Racing competition from several surrounding states, Pella High cross country made a statement on Saturday that they can hang with some of the elite schools not just in Iowa, but in the United States. The Pella High girls finished ninth overall, which is their best finish ever in the Heartland Classic, says Coach Doug Cutler. Leading the way for the Lady Dutch was Kelcey Blommers with a time of 15:11; she tied with teammate Tess Roorda who officially came in 17th. The boys placed 21st overall in a very competitive field. Quickest time for Pella was Ben Warner at 17:13, good for 76th overall, and Jordan Pingel clocked a time of 17:27 to finish in the top 100 individually. In addition to several Iowa schools being in attendance, teams from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota and South Dakota also were on display at Iowa State University’s cross country course. Pella will next race at a meet in Indianola on Thursday.

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