The number two sports story for Melcher-Dallas during this past school year was the dual state cross country qualifiers for the Saints this past fall. At the state qualifier in Marshalltown Emery Sage finished third while girls runner J’Lyn Knutson, battling injuries all season, gutted out a tenth place finish and qualified for the class 1A state meet. Both Knutson and Sage told KNIA Sports they wanted to stay near the front to keep themselves in the hunt for a state meet berth.

Knutson”
“I knew where I was the enire time and I had people tell me and I knew when someone passed me I knew I was a place down, and I was never lower than 15th, I think my lowest after the beginning I think I was 13th, and when I got to that last half mile I needed to start kicking it in a little bit.”

Sage:
“I just wanted to stay in front of the pack and take positions as the race went on. Just staying calm before the race. It was a good day to run a little chilly, but overall a good day.”

Knutson went on to finish 55th at the state meet in Fort Dodge in 21:10, Sage went on to place 23rd in a time of 17:12.