Pella Boys Cross Country Team Aims to Top 3A Again in 2023

Another special fall is coming for the boys in green and white

A cooler than normal August has it feeling like fall again — at least as I put the finishing touches on my annual previews for a sport that a guy who looks like I do shouldn’t love as much as he does, probably. This year, I moved my extensive writings about Class 3A cross country to here to avoid a balance issue with how we cover sports at KNIA/KRLS. But, I’ve had decent feedback on the posts, so felt like it was time to try my hand at these extensive discussions at a new home.

With that being said, allow me to present an outlook for Class 3A and the defending champs.

Pella Boys Remain 3A XC Championship Favorites in 2023

Only 15 times in state history has a program swept the state championships across the class, and just once has this happened in the 5K girls era. It could be even more history for the Dutch teams, and while the girls are heavy favorites to reclaim gold this October, the boys will have to overcome a few key losses on their roster to chase another championship. But make no mistake, Pella will once again be a major factor in who comes up with the top trophy in Class 3A -- and if they do so, the Dutch have an excellent chance to show they are Iowa’s best distance running program yet again.

The Dutch will work to overcome the loss of the king of Class 3A track and field and All-State finisher Chase Lauman, who was among the individual state title contenders until a post-district meet injury held him out. Cooper Vande Voort and Zack Neumann didn’t factor into the state scoring, but took their wealth of racing experience with them to college. However, the cupboard is far from bare for Coach Doug Cutler and company, and a host of returning athletes make them a contender again in the 3A field.

Coach Cutler Discusses Boys Team:

Key Athletes

Canaan Dunham, Sophomore - Class 3A All-State - 6th Place, Preseason #2 (IATC) 

Dunham just wasn’t a contributor to the winning formula for Pella’s success in 2023 -- he was a key ingredient. The freshman sensation blazed through Iowa’s cross country courses last fall, making it known in his first varsity race that he intended to not just lend a hand, but become Pella’s No. 2 runner behind the veteran Lauman. Canaan’s biggest attribute, especially considering his youth, was his remarkable consistency -- it felt like he was at the 16:10-16:30 mark for nearly every race he ran. Dunham shattered several freshman team and overall course records, and he enters the new calendar with the 3rd fastest 5K in program history. Canaan is the 2nd best returning Class 3A athlete from last year’s state meet and recorded one of the fastest 5Ks among Iowa freshmen ever recorded at Lakeside Golf Course (16:00.62). The sky's the limit for this once-in-a-generation talent, who will likely contend for the individual title beyond being a consistent leader on the course. It feels like 2022 was just the beginning for this special young man. 

Nathan Vander Waal, Senior - Class 3A All-State - 9th Place, Preseason #4 (IATC)

After a foot injury delayed a breakout season for this senior in 2021, the light turned green for a healthy Vander Waal in 2022. Nathan entered last fall as an experienced runner who battled an untimely injury, and left the season as one of Iowa’s elite by the end of October. Nathan’s All-State finish was a bit surprising, only in that he cracked the top ten and shattered his own personal best at Fort Dodge, going 16:09. The absence of Chase Lauman will hurt in some ways, but in others, it opens the door for Vander Waal to show just how good he is. Don’t be surprised if the senior swaps a few first place medals with Dunham, and as the 4th fastest returning 5K in Class 3A, contends for a top five finish at Lakeside Golf Course. Also, the motivation of being the “odd man” out on the track for the Dutch last year may also have given more fuel to Vander Waal -- as if he needs it. 

Devon Browne, Junior - 34th Place, Preseason #24 (IATC)

While the Dutch ultimately pulled away from Marion in the final mile of the 2022 state meet, if it wasn’t for this hard working then-sophomore, the title win may not have had the margin it had--or even happened at all. A breakout race had this runner vault himself into the top 40 of 3A. Devon had to earn the final spot on the varsity lineup in the final races of the regular season, and went from No. 7 to 4th on the championship team at Lakeside Golf Course, navigating a tough pack to pick up crucial places for the Class 3A crown. While a hungry group of sophomores and juniors will be vying for the final varsity spots again this year, Browne has earned himself a lot of respect and a measure of security, and should be a key member of the varsity squad in 2023 for a lot more of this coming fall season. 

