The Knoxville Cross Country Meet is today at Pine Knolls Country Club in Knoxville. The Panthers annual meet brings in some of the top talent in central and south central Iowa with 17 teams scheduled to be in attendance. Area teams competing include Pella Christian, PCM, Twin Cedars, plus teams regionally including Oskaloosa, Chariton, Ballard, Ankeny Centennial and others. Knoxville Boys Head Coach Michael Splavec tells KRLS Sports it is a one class meet and usually gives the feel of a state meet atmosphere.

Splavec:
“We run one class, we run a varsity race, a JV race and run middle school obviously. Everybody gets to go against everybody we have 1A-4A so it’ll be fun.”

Both the boys and girls runners of PCM will be competing. Head Coach Eric Karr says that facing larger teams will push his runners to compete at the highest level.

The Twin Cedars girls will be another local squad competing and Coach Trent Verwers says his girls have benefitted from the fitness classes offered at Twin Cedars to get them in shape and help their development.

Verwers:
“Personal fitness classes led by Mr. Schroder is the reason of that and he’s done a really good job of leading that. We’re trying to get our athletes in those classes and it’s really showed how much our teams have improved over the last two years.”

The middle school races will be first at 4:15…followed by varsity at around 5:00 and J-V around 6:00.