Dutch Boys Hungry for More After Historic 2nd Place Finish
A few key losses to graduation could be overcome by a strong group of returning athletes for the Pella Boys Cross Country team
In any other year, this Pella boys team would have left Lakeside Golf Course with back-to-back Class 3A championships and a clean sweep of history in Fort Dodge. It turns out that one team had an even more remarkable performance, and instead, the Dutch left with one of the best-ever meets for a team to not win gold.
That whole Gilbert team is back, and there will be some loss from a talented senior group for the Dutch from 2023, keyed by 3rd place finisher Nathan Vander Waal. But with a defending individual title winner and a wealth of varsity experience, it would be unwise to count the green and white out of title contention, even if the task is a bit daunting on the surface.
Coach Doug Cutler discusses 2024 team (audio file):
“The returning group is hungry and they know the target,” he says. “Last year, I feel like we kind of had the target on our back and we weren’t sure exactly what those Gilbert freshmen were going capable of, and they certainly proved themselves that they were ready for the fire and they were iron strong.
“It will be tough. Last year’s team was the fastest team overall we’ve ever had and that Gilbert team was quite legendary, so we were really pleased with how we competed against them then and we’ll be ready to compete with them again.”
Key Athletes:
Canaan Dunham, Junior - 2023 Class 3A State Champion; Preseason No. 1
A phenomenal fall season was capped off with what this young star is hoping is now a dynasty in the making. But it seems as if the impressive work of chief rival Quentin Nauman on the track in May is clouding what should be a sunny forecast for this junior standout and defending title holder. Canaan won a strong battle with 2022 champion Ethan Eichhorn to earn the school’s first individual boys gold medal in over a decade. He cleared Nauman by 34 seconds in that late-October 5K — and that race, especially on the cross country course, is different than the speedy track, which certainly favored the Western Dubuque star who swept up the distance races in 3A at the Blue Oval (which has become a common theme). The IATC preseason podcast even called Quentin the favorite on the course in the 3A individual field, and while he is certainly the primary threat to back-to-back titles for Dunham, Canaan is a different cat the further a race goes. Unless significant data in the coming weeks backs up the other claim, Canaan is the favorite (in my untrained eyes) to navigate Lakeside faster than the rest of his Class 3A peers. His remarkable consistency over two seasons is hard to overlook and match. Also, there’s no reason to doubt Canaan could push ever closer to the 15-minute mark by season’s end. If that happens, it will be difficult for anyone in the Hawkeye State to pass Dunham by.
Devon Browne, Senior - 2023 11th Place; Preseason No. 8
This veteran of the 5K has had a habit of saving his best for last. Following a 2022 battle to be the 7th runner on the eventual champions, Devon galloped into a 34th place finish two years ago. Last year, Browne watched his time start to melt away by the Little Hawkeye Conference meet, which eventually led to an All-State finish. The hole left by Nathan Vander Waal is large, but Devon seems to be the top candidate to close that gap, and push for a potential top five finish. Browne could be gearing up for a sub-16 minute race before too long, which would be huge in Pella’s attempt to dethrone Gilbert.
Mason Gaulke, Junior - 2023 23rd Place; Preseason No. 13
As Mason joined the program a few years ago, Coach Cutler described his raw potential — a largely untrained distance runner, the Dutch leadership felt the-then freshmen had a lot of quality racing ability ready to be tapped and honed. Gaulke only got better as the season wore on in his sophomore season, which was capped with a strong performance in the 800 meters at state track and field last year. Mason placed 23rd in Fort Dodge and pushed near his season best time at 16:37. There’s no reason to doubt that he will be pushing closer to 16 minutes after the speed he’s displayed since then. A breakout campaign appears to be in store for this junior, and the sky’s seemingly the limit to just how far he can climb with the ability to claim an All-State spot this November.
Noah Schuknecht, Junior - 2023 72nd Place, Preseason No. 29
Noah did everything he set out to do last year except when it came to the final race at Fort Dodge. Schuknecht placed 5th and blazed the Pella Sports Park state qualifying course at 16:41 before his trek north didn’t come together as he hoped. Noah placed 37th at state in 2022, and there’s no doubt he wants to shake off last October’s race, and he has all the tools to make that happen. Noah will be a focal point for Coach Cutler and company this year, and has all the motivation (and a great offseason of work) to push into the top 30 individuals in Class 3A, which will go a long way on Pella’s quest for a trophy finish.
Aren Hellbusch, Senior - 2023 78th Place
This could be the time to shine for an athlete who has hung around this storied program even before his high school days. Aren was a friend of former Dutch standout and Dordt national track and field qualifier Josiah Wittenberg and often hung around with standout Chase Lauman. Hellbusch is a multiple-time varsity letterwinner in soccer who wants to shine in the distance races this fall. Aren pushed the 17-minute barrier at the district meet — and seems to be a prime candidate to drop that number further. If Pella stands a chance to nab back the state championship, a lot will rest on the shoulders of this senior leader to get to that accomplishment — a challenge Aren is ready to push through.
