Another successful year of athletics was celebrated on Eagle Lane as Pella Christian boys and girls teams competed over the past year. This year’s Top 10 Moments countdown will feature some incredible highlights, and here are some that just missed the cut, and were worth celebrating as honorable mentions:

Pella Christian Girls Nearly Upsets West Branch in Thriller Out East

Pella Christian’s upset bid fell short on February 19th, as number three in class 2A West Branch survived a scare from the Eagles 41-37 in a regional semifinal heard live on 92.1 KRLS. The Eagles took an advantage that grew to 28-23 midway through the third quarter, but West Branch answered with a 14-4 run to claim a 37-32 lead. Pella Christian fought back to tie the game at 37, but West Branch scored the final four points at the free throw line to earn the victory. The Bears entered the contest with an 18-1 record averaging over 60 points per game, but Eagles coach Brad Engbers’ club responded with one of its best defensive efforts of the season.
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May 14th Was a Special Day for Eagles Golfers, Girls Soccer Players

On May 14th, a pair of Eagles spring sports teams had their best days of the spring season. The Pella Christian Girls Soccer team knocked off No. 7 in Class 1A Van Meter 2-1. After falling behind, Ellie Brouwer used her head off of a Joslyn Terpstra corner in the 22nd minute to knot up the score at one. Terpstra knocked in a corner kick in the 74th minute for the game-winning goal.

That same day, for the first time in seven years, the Pella Christian Boys Golf team advanced to the district playoffs after placing runner up in the Class 2A sectional in Bloomfield. Kyle Gao earned a 3rd place finish among individuals with an 88, with the Eagles shooting 367 as a team, just four strokes behind meet champions PCM. Pella Christian’s scoring was rounded out by Isaiah Breems and his 90, Caleb Van Arendonk with a 94, and Aiden Stoltz shooting a 95.
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P.C. Volleyball Team Sweeps Home Tournament
The Pella Christian volleyball team swept their home invitational Saturday, September 25th, winning all four of their matches against a mix of opponents. The Eagles defeated No. 13 in 4A Bondurant-Farrar 2-1 (21-10, 14-21, 15-12), No. 15 in 3A Knoxville 2-1 (15-21, 21-18, 17-15), and swept Grand View Christian (21-15, 21-11) and Albia (21-14, 21-10).
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Eagles Manager Gets a Hit on Baseball Senior Day; Inside the Park Grand Slam for Spronk

It’s not often the managers of area sports teams get to suit up, let alone make any varsity contributions. But in the final regular season home game of 2021 against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on July 6th, Eagles baseball manager Spencer Ver Ploeg not only got to take a few cuts on the diamond, but he lasered a line drive into center field for his first career hit, according to Head Coach Braden Shull. The same night also featured a rare inside-the-park grand slam by Bennett Spronk.
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Boys Tennis Program Returns in 2021 After Nine-Year Hiatus (Pictured Up Top)
For the first time in nine years, the Eagles fielded a boys tennis team against varsity competition when they hosted Newton on Tuesday, April 13th. While the score was a sweep for the Cardinals, Pella Christian Head Coach Aaron Fitzgerald says it was a special occasion for his ten-player roster to play competitive tennis for the first time in a sanctioned event against a new opponent.
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Cara Veenstra Wins Conference High Jump Title

In the land of the giants of the Little Hawkeye Conference, Cara Veenstra rose above the bar and her foes, winning the co-conference high jump title on May 4th with a 4-10 leap.
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Saving a Seat for Eagles Superfan Dick Vander Laan

One of the all-time “Superfans” of Eagles athletics passed away during the holiday season. Former teacher and coach Dick Vander Laan was a consistent presence at Pella Christian sporting events for nearly six decades. The Eagles reserved a seat for Vander Laan at the Pella vs. Pella Christian basketball doubleheader on January 15th in his memory.
Click here to hear Dick celebrated during the football season prior to his passing in a special “Superfan” feature.