Gatorade announced Marissa Ferebee of Pella High School is the 2024 Iowa Girls Cross Country Player of the Year. Ferebee is the third honoree overall for Pella High School, joining Noah Clayberg and Grant Judkins. This is the 40th year Gatorade has announced the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The award distinguishes Ferebee as Iowa’s best high school girls cross country athlete.

The junior finished seventh at the Nike Cross Nationals Final this past season, clocking a time of 17:16.40 to earn First Team All-American honors. Ferebee qualified for nationals by breaking the tape at the NXN Heartland Regional in a personal-best 16:25.50. She also won the Class 3A state championship, leading the Dutch to the team title and the lowest score in state history. The owner of Iowa’s girls prep 5K state record, she won nine of her 10 races last fall and ranked No. 8 nationally in both the Dyestat 100 and the MileSplit 50.

A member of Pella High School’s student council, Ferebee has volunteered locally on behalf of her church and the Tulip Time Festival. She has also donated her time as a youth soccer referee and works as a lifeguard during the summer.

Ferebee joins recent Gatorade Iowa Girls Cross Country Players of the Year Addison Dorenkamp (2023 & 2021, Valley High School), Paityn Noe (2022, Ballard High School) and Danielle Hostetler (2020, Mid-Prairie High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.