Meet Preview: No. 1 vs. No. 2 Highlights Gilbert Invitational

The Pella Dutch return to action Thursday, September 10, for one of the strongest meets on their regular-season schedule: the Gilbert Cross Country Invitational at the Iowa State Cross Country Course in Ames.

Twenty high school programs are scheduled to compete, and the meet should provide one of the clearest early-season snapshots yet of the Class 3A landscape.

On the girls side, No. 1 Pella will face No. 2 Des Moines Christian in a field that includes eight ranked 3A teams. The boys race is headlined by No. 1 Gilbert and No. 2 Sioux Center, with eight ranked 3A teams in the field, including No. 12 Pella.

The varsity boys race begins at 5:00 p.m., followed by the varsity girls at 5:25 p.m.

A Different Iowa State Course

The Iowa State Cross Country Course has traditionally produced fast times, but comparisons to previous years will require some caution in 2026.

Meet organizers specifically note that the high school course has changed this year.

The updated 5K map still uses the broad, looping layout of the Iowa State grounds, with runners covering multiple major loops before turning toward the finish. The course map places the 1K mark on the western portion of the course, 2K along the long eastern stretch, 3K on the southern loop and 4K back near the northern section before the final run to the finish.

That should still make Gilbert an excellent opportunity to evaluate how runners are progressing, but historical Gilbert times will not necessarily be an apples-to-apples comparison.

Girls Race: No. 1 Pella Meets No. 2 Des Moines Christian

Thursday’s girls race should be one of the strongest Class 3A matchups of the young season.

Pella enters Week 3 as the No. 1 ranked team in Class 3A, but the Dutch will line up directly against No. 2 Des Moines Christian.

Also in the field are No. 4 Solon, No. 6 Sioux Center, No. 10 North Polk, No. 14 Boone, No. 15 ADM and No. 16 Clear Creek-Amana.

Ranked 3A Girls Teams in the Gilbert Field

Pella also enters with one of the deepest groups of ranked individuals in the state.

Senior Elsie Brenneman is ranked No. 5, junior Lizzy Vande Voort is No. 11, freshman Maechen Cowman is No. 13, freshman Ellie Hardman is No. 19, senior Ruth Dunham is No. 22 and junior Carleigh Altwine is No. 26.

That gives the Dutch six runners ranked in the Class 3A top 30, including three in the top 13.

Des Moines Christian counters with two top-10 runners of its own in No. 4 Elyse Erzen and No. 10 Annie Bruxvoort.

The individual race should also feature No. 3 Ava Hope of Winterset, No. 9 Audrina Jones of Sioux Center, No. 14 Alexis Hergenreter of North Polk and No. 16 Ali Seidl of Clear Creek-Amana.

The team race could ultimately be decided well beyond the first two finishers. Pella’s projected varsity seven includes six runners ranked in the Class 3A top 30, along with Erica Vos, who has emerged as another important piece of the Dutch lineup.

Gilbert should provide one of the clearest tests yet of just how deep this Pella team can be.

Ranked 3A Girls in the Gilbert Field

In all, the Gilbert field includes 13 of the top 30 ranked girls in Class 3A.

Boys Race: No. 1 Gilbert Headlines Deep Field

The boys race may be even deeper at the front.

Host Gilbert enters ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, while Sioux Center is No. 2 and Des Moines Christian is No. 6.

Pella enters the week ranked No. 12.

Ranked 3A Boys Teams in the Gilbert Field

For a young Pella team still working to define its varsity identity, Gilbert should be an excellent measuring stick.

The Dutch have shown growth through the opening weeks of the season, but Thursday places them directly alongside several programs currently ranked ahead of them. That creates an opportunity not only to measure the front of the lineup, but also to see how tightly Pella can keep its scoring group together against high-level competition.

Senior Jonah Ebersole, ranked No. 23 individually in Class 3A, gives Pella a ranked runner near the front.

Gilbert, however, possesses exceptional front-end strength.

Senior Logan Bleich is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, teammate Jacob Tallman is No. 3, and sophomore Zach Stevemer is No. 9. Gilbert also has No. 29 Kiernan Ryan.

