It’s the time of the year when cross country teams are looking to run their best races, and few programs in the state of Iowa have done so with more consistency than the Pella Cross Country program.

Head Coach Doug Cutler says the goal of any coaching staff is to be at their fastest as the season comes to a close — and despite the different challenges faced this season due to COVID-19 and a vastly different racing schedule, he expects the Pella boys and girls to be near their peak when they host the district meet this Wednesday. While the No. 2 ranked boys appear to be the favorites to claim the top spot in that 3A field, the Lady Dutch will be in a challenging starting line that includes No. 1 Ballard. However, Cutler feels like his girls have a good shot to make it back to Fort Dodge, but they’ll most likely have to outrace either ranked Carlisle or Mt. Vernon for those honors.

The Dutch boys cross country team has been to 14 state meets in 15 years, with team championships in 2009 and 2013, and twelve top six finishes. The Lady Dutch have been to the state meet 14 consecutive seasons, and own 13 top ten finishes in Class 3A. Both teams will try to extend those remarkable streaks this Wednesday at the Pella Sports Park.