A feat so nice, she did it twice! Three-time state champion Marissa Ferebee was named for the second consecutive season as the Gatorade Iowa Girls Cross Country Player of the Year.

Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community. The award recognizes Ferebee as Iowa’s best high school girls cross country athlete, and becomes the first individual at Pella High School to earn the recognition twice.

The 5-foot-6 senior broke the tape at the Class 3A state meet to win her third title, leading the Dutch to their fourth consecutive team crown. Ferebee was the top Iowan at the Brooks Midwest Regional Championships, where she finished 11th. She took 16th at the NXN Heartland Regional Championships, earning her Third Team All-Region at both events.

A member of her school’s student council and marching band, Ferebee has also volunteered locally on behalf of her church as a small group leader and the parish nursery. She has also donated her time as a youth soccer referee and at the annual Tulip Time Festival. She has worked as a summer lifeguard and at a long-term care facility.

“Marissa Ferebee did more than enough to lead her team to a fourth state title in a row along with her third consecutive individual crown,” said Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack. “She was the top Iowa girl at the Brooks Midwest XC Championships and earned dual Third Team All-Region honors.”

Ferebee has maintained a weighted 4.1 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a written letter of athletic intent to run at the University of Arkansas this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year.