An individual state championship this past spring is the number three moment on our countdown of Top 10 sports moments from Pella Christian this past school year.
Competing at the Class 2A State Track and Field meet for the final time in his high school career, senior Brecken Ritzert saved his best long jump for May 21st. Entering the meet with the ninth best qualifying mark in the field of 24 athletes, Brecken wasted little time proving he was a contender for the title. Ritzert recorded a jump of 22’ 3” on his first attempt, the best mark of his high school career, which vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard. Brecken recorded two more distances of 21’ 9.25” and 21’ 5.75” in the event, with only two other athletes reaching those marks, but both topped out at 21’ 11”. After an All-State finish a year prior, Ritzert said he was grateful to secure a State Title to cap off his high school career.
“Coming off last year, doing it for two weeks and getting eighth and surprising myself. Then coming out here again and having a full healthy season, praise God for that too, and just being able to come out here on my first jump, jump the best and then see what all I could do after that and coming out on top and it feels good. It feels really good.”
Brecken and the Eagles finished the weekend with 22 points as a team, tying for 10th place with Mediapolis.
