Behind the Scenes
Five Straight: Behind the Camera at State
Our crew was in Fort Dodge on October 30 as the Pella girls won a fifth consecutive state title. Here is the day from behind the camera, and why the story isn't finished.
On the morning of October 30, the weather in Fort Dodge was cool and overcast, with a bit of rain. The atmosphere was electric. You could sense the tension and the scope of the moment, in the air and on the faces of the athletes.
For our crew, it was the day the whole season had been pointing toward.
Since June, we have followed Pella cross country through sunrise long runs, interviews, family dinners and meets across Iowa. Underneath every one of those days sat the same question: could the girls do what only a handful of Iowa programs have ever done, and win a fifth straight state championship?
On October 30, we found out.
Before the Gun
State meet mornings have a rhythm of their own.
The team walked the course. They warmed up the way they have all season. Coaches kept their words short. Families found their spots along the ropes.
The team arrived with four straight state titles behind them. Once the race started, none of that mattered. The fifth would have to be earned the same way as the first. That is the pressure at the heart of this film: success raises expectations, and each new season starts under the weight of the last.
No Second Takes
Filming a state meet is the summer long run all over again, only faster and with far more at stake.
A runner passes a camera once. A teammate’s shout lasts a second. The finish chute fills and empties in minutes.
Our crew spread out across the course, guessed where the race would turn, and tried to stay close enough to see the story without getting in its way.
Then came the finish. The elation on the athletes’ faces as they crossed the line said what words could not: this was the culmination of the work they had put in since August, and long before.
Five Straight
When the scores were posted, Pella had won the Class 3A team title with 34 points.
It was the program’s fifth consecutive state championship, a run shared by only a short list of girls programs in Iowa history.
The trophy photos came next, and the hugs, and the tears. We filmed what we could. Some moments we simply watched.
The Other Half of the Story
The boys came to Fort Dodge chasing a fifth straight state trophy of their own. They finished 10th.
That result is part of this story too. Drive for Five was never only about the days that end with a trophy. It is about what it costs to chase history together, and who these athletes become whether the chase succeeds or falls short.
Not Finished Yet
The girls’ season is not over. This Sunday they race at Nike Cross Regionals in Sioux Falls, with a chance to earn a trip to Nike Cross Nationals.
We will be there.
Meanwhile, the editing has begun. Months of footage are becoming a film, and the state meet has given it one of its biggest moments.
We are grateful to the athletes, coaches and families who have let us into this season, and to every supporter helping bring it to the screen.
Watch the teaser and support the film.
Photos by Andrew Schneider (@xzono).
Drive for Five: Chasing History is presented by Ulrich Ford and produced in partnership with Good Era Film and FilmNorth.