COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa – Columbus cross country standout Sam Chaney won’t get an opportunity to chase down that elusive state championship Saturday.

Head coach Mike Jay said Tuesday that Chaney, who is unbeaten in 10 races this season and ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, has a broken toe and will require surgery in the next seven to 10 days. He won’t compete Saturday in Fort Dodge at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course.

“It appears that he broke it on a training run last weekend (Oct. 17-18) while running on gravel,” Jay said in an e-mail to the Muscatine Journal. “It seemed to be reacting to ice and heat, but I guess that was just wishful thinking on our part.”

Even with the broken toe, the senior won Monday’s district race at Cedarcrest Country Club in 16 minutes, 16 seconds.

Jay said Chaney was in considerable pain Tuesday, so the two visited a specialist at the University of Iowa where it was determined the runner had a broken bone.

“I was hoping they would say, ‘Just stay off of it until Saturday and you’ll be fine,’” Jay said. “No such luck.

“Sam is such a good kid and trained for six years for this opportunity, only to see it disappear. Sometimes life is not fair.”