Jonah Ebersole, Sophomore
With the graduation of varsity seniors Nathan Vander Waal and Stephen Gaul, and the departures of Atticus Vos, Jake Huston, and Wyatt Van Dyke, there will be opportunity to reinforce the returning five from Fort Dodge. In terms of personal best times, Jonah brings back the fastest from non-varsity regular competitors at 17:23. In 2022, Ebersole placed 4th at the middle school 8th grade state meet in that race. Jonah will get the first few cracks in the varsity rotation to work and try and stay there, and could be a big key in the depth of this team moving forward.
Kaiden Browne, Senior
A string of bad luck with health has held back the twin brother of All-State standout Devon, but Kaiden is hopeful he can recapture the form that nearly earned him varsity status two years ago. Browne has an all-time best race of 17:06 that he ran two years ago, and an offseason of hard work and recovery is giving himself and his team hope that he can reach new heights this fall. Kaiden has a great attitude and mindset — it’s just been that his body hasn’t quite cooperated with his desire to be a champion. This might be the story to watch on the team, and call me a fan in his corner and actively rooting for his success for a race at Fort Dodge to cap his distance running career this November.
Teams to Watch:
Some of the information (including about potential transfers) below is taken from a new rankings site compiled, called crosscountryratings.com.
Gilbert (IATC Ranked 1st, defending champions)
Simply remarkable. The Tigers put together one of the best races in Iowa High School history to push past a championship-worthy Dutch team and crush the rest of the 3A field outside of the green and white. Then-freshmen Logan Bleich (8th individually) and Jacob Tallman (9th) lived up to the billing and dropped sub-16 minute races in their Fort Dodge debuts. A remarkable pack formed, with the time spread behind them totaling just 47 seconds from one through five, who all placed in the top twenty. All-State honorees Carson Squirers (12th) and Emmett Barber (15th) also return. With a host of talented seniors graduating from that mix, those four could all potentially be top ten athletes. The rest of the field is chasing Gilbert, and they are frankly way behind. If anyone can knock them off, something self-inflicted will have had to happen in a significant way. The Tigers are overwhelming favorites, at least on the starting line, on the path to back-to-back titles.
Mount Vernon-Lisbon (IATC Ranked 3rd, Placed 8th in 2023)
The coaches voting in the poll to start the year have high expectations for this bunch, marking them five spots ahead of their 2023 finish in Fort Dodge. That probably stems from the youth that the Mustangs showcased last fall. They are led by returning All-State selection Grady Olberding (14th at state last fall, ranked 5th to start the year), who will guide fellow ranked-teammate Dawson Sheil (14th preseason, placed 31st at state) and the rest of a returning crew that graduated just one senior from their state roster. The rest of the field behind the Tigers and Dutch feels wide open, and there will be opportunity for MVL to find that final spot on the podium this November.
Des Moines Christian (IATC Ranked 4th, 2A State Champions in 2023)
(Another) welcome to Class 3A, Lions. After DMC swept the Class 2A titles in 2023, they’ll find that feat a bit harder in 2024 in a bigger class. That’s not to say that these boys won’t find success — but there will be work to do to try and get into the trophy picture, especially with Gilbert and Pella likely to make their way to the podium. Graduates Collin Houg (4th in 2A in 2023), Jack McPartland (10th in 2A), and Jack Gummert (40th in 2A) all were pivotal in the Lions’ title race last year, and will have big shoes to fill. But it starts at the top, and Caleb Ten Pas has had a heaping of praise placed on him after a 16:16 race that earned him 7th in 2A last fall. Josh Hagenberg (26th in 2A) gives DMC a solid No. 2 to start the year. The rest of the depth will need to step up if this group will hold their own against 3A’s best this season.
MOC-Floyd Valley (IATC Ranked 5th, Placed 12th in 2023)
It could have been the “year before the year” for this bunch of Dutchmen from northwest Iowa, with an entire group of underclassmen making the trek to Lakeside Golf Course last fall. Their trophy hopes will rely heavily on that group to make improvements, and there’s plenty of potential to watch for. Isaac Hummel (placed 37th, ranked 27th in 3A), Trevor Mirande (placed 69th at state, ranked 28th preseason), Ian Van Der Werff (59th), and Micah Schmidt (85th) enter as the likely top four for MOC, and a competition will likely brew between five through seven for scoring opportunities throughout the fall season. Again, improvement will be the biggest key — can this bunch each find significant time drops? If so, they are a top five team.
