Pella Girls Reign of 3A Cross Country Charging Toward Threepeat
At their best, the Dutch girls might not just be the best distance running team in their class, but the entire state
It took a long time and a lot of heartbreak to get there, but 2022 marked the year Pella’s storied program finally claimed gold in the state Class 3A cross country field. The follow-up was a dominating showcase of the depth of the program, even if the green and white didn’t put together their best day in Fort Dodge to end the season.
Despite the graduation of a talented pair of varsity seniors, the Dutch have reloaded, and carry a bit of swagger that Iowa has not seen their best. While there’s no doubt the rest of the state has been working to catch up, Pella’s girls stand head-and-shoulders ahead of the rest of the 3A field — and early indications show they may be able to match up with nearly any school running cross country in 2024.
Coach Doug Cutler discusses 2024 team (audio file):
“It’s a real special time,” Cutler says. “We have an excellent mix of girls who have some natural talent, they work hard, but they work correctly. They understand the importance of nutrition and rest — just the whole package of putting all of it together and doing the little things right at that elite level when you’re there.”
Key Athletes:
Marissa Ferebee, Junior - 2023 Class 3A State Champion; Preseason No. 1
The now reigning queen of Class 3A Iowa High School distance racing had a remarkable breakout sophomore campaign over the academic year following a slow start to the fall. Ferebee only seemed to get stronger from about mid-September all the way to the famous Blue Oval in Drake Stadium, shattering several school records during the climb to three individual titles. While her October 2023 battle with Harlan’s Lindsey Sonderman was neck-and-neck (3.5 second difference) in Fort Dodge, it’s clear that Marissa is only getting stronger (and faster). Already the best female distance runner in Pella’s rich track and field and cross country history, Ferebee will try to hold off a young and deep field of Class 3A individuals (all five runners who placed behind Ferebee at state were juniors or younger), but her confidence, and frankly, speed, will be hard to match. Marissa clearly has her sights set on bigger horizons, all the while being the definite driver of the chase of a team threepeat. There’s no reason to doubt that Marissa can not only claim the crown of Class 3A again, but she’ll be pushing to beat speedy conference rival Piper Messerly of DCG to reclaim the Little Hawkeye Conference title, too. Ferebee is one of the best in Iowa, and assuming good health, should destroy the school record books she already owns.
Raegan Snieder, Senior - 2023 25th Place; Preseason No. 18
It has been a whirlwind journey for the senior who helped stoke the fire of the now back-to-back champions. As a freshman, Snieder earned All State recognition and set the stage for a bright future. But injuries largely robbed Raegan of the sophomore follow-up she wanted. But, she battled back to be a key in earning Pella’s first state title. As a junior, Snieder reclaimed her health, and it showed. She came back to now have the 4th best 5K time in program history, behind two of her current teammates, and pushed herself into the top 25 of Class 3A. Her spring follow-up showed promising signs, including a 12th place finish in the 800 meters and a school record effort in the 4x800. Raegan is the most experienced varsity runner on the Dutch staff and will be the leader of this team in so many ways in conjunction with Ferebee’s superstar performances and their shared calm demeanor. Raegan will remain a vital key in ensuring the Dutch win a lot of races this fall.
Ruth Dunham, Sophomore - 2023 30th Place; Preseason No. 12
This sophomore launched on the scene with immediate expectations and largely met them, keeping pace with the likes of Autumn Blink near the front of the Dutch pack for much of the fall of 2023 before flying by at the state qualifier. Dunham’s 19:08.65 race at the Pella Sports Park beat Marissa Ferebee’s chief rival Lindsey Sonderman. It’s really unfair, but true — Ruth did not have her best day at Fort Dodge. Maybe it was the cold or the pressure of her first race at state (and 30th is still a really solid finish), but the pre-meet expectations were a bit higher. Dunham showed off enough speed in the spring season to be the No. 2 distance choice on the track behind Ferebee, and her times continued to improve steadily throughout the season, even if her days at Drake Stadium in May weren’t her season’s best, either. If Dunham repeats her 2023 performances, it would be a great sophomore year. But it feels like Ruth is capable—and has been working to be, so much more. Let last year’s races at both state meets be the fuel that spurs this great competitor into the top ten of Class 3A with a strong chance to be an All-State performer by season’s end.
