An addition to the calendar for the Pella cross country teams is landing today as the #1 Dutch girls and #2 ranked boys head east to Iowa City for the Bud and Bonnie Williams Invitational.

The race was meant to bolster competition before the upcoming postseason — in particular, for the Pella girls, as they aim to prove they are the best team in Iowa regardless of class. Today’s race features the #3 girls in 4A from Ankeny Centennial, #4 in 4A Dubuque Senior, and hosting #7 in 4A City High. The top two runners in Class 3A Marissa Ferebee and Elsie Brenneman may see a challenge from Centennial’s Anika Mohrhauser, currently ranked 2nd in 4A.

Pella’s boys will try to navigate a field with elite 4A teams as well, highlighted by #4 in 4A Cedar Rapids Prairie — who last defeated the Dutch at the Heartland Classic last week, as well as the #8 City High hosts. Canaan Dunham, ranked 2nd in Class 3A, will tussle with #5 in Class 4A Keegan Decker of Iowa City Liberty.

Team Lineups:
Varsity Boys – Devon Browne, Kaiden Browne, Canaan Dunham, Jonah Ebersole, Mason Gaulke, Aren Hellbusch, Noah Schuknecht
Varsity Girls – Carleigh Altwine, Elsie Brenneman, Ruth Dunham, Marissa Ferebee, Lizzie Neumann, Mara Schiebout, Raegan Sneider, Lizzy Vande Voort

Racing begins at 4:15 this afternoon at the Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City.

This comes after Pella’s JV bunch competed at Williamsburg on Tuesday against a field of ranked Class 3A foes. The Dutch girls placed 5th behind #5 in 3A Mount Vernon-Lisbon (1st place), #4 Solon (2nd place), #18 in 3A Williamsburg (3rd Place), and #11 ADM (4th). Dana McCulla was 6th individually (19:39.1), Bryn Paulsen placed 20th (20:24.6), and Chloe Punt was 37th (21:10.1).

The JV Dutch boys were 7th in a group behind #4 in 3A MVL, #9 ADM, #13 Bondurant-Farrar, #14 Carlisle, #16 in 2A Tipton, and #5 in 1A Danville. Porter Carlton placed 19th individually (17:18.5), followed by Asher Schiebout (33rd – 17:40.3), and Evan Johnston (41st – 17:50.1).