Sioux Center brings three ranked runners of its own in No. 7 Drew Cundy, No. 14 Raymond Landegent and No. 27 Matthew Dahm.

Des Moines Christian sophomore Luke McCormick is ranked No. 5, while Nevada’s Trevor Nusbaum is No. 13 and Carlisle’s Felipe Saldana is No. 17.

For Pella, the race should provide another valuable opportunity to learn how to compete in a crowded and talented field.

Ranked 3A Boys in the Gilbert Field

That gives the meet 11 ranked 3A boys, including four from Gilbert and three from Sioux Center.

Projected Pella Varsity Lineups

Assuming health, Pella is expected to use seven runners in each varsity race. Everyone else is expected to compete in the JV races.

Pella Varsity Boys Line-up

Porter Carlton,  Jonah Dunham, Jonah Ebersole, Silas Gaulke, Zander Kanis, Sam Keller, Caleb Punt

The lineup gives Pella a mix of experience and youth, with Ebersole entering as the lone Dutch boy currently ranked in the Week 3 Class 3A top 30.

Another athlete to watch is Jonah Dunham, who is still early in his first cross country season. Gilbert should provide another strong test of how quickly he is adapting to racing the 5K against a quality varsity field.

For Pella, much of the team story will come from what happens behind the front runner. How closely Carlton, Dunham, Gaulke, Kanis, Keller and Punt can stay connected could have a major impact on the Dutch team score.

Pella Varsity Girls Line-up

Carleigh Altwine, Elsie Brenneman, Maechen Cowman, Ruth Dunham, Ellie Hardman, Lizzy Vande Voort, Erica Vos

Six of those seven runners are currently ranked among the top 30 individuals in Class 3A.

The seventh, Erica Vos, has emerged as another important part of Pella’s depth early this season.

That makes the matchup with Des Moines Christian particularly interesting. Pella is not relying on only one or two runners at the front. Its ability to put a large group into competitive scoring positions has become one of the defining strengths of the team.

What to Watch

No. 1 Pella vs. No. 2 Des Moines Christian

The biggest storyline is the matchup between the top two ranked girls teams in Class 3A.

Des Moines Christian brings significant front-end strength with Erzen and Bruxvoort, while Pella counters with six ranked runners in its projected varsity lineup.

The race could come down to what happens at the third, fourth and fifth scoring positions.

Another Step for Pella’s Young Boys

The boys race is less about one head-to-head matchup and more about continued development.

Pella will see several teams currently ranked ahead of it, including Gilbert, Sioux Center, Des Moines Christian and Clear Creek-Amana.

That gives the Dutch an opportunity to measure how much progress they have made through the first few weeks of the season.

For Pella, one of the most important indicators may be the spacing between its scorers. A tighter group can quickly change the complexion of a team race.

A Strong Individual Test for Brenneman

Thursday should also offer an excellent individual test for Elsie Brenneman.

Winterset’s Ava Hope enters ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, Des Moines Christian’s Elyse Erzen is No. 4 and Brenneman is No. 5.

That gives the front of the race three of the top five ranked runners in the classification.

Behind them, Audrina Jones, Annie Bruxvoort, Lizzy Vande Voort and Maechen Cowman could help create a deep chase pack.

Pella’s Freshmen Continue to Emerge

Pella’s girls depth includes two freshmen already ranked inside the top 20 in Class 3A.

Maechen Cowman is No. 13 and Ellie Hardman is No. 19.

Their continued development adds another layer to a lineup already filled with experienced upperclassmen.

Meet Information

Gilbert Cross Country Invitational
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Iowa State Cross Country Course — Ames, Iowa

Varsity teams may enter up to 10 athletes, with the top seven finishers used for varsity scoring. The top 15 individual finishers in each varsity race will receive medals.

2026 High School Field

AC-GC • ADM • Boone • Carlisle • Clear Creek Amana • Des Moines Christian • Earlham • Forest City • Gilbert • Madrid • Nevada • North Polk • Pella • Pella Christian • Sioux Center • Solon • South Hamilton • Van Meter • West Marshall • Winterset

Follow the Meet

Live results are scheduled to be available through All-American Timing during the meet.