There’s no doubt October 29th, 2022 was a special, incredible accomplishment for the Pella Cross Country teams. The Dutch were the first teams since the girls competed in 5K races to win both the boys and girls championships.

It may be hard to fathom, but an even more special Saturday could await the distance runners in green and white. Pella enters the final race in Class 3A at Fort Dodge with the #1 ranked girls and #2 ranked boys teams as of the polls placed before the state qualifying meets — and have a serious chance to become just the second high school in state history to repeat as both boys and girls champions. Iowa City High did so in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

In the latest individual rankings from the Iowa Track and Field Coaches Association, two Dutch runners enter the weekend as favorites to hoist the individual trophies in their respective competitions; Canaan Dunham and Marissa Ferebee are both the top rated runners in Class 3A as well.

Head Coach Doug Cutler believes if both teams run to their best potential, the improbable feat becomes more than just possible, but he’s also aware several athletes and schools will have targets on the back of the defending champions heading to Lakeside Golf Course and will want their own shot at glory.

“These are championship teams,” Cutler says. “Whether or not we win Saturday–they’ve done the work, they’ve put in the effort, they’ve supported one another, they’ve grown as people, friends, and in some ways family.”

“I never imagined I don’t think I’d be sitting in this position as the coach of this team with the chance of coming home with both team and individual titles.”

In particular, he believes the Gilbert boys earned their No. 1 in 3A ranking and will race to a tight finish for the top two spots in 3A, and 2022 individual champion Ethan Eichhorn of Lewis Central will be chasing for a repeat in a dual against Dunham; Ferebee will have a handful of top-ranked runners to outpace she hasn’t seen head-to-head yet this season.

The last school to come as close as the Dutch might in sweeping all of the top trophies at state was Dowling Catholic in 2011 — and the green and white could be the first in the 5K era of Iowa High School Cross Country.

The Maroons won the boys and girls team trophies that season and had individual Grace Gibbons take the top girls title home; the boys had a 3rd place finisher in the individual running that season. That year, ironically enough, also saw Pella chase history and take home three trophies that day; the Dutch boys won the team title in 3A and Zach Buchheit set the all-time best 5K time on his way to an individual title, while the Pella girls placed 3rd. Xavier also grabbed three of four possible first place spots in 2006.

Pella will chase history this Saturday at 2 p.m., with the girls followed by the boys in the Class 3A state cross country championship races.