We continue the top ten sports moments countdown for Knoxville with #4 today. For the 2nd straight year, Panther runner Isaac Rankin qualified for the State Cross Country Meet. His 10th place showing at the State Qualifier in Pella on October 18th was good enough to clinch a spot in with a time of 16:44. Rankin told KNIA/KRLS Sports after the first part of the race, he played the waiting game and waited for his chance to move up.

Rankin: “It was definitely hard to get out of that first funnel and was tight. I knew it would be hard and I just waited until that first funnell was over. It’s pretty cool to go back to state again.”

Rankin would go on to finish 113th at the State Meet a week later in less than ideal conditions with a time of 17:51.