Noah Schuknecht, Sophomore - 37th Place, Preseason #26 (IATC)

It’s not easy being the “other guy” when unfair comparisons are made. Noah would have had a lot more attention thrown his way if it wasn’t for his classmate Canaan making state headlines for his debut 9th grade campaign. And Schuknecht had an awfully good start to his own career. The now-sophomore clocked the 4th fastest freshman 5K in school history (16:32), behind Dunham, Josiah Wittenberg, and Zach Buchheit -- and just ahead of his teammate Vander Waal. Not too shabby for a guy who was the No. 4 runner on his own team heading into the state meet. Noah didn’t have his best day at Fort Dodge, but still found himself in the top 40 individuals. His progression may be the biggest key as to how far the Dutch can truly climb in Class 3A -- and if he bests his freshman campaign, Pella may become the runaway title winners again this October. 

Returners Kaiden Browne, Wyatt Van Dyke, Mason Gaulke, Aren Hellbusch

The looming question mark for the Dutch will be filling in the back of their lineup. With a solid returning top four, and even five, if you count 2021 state qualifier Kaiden Browne, there are many options for Coach Cutler and company to consider. All four of the above athletes ran sub 18 minutes at one point in the 2022 season and will be among several possible varsity letterwinners this year. This is not an all inclusive list, but these four names will likely get chances to prove they can take the next step and join the rich history of Pella athletes who have run at the Lakeside Golf Course. 

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Teams to Watch (in order of 2022 finish):

Marion - 2nd Place, 115 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 13th)

The past few years at Fort Dodge have shown the Wolves do not mess around at Lakeside Golf Course. Ranked 5th heading into the state meet, Marion had their best performance of the season in the final meet of the year. Their top five runners all placed in the top 51 -- it was just the fact that Pella got three in the top 10 that was ultimately the difference. After graduating some key athletes from the 2021 team -- that’s also the case in 2022, as 3A runner-up and multiple-time All-State selection Jedidiah Osgood moves on, as does Jakob Regennitter (26th) and Chris Oberbroeckling (50th). Cooper Cook is now a senior, but will need to find another gear to contend for an All-State finish and to lead Marion back to Fort Dodge. Returner Jordan Fischer (51st), also a senior, will help try to rebuild the team quickly enough to contend again, but with only three returning state qualifiers and a deep bunch of squads in eastern Iowa emerging, it will be an uphill climb for this group in 2023. 

North Polk - 3rd Place, 123 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 12th)

After edging the Dutch for 3rd place in 2021, it felt like 2022 could be the Year of the Comets. Instead, they finished a solid 3rd again last fall and did so with a large group of seniors. All-State Twins Zach (4th) and Max (15th) Sporaa contributed so much to the growing program from Alleman over the past four years, and were even one of the few 3A teams to beat Pella last fall in a head-to-head. This team will be losing the vast majority of their varsity roster from 2022. Graduating brothers Austin and Ethan Stierman make four key members from the squad moving on due to graduation. Now-senior Alik McIllravy (17th) will lead the rebuild that features Nolan Mandernach (91st) and Grant Aspengren (123rd), but it will be an incredibly difficult road to get back to Fort Dodge considering who they are losing. McIlravy will be in the mix as a definite individual qualifier if he maintains or improves on his 2022 season, but he might be a bit more lonely at the start line, unless the Comets find some immediate help. 

Carlisle - 4th Place, 134 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 2nd)

Pack teams can be a make or break situation at the state meet -- and for this Raccoon River conference school, they had a fantastic performance at Fort Dodge in 2022. The Wildcats narrowly missed a trophy after coming into the meet ranked 7th. The Wildcats had their top five place between 20th and 42nd and within 28 seconds of each other. If it weren’t for the outstanding All-State runners ahead of this group at Lakeside Golf Course, they could have likely placed even higher. All but one of this pack of ‘cats returns in 2023, led by Sophomore Kael Streeter (20th), who will contend for a top 15 finish again this fall. If he can bring Senior Chase Gach (31st), Junior Kamden Brown (32nd), and Brody Roth (41st) with him a few more spots, they could be the primary challenger to the Dutch for the Class 3A title and at many meets head-to-head throughout the season. The biggest question is whether Ezra DeCleene (73rd) and Zach Streeter (110th) can close the gap and become a consistent 5th runner to keep the time spread under 30 seconds again. 