Lizzie Neumann, Junior - 2023 50th Place
If nothing else, Lizzie has been a steady mainstay in this deep varsity roster for the last two years. While she’s had a lot of strength as an emerging star on the track and in soccer, Neumann takes more of a middle-of-the-pack role in the fall — and that’s not necessarily a knock, either. The 2023 season was another really good one for Lizzie, as she provided solid consistency race-to-race. While she wasn’t able to quite nab her freshman year best time sub-20 minutes, a strong season on the oval last spring may be a sign of the speed to come this year, especially on a team that will have plenty of internal competition. Neumann is also one of the more veteran members of the squad, and her experience could be key in making the Dutch the deepest team in Class 3A.
Elsie Brenneman, Sophomore - 2023 53rd Place
Surprises are really fun, usually, and as a 9th grader, Elsie didn’t start the year on varsity. But she saw time jumps start to pile up around midseason, and made it a tough choice for the Dutch coaching staff to leave her on the sidelines. Brenneman pushed to a 13th place finish at the district before a really solid Lakeside Golf Course debut. Despite an injury to start the spring, this sophomore has found another gear. It’s hard to read too much into summer 5K times, but Elise did run sub 19-minutes in Sully (ahead of a standout freshman teammate to be mentioned below and Elyse Erzen of Des Moines Christian). The coaching staff believes Brenneman might not just crack the varsity, but by season’s end, could be All-State caliber. A lot will depend on development and avoiding injuries (as is always the case in cross country), but Brenneman could be much better than her opening salvo in 2023 — which is a dangerous note for any of the Class 3A field to work against.
Lizzy Vandevoort, Freshman
If a freshman makes the list, it’s done with a measure of care and respect of the newness of varsity. But just as her teammates Ruth, Marissa, and Lizzie have done each of the past few seasons, this emerging distance standout is ready for the challenge. Perhaps the worst kept secret about the Dutch and their future prospects are the incoming classes of athletes they’ve had to refuel and reload this potential dynasty run. Vandevoort sent out a salvo at the IATC All-Star meet after the season late last fall, running 20:03 on the same course her now-teammates ran to qualify for Fort Dodge in 2023. All things not being equal, that would have been the 4th fastest time for the Dutch at the district meet and an All-District time to boot. As an 8th grader, Lizzy was 2nd at the Middle School state meet (to Erzen of Des Moines Christian) and also had a strong time at the Sully Freedom Run this summer (again, not a perfect measure of a cross country course). But it’s really not a matter of “if” — Lizzy will be a varsity mainstay starting with the Central College home meet in September, and may not look back.
Kamry Trine, Sophomore - State Meet Alternate in 2023
With the six athletes above very likely to hang on to their varsity spots — at least in the short term, the most intrigue for Pella’s deep and talented roster is who the presumed No. 7 athlete will be on the postseason roster. The first choice seems to be Kamry Trine, who had a season best time of 20:42 in 2023, which she ran at the JV Little Hawkeye Conference meet in October — enough to earn state team alternate status. Pella will have two spots to fill with the graduations of Macy Schroeder and Autumn Blink, and with Lizzy Vandevoort certain to fill one, the question will become who is the final piece to the potential threepeat puzzle. Trine is the leading candidate early, but don’t count out fellow track and field sprinter and senior Mara Schiebout, longtime JV standout Chloe Punt, or a handful of other talented 9th graders to push for that final spot.
Teams to Watch:
The field is stronger than ever in Class 3A, according to Coach Cutler. A young group of athletes all competed in Fort Dodge last year and many standouts are returning for a fun fall of competition. Some of the information (including about potential transfers) below is taken from a new rankings site compiled, called crosscountryratings.com.
Mount Vernon-Lisbon (IATC Ranked 2nd, Placed 2nd in 2023)
Despite losing one of the top runners of the state heading into 2023, the prospects for state success were a bit uncertain after a 5th place finish. But these Mustangs really showed their mettle, and the depth of their program. This runner-up had no seniors on last year’s roster, and a strong group returns for MVL in 2024. Emrie Johnson (20th individually), Eastin Whisner (23rd), and Kersten Swart (31st) are all in the preseason rankings, and teammate Evelyn Moeller (39th) was the 4th runner to break 20 minutes at Fort Dodge. There was a considerable gap to get to Abbie Moss (87th). If the Mustangs are the team to knock off the Dutch, they will need one (or multiple) of their top three to break into the top 10 in the individual standings and for their five through seven runners to all see some strong time drops. But Mount Vernon-Lisbon is a definite preseason top three team and perhaps the most likely of any to pull off an upset in November.
