WILLIAMSBURG, Iowa — Pella returns to competition Tuesday, September 29, at the Williamsburg Invitational with a revised midday schedule and an opportunity to see its depth in action. The varsity girls race at 12:00 p.m., followed by the varsity boys at 12:30 p.m.

For the boys and the girls who did not race at Gans Creek, Williamsburg follows a full week without competition. That stretch has allowed for solid workouts and recovery. Tuesday will show how that work carries over against ranked teams from several classifications.

The Dutch girls’ lineup combines experienced runners with athletes getting another opportunity at the varsity level. Pella’s confirmed eight are Georgia Ferebee, Bryn Paulsen, Anna Dobson, Ketziah Wittenberg, Carleigh Altwine, Dana McCulla and Joanna Vande Voort. With much of the Gans Creek group sitting out, Williamsburg gives these runners a chance to help shape a team result and show the depth behind Pella’s No. 1 Class 3A ranking.

Girls: An opportunity to race together

Photo by Andrew Schneider

Altwine, McCulla and Joanna Vande Voort bring recent experience against strong competition. Alongside them, Paulsen, Dobson, Wittenberg, Van Kley and Ferebee have an opportunity to make their mark in the varsity field. The question for Pella is how closely the group can work together through five scoring positions.

Host Williamsburg will make that a meaningful test. The Raiders are ranked No. 3 in Class 3A and feature No. 7 Harper Winegarden and No. 27 Channing Becker. No. 7 Mount Vernon-Lisbon brings Evelyn Moeller, the top-ranked individual in the class. No. 14 ADM and No. 17 Solon add to the 3A field.

Ranked Class 2A teams add another layer of competition. No. 4 Van Meter features No. 2 Laura Streck and No. 11 Ivory Stoffa, while No. 7 Tipton brings No. 6 Avery Mente. Pella Christian, Central Lee and PCM are also ranked in 2A.

Tuesday’s result will be a different measure of Pella than its Gans Creek victory. With eight Dutch runners listed, there are several ways for the scoring five to take shape. Each runner who moves through the field can help the team, and the race offers valuable experience as Pella enters October.

Boys return after a week of training

photo by Andrew Schneider

Pella’s seven varsity boys are Jonah Ebersole, Porter Carlton, Zander Kanis, Sam Keller, Silas Gaulke, Jonah Dunham and Brant Vande Voort. The Dutch enter ranked No. 13 in Class 3A and will race for the first time since the Heartland Classic.

The week between meets has given the boys time to train and recover. Williamsburg provides a chance to see how that work translates when they compete together again, especially through the middle of a crowded field.

Several Class 3A teams near Pella in the rankings are scheduled to race: No. 6 Mount Vernon-Lisbon, No. 12 Bondurant-Farrar, No. 14 Carlisle and No. 17 ADM. Class 2A No. 2 Pella Christian, No. 12 PCM and No. 15 Van Meter are also in the field, along with Class 1A No. 5 Baxter.

The individual competition should be strong from the front through the scoring positions. Bondurant-Farrar’s Ryler Hanson is ranked No. 6 in 3A, Mount Vernon-Lisbon’s Anthony Armstrong is No. 28, and Solon’s Anders Holmes is No. 30. Pella Christian brings ranked runners Dean DeRonde, Griffin Stoltz and Will Vanden Bosch. PCM’s Owen Osterhaus is No. 9 in 2A, while Baxter features Class 1A No. 2 Max Handorf and No. 9 Brecken Fisher.

For the Dutch, the team result will depend on all seven runners. A strong front group matters, but keeping the fourth and fifth scorers close—and having the sixth and seventh runners compete for places—can change the standings quickly in a field this deep.

Updated Tuesday schedule

The meet will be held at the Williamsburg Sports Complex, 913 Franklin Street, Williamsburg. Race times were moved because of the storm forecast.

Admission is $5 per person or $10 for two or more people in one car. Parking is available in the recreation center lots and at BJ’s Towing across the street.