While the door is open for the 2025 year to begin at Pella High School, the chapter has closed featuring one of the most successful years for the Dutch in school history.

Multiple state championships highlighted this trip around the sun for the green and white, including team titles for the Pella Girls Tennis and Girls Cross Country teams. The Dutch distance runners put together the greatest race in the state meet’s history, scoring the lowest amount ever by a single team. Pella’s girls tennis team rallied from a deficit late to upset #1 Xavier at Byrnes Park in Waterloo.

Individual championships included Jack Briggs in boys tennis, in what became an undefeated singles season, Hanson King in the shot put — just weeks after sweeping the throws at the Drake Relays, and the state meet record shattering performance by Marissa Ferebee in Fort Dodge — months after dominating the 1500 and 3000 meter state races at the famous Blue Oval at Drake Stadium.

State qualifying teams for Pella included boys basketball, boys golf, girls soccer, baseball, boys cross country, and volleyball. Individual athletes from boys and girls wrestling also earned state appearances.

This was all capped in November by a special run to the UNI Dome for the Dutch football team in legendary Head Coach Jay McKinstrey’s final season on the sidelines.

Hear more about the year that was in 2024 for Pella High School on Today’s Lely Radio Sports Page.