Gilbert (IATC Ranked 3rd, Placed 3rd in 2023)
These Tigers were every bit as young as the Dutch and Mustangs, but didn’t show it in 2023. Their 3rd place finish was a sign of things to come, as members of the same crew were key in a 5th place result at the state track and field meet this past spring. But it will be an uphill battle for Gilbert, as they lost No. 2 runner Clare Stahr (21st individually) to graduation and, perhaps more impactful, their emerging distance star in Emee Dani (10th - All-State in 2023 as a freshman) to a transfer to Waukee Northwest. The new Cross Country rankings website remains high on the Tigers, giving them a strong chance to repeat in the top three (ranked 2nd). This is fueled by Sarah Feddersen, who is returning after only competing in one meet last fall. She placed 3rd in the 800 meters at Drake Stadium, and Keira Andersen, who was unable to finish at state after a 4th place finish at her district race in Spencer. Maggie Danilson (45th individually at state), Callie Hales (51st), Abby Patel (88th), and Sophia Bleich (91st) round out the likely varsity roster. Gilbert had a really strong 2023 until it wasn’t quite as much so in Fort Dodge — and despite the loss of Dani up top, they remain a top five contender in Class 3A heading into the fall season.
Des Moines Christian (IATC Ranked 4th, 2A Champions)
Welcome to Class 3A, Lions. The defending Class 2A champions were part of arguably the wildest finish at the state meet in 2023, winning by nine points over Van Meter as the top four teams were separated by just 21 points in the final standings. The strength of DMC was a tight pack that scored 11 to 35 in their top five with a time spread of 58 seconds. A very young team was able to cross the finish line, led by Stella Pothoven (ranked 20th, placed 17th in at 2A state), Meryl Cassidy (ranked 27th, placed 20th in 2A) and Sienna Stec (23rd in 2A), who as two freshmen and a sophomore all broke the 20 minute mark. Reagan Zimmerman (41st in 2A last fall) also returns. The really intriguing part to watch for the Lions will be Charlotte Erzen (yes, the same family as Carlisle standout Ainsley) and the youngest of four sisters Elyse, who enters her freshman season after winning the Class 2A individual middle school championship in 2023, leading the Lions to that team title as well. The Lions won’t have any issues competing in Class 3A, at least for a top-five spot. The real question is will the young Erzen rise into the individual race, and pull the pack that follows with her to a trophy finish.
Solon (IATC Ranked 5th, Placed 8th in 2023)
It was hard to expect the Spartans to stay in the mix for a trophy race in 2023 after their 2022 3rd place finish. But Solon still enjoyed a top eight spot it was turned into a rebuilding season both in distance and on the track (10th in 3A). Sydney Dee (18th individually, preseason ranked 19th) will try to crack the All-State mix. Falyn Svalstad returns after a strong freshman debut in 2023 (44th) and someone to watch in the rankings before too long. The coaches are high on Sparty, perhaps fueled by their 3A Middle School state meet win. Five 8th graders on that squad ran under 13:12 in that shorter event. Whether that translates to the 5K remains to be seen, but if any of those now freshmen can do so, it makes Solon a very intriguing team to watch and a potential top three contender.
Sioux Center (IATC Ranked 6th, Placed 4th in 2023)
With the likes of Pella, Solon, and Ballard dominating the trophy stand over the past several seasons, the northwest Iowa cross country scene is oven overlooked. The Warriors came into the state meet ranked 8th with an interesting mix of youth and experience, and emerged with a 4th place finish (155 points). Audrina Jones had a fantastic race, beating out several top ten ranked runners to jumped into 3rd place as a freshmen. She returns at the top ranked 3rd in 3A, along with junior teammate Kolby Oldenkamp (ranked 26th, placed 22nd individually). The Warriors did lose two seniors to graduation out of their top five. Jones will look to hold her own at the top and Oldenkamp will push for an All-State finish, but the math gets harder from there. How fast Sioux Center can reload will be the determining factor if they can hold close to their 2023 finish — and there is some momentum coming into the new year, after they tied for 2nd place at the state track and field meet this past spring.
