The Pella girls tennis team completed their sweep of the 2025 Little Hawkeye Conference season at the annual league invitational on Thursday. Pella scored 46 team points to defeat a competitive field in Indianola. The doubles duos of Abby Hietbrink and Addi Namminga and Addison Van Wyk and Reagan DeJong swept the Flight 1 and Flight 2 doubles brackets respectively. Macy Westerkamp placed 2nd in Flight 2 singles and Ellie Smock placed 3rd. The Dutch will next compete in the individual regional tournament at Pella High School on Wednesday, September 17th.

Pella’s ranked cross country teams navigated a field that featured 12 other rated boys teams and 14 other ranked girls squads at Iowa State University at the Gilbert invitational. The Dutch girls stayed undefeated, scoring 49 team points to win the race. Marissa Ferebee led the way again too, winning her third race in as many run in the 2025 campaign, coming in at a time of 17:39.73. Elsie Brenneman placed 3rd (18:05.26), Ruth Dunham landed in 8th (18:57.09), Lizzy Vande Voort was 14th (19:20.21), and Dana McCulla finished 23rd (19:55.4) to round out the Pella score. For the second consecutive race, the #2 in 3A Pella boys placed behind #1 Gilbert, in a 73-35 team point margin. Canaan Dunham placed 3rd among individuals (15:15.47), followed by Mason Gaulke (10th – 16:18.91), Porter Carlton (16th – 16:32.5), Noah Schuknecht (20th – 16:47.15), and Jonah Ebersole (24th – 16:55.5). Head Coach Doug Cutler was impressed with the improvements shown on both teams on a hot night in Ames.

“Our depth in the 3A classification really showed tonight. There are a great deal of improvements being made all throughout the team. Varsity boys raced well, our primary pack is learning and growing each race. I like our projections.

Varsity girls were without Vande Voort at the home meet, and Carleigh Altwine tonight. Just being cautious with little items of discomfort. No reason to derail our training by racing too much if not 100%. With that said, there is a bit sickness going around and we are training through that as we can and when appropriate.”

Pella is off from competition until next weekend — the girls will compete at the prestigious Griak Invitational at the University of Minnesota, while the boys return to the deep Heartland Classic at Central College, both held next Saturday.