Success of every cross country program depends on participation especially in the middle school level.Knoxville got good participation from the middle school kids for the past few seasons doubling the numbers in just a few years. Coach Michael Splavec tells KNIA/KRLS Sports, Middle School Coach Jamie Vander Veer a former Panther runner…has doubled the numbers and now Splavec says combining the training regimen, he can see progress and knows the middle school runners will be ready when they hit high school…Many of the current runners and runners that will come back next year started in the middle school program under Vander Veer.