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As part of a two-year rotation, the Class 2A and 3A sessions of the state track and field meet in Des Moines are held in the evenings on Thursday and Friday of the annual three-day event. And for many years, Pella High School has typically celebrated its graduating classes on a Friday night on the third weekend of the month. So the track and field athletes at Pella had a choice to make — they could participate in a ceremony at the graduation stage set up for commencement in the morning, or this year, receive their diploma at Drake Stadium. So, the vast majority of the Pella boys track and field seniors decided to graduate at a venue special to their athletic endeavors over the past four years. Pella Schools Superintendent Greg Ebeling, Pella High School Administrators Adam Beckel, Derek Schulte, and Matt Fouch, and Pella School Board Member Gary Coppock were among those who organized a brief ceremony following the conclusion of competition at Friday’s events in the state track and field meet, with permission from the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and Iowa High School Athletic Association.