It’s incredibly hard to crack the top ten stories or moments at Pella High School, and several moments from the previous year were still worth remembering. Here are the honorable mentions and a “second” top 10 for the Dutch:

Pella Boys Tennis 3rd at State, Finish with Win for First Time in Five Years
While another loss to Xavier stung to end championship aspirations, this year, the Pella boys tennis team had the chance to end their season with a win. The Dutch knocked off Waverly-Shell Rock 5-1 in the Class 1A consolation finals on May 31st. Pella has placed in the top three of Class 1A tennis every year since 2019. And before there is any panic about the Dutch tennis team not landing on the top ten, stay tuned.
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Dutch Boys Track and Field Team Rallies for 3rd Place Team Finish at Blue Oval

While not quite the heights of the previous three seasons, the Pella boys track and field program showed they are still here to contend in 2024. Pella rallied together to place 3rd among all schools in the Class 3A field at Drake Stadium in May. Much like the boys tennis mention, a certain athlete from this program will land in the top five next week (see above picture for a hint).
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Pella Boys Golf Returns to State; Places 7th in One-Day Tournament

The Pella Boys Golf team found its way back to the state golf tournament after a year away. The Dutch placed 2nd to Washington in Williamsburg on May 13th with a score 314 to earn two available bids to state. Pella’s top four scores were Cade McGinley (76), Kyler Besick (78), AJ Hoekstra (79), and Cole Floden (83). The Dutch have won four state boys golf championships in school history (1969, 1973, 2001, 2003) and four other runner-ups, last appearing at state in 2022 when they placed 4th. The 2024 tournament was shorted by rain, with the Dutch placing 7th.
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Abby Warner Breaks the School Soccer Scoring Record

Abby Warner finished her remarkable four-year career as the most decorated individual in the rich history of Pella Girls Soccer. Warner broke the school record for goals scored, finishing with 144 in four seasons as the main striker for the green and white. Warner went on to earn two First-Team All-State Honors and her second consecutive All-Tournament selection in 2024, leading Pella to a top four finish.
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Pella Softball Gets to Most Wins Since 2015; Knocks Out Ranked Bondurant-Farrar in Postseason

Pella’s softball program has gotten to the doorstep of a state tournament berth with their best season since they last appeared in Fort Dodge. Pella’s 3rd place finish in the conference was the best for the team since 2011 and the girls won more than 20 games for the first time since 2015. The Dutch knocked off #12 Bondurant-Farrar in the regional playoffs in a wild finish. Ava Curry and Emma Eekhoff both earned All-State recognition.

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Pella Girls Basketball Survives Late Ballard Rally in Wild Regional Final
Despite losing an 11-point fourth quarter lead, the Pella High girls basketball team had enough to outlast Ballard 62-58 in a class 4A regional semifinal on February 17th, heard live on 92.1 KRLS. Katie Scheckel was Pella’s leading scorer with 17 points and both Kennedy Van Vark and Tristan Gordon added 13. The Dutch finished the season at 16-7, their second consecutive year with 15 or more wins.
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Lake Cowman’s 7th Inning, Two-Out Grand Slam Ties it Against Norwalk
A Pella High School outfielder had a habit of finding himself in key spots, and coming through. He hit a game-tying, grand slam against Norwalk and scored the game winning run in a rally that night. Cowman also had the game-winning hit one week later in a 14-inning marathon with Indianola. The Dutch would go on to make their 5th ever state tournament appearance.
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Dameon Clark and Jackson Van Kley Both Top 100 Career Wins for Boys Wrestling

Two Pella wrestlers pivotal to the program’s turnaround each hit a career milestone on their way to a state tournament bid. Jackson Van Kley and Damion Clark both topped 100 career wins within a week of each other this past winter. Both would advance to the state tournament in their final seasons.
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Alex Mitchel Qualifies for the State Bowling Meet
Alex Mitchel finished his Pella High bowling career by finishing 21st at the Iowa State Bowling Tournament on Monday in Waterloo. Mitchel shot 201-176-206 for a 583 series in Class 2A.
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Junior MacK Copeland and Freshman Caleb Punt Qualify for State Swimming with Newton Team

A pair of Pella students made their way to the state swimming meet. Junior MacK Copeland and Freshman Caleb Punt were part of the 200 freestyle relay from the NCMP swim team out of Newton. They swam at a pace of 1:30.95 at the district meet to place 4th and qualify for the final races of the season. This is the second consecutive year that Copeland got to compete against Iowa’s best. The 2024 state swimming meet is Friday, February 9th and Saturday, February 10th at the University of Iowa.