Former Melcher-Dallas Runner J’Lyn Knutson earned another All-Conference designation recently as the Mount Mercy Cross Country Squad finished runner up in the Heart of America meet. Knutson placed 7th overall in a time of 22:59 on the 6K course. Knutson now will move on to the NAIA Women’s National Meet on November 17th in Vancouver, WA. Knutson tells KNIA Sports she is trying to have a better experience in this year’s nationals than she had last season.

Knutson: “I’m ready to go out and have fun. Last year was the first time at Nationals and I freaked out and it got in my head, and now with a year under my belt, I’m just ready to go out and compete in that big race.”

Knutson says a goal is to finish better than the 258th and to set a new personal record. She has won two Heart of America Runner of the Week Awards this season with the most recent being October 23rd. She was not far off her college best during the conference meet as she was three seconds off of the 22:56 on October 7th where she finished 26th at the Briar Cliff Invitational. Listen for a full interview with Knutson on Wednesday’s airing of Today’s Lely Radio Sports Page on KNIA/KRLS.