We’ve reached the end of our top ten moments from 2017-18, and it ends with a championship multiple years in the making.

Pella’s girls track and field team claimed the top prize in a highly competitive Class 3A field on Championship Saturday of the 2018 State Track and Field meet at Drake Stadium.

It couldn’t be more fitting that Annika Pingel was the Lady Dutch athlete to cross the finish line in the final race of the day in the 4×400 to earn the title. Pingel was part of six runner up teams at state as an athlete in three different sports prior to finally claiming team gold. She told KNIA/KRLS Sports the feeling was incredible the moment her foot hit the start-finish line for the final time as a high school athlete.

“It was very special, it was kind of surreal,” she says. “I mean I’m so grateful for the second places that I have had, but getting the final gold, and especially in track and field with these girls and track being my favorite sport, it was just a great way to end my track career and all-sports career at Pella.”

Pella scored 46 of their team points on Championship Saturday to defeat a loaded 3A field including Crestwood, Wahlert, and Benton, who all finished within a dozen points of the Lady Dutch. The championship was the first girls team title since 1994, and came after two straight runner-up seasons in 2016 and 2017 for the Lady Dutch track program.