Winterset - 5th Place, 141 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 11th)

The Huskies had a solid end to a breakout 2023 season for the program. While Winterset ultimately couldn’t solve the likes of North Polk throughout the season, a top 5 finish in the field of teams from last fall is nothing to be ashamed of. But the real test of a consistent state contending program is rebuilding -- and there will be work to do for this Raccoon River Conference bunch this fall. Mason Back was an All-Stater (11th) that graduated, and fellow Class of ‘23 graduate Ethan Easter turned in a 27th place mark at Lakeside Golf Course. Senior Sam Hensley (25th) is the top returner, and teammates Collin Kessler (57th), Eli Cowman (60th), and Liam Sutton (129th) will try to get the Huskies back into Fort Dodge. But repeating in the top five will be quite the hurdle to clear considering some of the gaps left behind last October.  

Glenwood - 6th Place, 154 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 8th)

The Rams have not been able to translate success at district meets to Fort Dodge. They had a good day, but entered the race in 3rd and with a ton of confidence that they would knock the Dutch off of their No. 1 ranking. But, considering their own lofty expectations, they had a much better go in 2022 than their 2021 appearance. Senior Bryant Keller (10th) will be a top five contender this year as the 5th best returner. Teammate Andrew Smith was 23rd and could be in the mix for an All-State bid. Liam Hays (49th) was also a big contributor. The biggest question in 2023 -- can this group of Rams find a consistent No. 4 and No. 5 runner after losing their next three to graduation and another to a transfer, and ultimately perform better at Fort Dodge? If the answer is yes, then they are among the primary challengers to the Dutch in 2023.  

Gilbert - 7th Place, 186 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 3rd)

Gilbert had a solid race at the state meet with a unique team makeup in 2023. The Tigers were paced by 5th place finisher William Wadsley, and had freshmen Preston Stensland (45th) and Carson Squiers (53rd) put together solid races as well. Harrison Kraehline (67th), Zain Mueller (75th), and Emmett Barber (76th) are all back to round out a solid returning five. If that group can improve and overcome the loss of Wadsley to graduation, the Tigers are a definite top three contender -- and should make for a great battle with Carlisle for the Raccoon River Conference championship. 

MOC-Floyd Valley - 8th Place, 212 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 7th)

This group of Dutchmen from northwest Iowa had a really solid finish to the season. MOC was ranked 12th heading into the state qualifying meet, and placed a close 3rd behind North Polk and Gilbert to earn a spot in Fort Dodge. While they didn’t get any All-State performances, then-sophomore Trevor Mirande placed 18th as an individual. While the Dutchmen will miss Isaiah Hulshof (36th) and Micah DeYoung (84th), Ian Van Der Werff (58th), Micah Schmidt (80th), Nathan Anderson (95th), and Thatcher Doughan (101st) were all underclassmen for this 8th place team a season ago. The bunch from northwest Iowa will likely fly under many radars due to their lack of head-to-head competitions with many central and eastern Iowa contenders, but they could find their way to a top five finish by season’s end. 

Mount Vernon-Lisbon - 9th Place, 212 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 4th)

While the girls program from these two schools was a trophy contender, from a state perspective, the boys version flew a bit under the radar by comparison. Now-junior Grady Olberding (14th) leads a group that could find themselves in the 3A mix by October. Klayten Perreault (52nd), Wesley Sadler (62nd), Dawson Scheil (63rd), and Seamus O’Connor (89th) are all returners and were the top five at Lakeside for the Mustangs. This group has the potential to be the best squad coming from eastern Iowa, especially if the trailing pack behind Olberding can leapfrog more runners this year. They are a definite top five preseason contender. 

