A family with a long history at the state cross country meet with the Pella programs had the chance for two of its siblings to share the spotlight this past weekend.

Tirzah Wittenberg of the 8th place in 3A Pella girls and Josiah Wittenberg of the 10th place Pella boys were each able to race in Fort Dodge Saturday at the state cross country meet. This came after the pair both qualified for state track this past spring.

Tirzah, a senior, said she shared a special moment with her brother, a sophomore, after they were able to finish in the back to back races.

“I wanted to see him finish but I missed it, and later I saw him crying and his face was all teared up, and I didn’t know whether he had a good race or a bad race, so I gave him a hug, and he said he was so proud of me and I was so proud of him,” Tirzah said. “After awhile, I asked him how his race went and he was like ‘I PR’d, all time,’ and my family was all there, and it was so special because there is just so much love, and we’re so proud of each other.”

Josiah says it was special to see his sister have her own success among the fastest runners in Iowa.

“It’s very touching,” he says. “I’ve seen how much wanted this for years on end–she was an alternate for her first three years, so for her to have the chance to go out and run and be one of Pella’s top runners, that’s awesome to see.”

Their siblings Zach, Micah, Sarah, Hannah, and Moriah all previously competed for the Pella teams over the past several years, according to the Pella Cross Country team website. Hear from the Pella cross country teams and other area athletes competing at state on today’s Radio Sports Page at 6 p.m. on 92.1 KRLS.