Pella Christian Boys Tennis Season Ends at Grinnell

The Pella Christian boys tennis season came to an end at Grinnell Friday, after falling in the semifinal round of the Class 1A Substate 6 Team Tournament.

The third-seeded P.C. Eagles faced the six-seed Saydel Eagles in the first round of the tournament early in the day Friday and swept the match 5-0 to advance to the semifinals. Pella Christian earned the sweep in singles play in the #1-#5 spots in the lineup with wins from Shaun Bos (3-6, 6-3, 6-3), Isaac Natelborg (6-2, 6-0), Toby Vander Molen (6-2, 1-6, 6-2), Rob Schreur (6-0, 6-2), and Aaron Meinders (6-1, 6-1). Kirby Van Wyngarden was winning his #6 singles match 6-4, 4-0, but it went unfinished as P.C. had already won the match before the conclusion. Pella Christian was met in the semifinals by the second-seeded host Tigers. The Eagles hung tough with their Little Hawkeye Conference foes in several matches, but ultimately were swept 5-0 to close their 2023 campaign.

With their 1-1 day in Substate action, Pella Christian finishes the season with a 9-5 record. The Eagles boys tennis program graduates three seniors in Natelborg, Vander Molen, and Addison Blair.

Pella Christian Soccer Teams Swept Van Meter Friday

The Pella Christian soccer teams closed out regular season play Friday night with a doubleheader at Van Meter. The Class 1A #13 ranked Eagle girls fell in the opening game of the twinbill against the 1A #6 ranked Bulldogs 4-1, while the 1A #9 ranked P.C. Boys concluded the doubleheader with a 2-1 loss.

The Eagle girls fell behind 2-0 mid-way through the first half, and that score held into the intermission. The Bulldogs pushed the advantage to 3-0 four minutes into the second half, before Joslyn Terpstra got Pella Christian on the scoreboard in the 55th minute with her 35th goal of the season. Van Meter added their fourth goal in the 64th minute, which was enough to send the Eagles to 10-5-1.

In the nightcap, the Pella Christian boys were locked in a 1-1 deadlock at halftime against Van Meter, courtesy of Wyatt Snyder’s first goal of the season. The Eagles continued to battle throughout the second half, but the Bulldogs managed to find the back of the net for the deciding goal and drop Pella Christian to 6-8 on the season.

The three-seed in Class 1A Region 3, the Pella Christian girls soccer team opens postseason play on Wednesday at home against Columbus Junction. As the one-seed in Class 1A Substate 6, the Eagle boys are off until the Monday, May 22nd when they host the winner of Central Lee and Hillcrest Academy.