Glenwood (IATC Ranked 7th, Placed 5th in 2023)
The Rams had a solid day in chilly Fort Dodge to end their last campaign, outperforming their pre-meet ranking (6th) to earn a top five spot in the field. Led by freshman Grace Berglund (ranked 4th preseason, placed 8th individually), Glenwood put together a pack behind her to leap into the trophy mix. Four of the top five Rams runners are back to try and push further ahead into the deep roster of teams in Class 3A. This western Iowa school will need to find some consistency in their depth to try and contend with the stronger schools, but should find a trip back to Lakeside Golf Course enjoyable in 2024.
Marion (IATC Ranked 8th, Placed 7th in 2023)
Marion had a really strong performance at the state meet, outpacing their pre-meet 11th ranking by four spots. Led by standout Addison Dabroski (placed 6th in 2023), the rest of the team had a decent pack behind her to pull well into the top ten in a really close battle with Solon and Clear Lake (separated by just one point). AduryElla Meyer found herself tied up in the pack between 20:00 and 20:30, placing 56th. The loss of senior Kendall Orozco (74th individually) could complicate things a bit for the Wolves, only in the fact they weren’t as deep as some of the teams ahead of them to start the season. But if Marion can put together another strong performance, and if Dabroski could leap deeper into the top five, the Wolves could have enough to pull into a tough top five.
Clear Lake (IATC Ranked 9th, Placed 9th in 2023)
If nothing else, this team has some championship pedigree after a remarkable weekend in May for Reese Brownlee. The now-senior dominated the 3A scene on the track and pushed her team to a top ten finish at Drake Stadium. The flipside is that Brownlee isn’t nearly as gifted (although still very good) in the 5K. Among the top ten teams, this Lions squaded graduated some talent, namely 15th place All-State runner Anna Feuerbach. Addison Doughan followed up her 29th place finish with appearances at the Blue Oval. It’s not to say that Clear Lake won’t have a successful fall, but the title picture seems pretty far away, and they’ll have to fight to stay in the top 10 in 2023 with a strong group of newcomers added to the mix.
Ballard (IATC Ranked 10th, Placed 6th in 2023)
While they are a few steps removed from their recent dynasty, it’s not really fair to consider the Bombers as “down” — if only from their recent historic heights, they still remain a strong contender to appear in Fort Dodge. But they graduate another standout senior, as Avelyn Vance moves on from her 7th place race at Lakeside Golf Course andAll-State standard in the lofty record books of Ballard’s program. The girls from Huxley will be senior heavy at the top, led by Brynn Wilson (32nd in 2023), Annika Larson (41st), and Ava Richardson (65th). Their upcoming tussles in the deep Raccoon River Conference will only sharpen their iron, but it may be challenging for the Bombers to stay afloat in the Class 3A field, at least this year — in terms of a top ten finish, at least.
ADM (IATC Ranked 11th, Placed 12th in 2023)
Call this the intriguing part of the preview section. The IATC’s Exchange Zone preseason podcast called this a team to watch and a potential headline in 2024. A largely freshman-dominated Tigers team had a solid say at Lakeside, led by Allie Eggleston’s 40th place finish. Four 9th graders made up the 2023 team, and only one graduate departs. It’s maybe a bit early to call ADM a top five team, but a lot will depend on reinforcements from the lower levels. But considering the overall youth, and six-of-seven varsity participants back, there seems to be a lot of room for improvement this fall.
Decorah (IATC Ranked 12th, Placed 11th in 2023)
The Vikings from as far-northeast-in-Iowa one can be should be in store for a fun few months. Led by 9th place finisher Amelia Roe, there should be a low stick to start the scoring for Decorah. There was a considerable gap (more than 90 seconds) between their All-State finisher and the rest of the team that also graduates two seniors from the roster. This group should have a great shot to get to Fort Dodge, but there is a lot of distance to make up to move into the top ten of the field.
Other 3A Ranked Teams (13 through 20):
13. Clear Creek Amana
14. Harlan
15. MOC-Floyd Valley
16. Willamsburg
17. Washington
18. Bishop Heelan
19. Western Dubuque
20. Center Point-Urbana
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