The Pella Cross Country teams will take to the State Cross Country Meet in Fort Dodge today with high hopes, following a solid season and a strong performance at the District Meet. Assistant Coach Robin Hammann says the course conditions don’t necessarily put the Little Dutch squads at an advantage or disadvantage, but thinks her athlete’s familiarity with the course will be helpful.

“This course is a fast course. It’s fairly flat for a cross country course. I think it does play to us a little bit because we’ve been there before, and experience always helps a cross country runner,” says Hammann. “The biggest issue, as far as that race is concerned, is the packing. There are so many good runners, and you’re always running next to people. That is the biggest challenge for any team that is running at State.”

The Pella girls team won the District title last week, and are aiming to improve upon last year’s fifth-place finish at State. The Pella boys, meanwhile, are running strong after some stiff competition at the District Meet, and will certainly be challenged in their pursuit to repeat as Class 3-A State Champions. The Lady Dutch will hit the course at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Doge at 12:00 p.m. today, with the Class 3-A boys starting at 12:30 p.m.

Tags: , , , ,