantime, Raegan was working through as much pain as she could to find herself at the start line again before the end of this fall campaign.

While veteran Tess Paulsen filled in admirably with solid races in Snieder’s absence, the Pella Dutch coaching staff worked with medical personnel to evaluate Raegan and her chances to run in Fort Dodge this past Saturday — and the decision was ultimately made to give her a chance to compete.

And not only did Raegan get to the starting line, she finished her first competitive 5K in over a month in impressive fashion, placing 29th (20:14.73) in a loaded Class 3A field — and as if almost not missing a beat, was the third Dutch runner across the finish line for team scoring.

Whether or not Pella would have won without Snieder will be put in a “What If?” box never to be answered — Pella Head Coach Doug Cutler says he believes they could have and was proud of the efforts of Paulsen and others who filled in over the past month, but it was clear the other six varsity runners were seemingly boosted by having one of their top competitors back on the course.

Hear from the State Champion Pella Girls Cross Country champions on the Let’s Talk Pella podcast.