Epworth, Western Dubuque - 10th Place, 231 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 15th)

The mention of Bobcats may have made a few Pella track and field fans jumpy after they put a serious challenge to the 3A championship reign of the Dutch this past spring. While it will be a bit more of a gap on the cross country course, this group for northeast Iowa has some talent to showcase. No doubt, they will miss Isaiah Hammerand and his 3rd place finish last year. Quentin Naumann was excellent on the blue oval in the 800 meters and is a definite contender to get closer to Hammerand’s finish and an All-State mark this October. The biggest question will be how this program replaces five seniors from their state team -- Brody Staner is the only other returning Bobcat from last year’s group. 

Solon - 11th Place, 259 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 6th)

Solon had no seniors on last year’s state team that placed 11th a season ago. That makes Sparty a dangerous squad and a good top five pick in the preseason for those who make them. Brick Kabela (22nd) will compete for an All-State bid and Michael Yeomans (40th), Grant Bumsted (87th), Lawsin Sinnwell (93th), and Wyatt Applegarth (121st) round out an impressive senior class for this eastern Iowa school. Evan Burg (94th) and Camden Lyons (116th) are joining them. The Spartans have a really nice season ahead of them. 

ADM - 12th Place, 264 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 9th)

The Raccoon River Conference was perhaps the deepest in Iowa last year. ADM placed 5th among the eight conference schools and still gathered a 12th place finish in Fort Dodge. This group of Tigers has some key talent returning, including Torin Timmerman, who placed 29th last year and should be a possible top 15 finisher this year. Hunter Landphair (74th), Isaac Chapman (83rd), Keegan Holdmeyer (90th), and Hubie Chaplin (99th) were all at Lakeside a year ago. The toughest task for the Tigers will be overcoming Carlisle and Gilbert at the top of the league standings this year and then doing it again in Fort Dodge. But ADM can be a definite top eight finisher, and maybe a bit more. 

Lewis Central - 13th Place, 277 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 5th)

A good place to start for any team to begin the season is to have the defending champion on your roster. Ethan Eichhorn went from 13th in 4A as a sophomore to the best in a loaded field of individuals in 3A this past season. Competing in the elite Hawkeye Ten conference in western Iowa, the Titans made a nice transition to the lower sized class in 3A last fall. Kade Diercks just finished outside of the top 15 (16th). The issue for Lewis Central was their next placewinner, Marshall Arkfeld, was 104th. Teammates Richard Selken (114th), Asher Rodenburg (120th), and Jaxon Brewer (130th), like Arkfeld, were all underclassmen. The addition of Kevin Coots (56th) of Glenwood certainly helps. How far they can improve is still the question -- but call them a dark horse top five program to start the season. 

Clear Creek-Amana - 14th Place, 300 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 10th)

The Clippers navigated eastern Iowa to find a path to Fort Dodge in 2022 and had a fairly young team compete among 3A’s best last fall. Clear Creek Amana was paced by Brock Hilsman and his 30th place performance. Thomas Stitner (81st), Jamie Hayes (82nd), Isaac Sorensen (100th), and Logan Kafter (112th) were all underclassmen a year ago and are giving this team a chance to leap into contention for the WaMaC title and a top 10 season if all of those athletes can take a step forward in speed. 

Fort Madison - 15th Place, 375 Points (IATC Preseason Ranking - 14th)

The Bloodhounds had the youngest team at the state meet by leaps and bounds and while their 15th place finish may have been reflective of that, there’s no doubt they can be a staying force in Class 3A over the next few seasons. Fort Madison came into the state qualifying meet unranked and upset then #17 Washington and #19 South Tama at the home of the Demons. Jacob Shottenkirk (59th) led a team with four freshmen in 2022 (Nolan Guzman - 88th, Riley Tripp - 107th, Peyton Lambert - 113th, and Mason McLey - 118th). Castille Johnstun (125th) and Cameron Shutwell (128th) round out a team that could have all seven back on varsity. The Bloodhounds will be a known commodity at the Southeast Iowa Conference and state qualifying meets this year, and while it’s unlikely to see them leap into the top eight of Class 3A, they have a definite shot to get to Fort Dodge and build to a really special 2024.