It is a big night of sports in Knoxville as the Cross Country Squads will host the Panther Invitational at Pine Knolls Country Club. Knoxville will be joined by ten schools from around the area including Indianola on the girls side, and Melcher-Dallas and Twin Cedars boys and girls plus Des Moines Lincoln, Grinnell, Marshalltown, Oskaloosa, West Des Moines Valley, and Winterset. Knoxville Head Coaches Mikayla and Michael Splavec tell KNIA/KRLS Sports, they always look forward to the home meet and feel there is an advantage to running on a course they already know.

Mikayla: “I would say we definitely have an advantage, we got to run it three times last year, this year we didn’t get to run it for our early bird meet but I think the girls know about the course and should be ready.”

Michael: “It’s always nice to defend the home course advantage to run at and like Mikayla said we do think we have an advantage and know where the hills are, and they are just big hills there are some smaller hills that can be mentally and physically draining to a runner and to have that advantage that they know that does give us an advantage.”

The girls varsity race is set to get underway at around 5:00. There will also be a middle school race that will start earlier.

After the running is over at Pine Knolls, all Panther fans are encouraged to head to the High School and check out the class 3A #13 Knoxville Volleyball Squad. The Panthers will host Cardinal and look to move closer to a South Central Conference title. Along with a big match, the Panthers are also putting on their Digging For A Cure event. Knoxville is hosting this event to raise money to help fight Cancer and will wear pink jerseys this evening. Coach Mollie Keitges tells KNIA/KRLS Sports Senior Player Anna Buttell, who herself has overcome Cancer was asking to have a night like this for a couple of seasons and Keitges says it was a good time. She adds fans of all ages will be able to experience what hopes to be a great night.

“We’ve got some fun events planned. We have pink cookies, and pink hair extensions for the girls and some auction items like a photo of the girls in their pink jerseys, so I think it’s going to be a real fun event.”

Knoxville comes in at 17-7 while Cardinal is 4-11 and has yet to win a game in South Central Conference play. First serve is set for 7:15.