Carlisle (IATC Ranked 6th, Placed 4th)
It really is easier said than done to form a pack in cross country — especially at the state meet. Outside of the top elite runners, finding a group that can pace each other and keep that is difficult. The Wildcats have made it an artform, and probably missed the podium last year because the top three were just too good to overcome. This edition of the ‘Cats will have to replace Ezra DeCleene (19th last year) and Brody Roth (29th) at the top, but there is talent to work with. Kael Streeter (22nd at state, ranked 11th) and Kamden Brown (26th at state, ranked 17th) are the leaders in the clubhouse. Development will be key, but if a tight pack can form, there is opportunity to back up near the top of the standings.
Winterset (IATC Ranked 7th, Placed 6th in 2023)
This program has had a nice few years back in the mix of Class 3A contention, and the Huskies are trying to take advantage of a field of teams where the competition should be close after the top two teams. Collin Kessler just missed All-State recognition last fall (placing 16th, ranked 9th preseason), and teammate Gavin Day (47th at state) finds himself in the preseason top 30 at 24th. The Huskies had six athletes in the top 80 at the Fort Dodge field, but two of those are seniors. This will be a senior-heavy bunch in 2024 with their top five returners ready to earn diplomas this upcoming spring, and that experience could help distinguish them from some of their competitors in the deep Raccoon River Conference and beyond.
ADM (IATC Ranked 8th, Placed 13th in 2023)
There is just a lot up in the air in Class 3A, which should make this fall exciting, and this bunch of Tigers is hoping to better their Lakeside performance from 2023 this fall. ADM didn’t have a terrific day, placing 13th in the loaded field. Torin Timmerman (61st at state, ranked 23rd) and Shay Holdmeyer (58th) are the two at the front of the Tigers’ bunch, aiming to drop well below the 17-minute mark at state this year. The deep Raccoon River Conference will give this group that has five of seven returning from Fort Dodge plenty of tests in the meantime. The ranking committee feels good that ADM can improve a bit and put themselves as a dark horse top five team, but one that will likely have to fight into the top ten.
Central DeWitt (IATC Ranked 9th, Placed 14th in 2023)
With the rankings group ahead of them to start the season chalked full of central Iowa (namely Raccoon River Conference) teams, this eastern Iowa bunch will try to push through that noise and those squads in 2024. It starts with Kyle Olson (ranked 30th preseason), who placed 52nd individually as a 9th grader and Junior Caleb Olson, who finished right behind him in 53rd (and three-tenths of a second apart). The now sophomore and senior are joined by Keegan Peterson (74th individually) and Adam Wilke (119th) in an attempt to break into the top ten of the Class 3A field.
Decorah (IATC Ranked 10th, Did Not Qualify for state in 2023)
While they missed the state tournament last year, the Vikings will have a strong bunch returning that should give them optimism about getting back on the Lakeside course in November. Decorah will be paced by ranked runner Grant Zilka (27th) and fellow returners Garrett See, D'mitry Lesser, Landyn Hook, and Oliver Bollinger. This is definitely a “wait-and-see” team, and a lot more will be learned as times and competitions begin to see if they can overcome some teams to fight back into the top 15 of Class 3A.
Grinnell (IATC Ranked 11th, Did Not Qualify for state in 2023)
The Tigers are another team that has been bolstered by preseason expectations despite missing the field at Fort Dodge last fall season. Liam Crites is a junior who cracked the top 30 individual preseason rankings (22nd) and will lead the way. Grinnell was 4th at a tough state qualifier that featured Mount Vernon-Lisbon, Solon, and Central DeWitt. Other key returners include Cadel Conner and Isaac Sandquist. I don’t want to be repetitive, but this is definitely an uncertain part of the 3A field, and a fun area to watch who will emerge by mid-October.
Clear Creek-Amana (IATC Ranked 12th, Placed 9th in 2023)
While a few non-state qualifying teams have leapfrogged them in the preseason polls, the Clippers were able to trek west to Fort Dodge and earned a top 10 finish. Top returner Brock Hilsman (placed 30th at state) is ranked 16th to start the new campaign, joined by fellow Senior Isaac Sorensen (65th individually in 2023). Three of the top five scorers at state graduated, and that is the cause for uncertainty for CCA. Nicholas Schieltz (98th) and Jackson VanHorn (126th) also return. This group from Tiffin will need some newcomers or emerging JV runners to step up in order to repeat a top ten endeavor at Lakeside.
Other 3A Ranked Teams (13 through 20):
13. Fort Madison
14. Washington
15. Spencer
16. Solon
17. North Polk
18. Sioux Center
19. Williamsburg
20. Kuemper Catholic
Full schedule:
Aug. 31st – at Cedar Rapids Prairie
Sept. 7th – at Central College (home meet)
Sept. 12th – at Iowa State University (Gilbert)
Sept. 21st – at Central College (Heartland Classic)
Oct. 1st – at Williamsburg
Oct. 7th – at Hillcrest Academy
Oct. 14th – at Newton (Little Hawkeye Conference championships)
Oct. 23rd – State Qualifier
Nov. 1st – State Meet in Fort Dodge