The Aberdeen Central cross country teams will not feature a single senior runner this fall, but the Golden Eagles are far from inexperienced.

Both the boys and girls have proven individuals who are ready to take their turn at leadership roles for the squads this season.

“Our varsity team could very easily consist from juniors in high school to seventh graders,” said Central boys’ coach Greg Murley.

The Eagles have had no shortage of standout runners in recent history ranging from Aaron Ryan to Jackson Harrison and most recently Josh Martin.

The torch has now been passed to the likes of Christian Wells, Tino Lopez, David VanVeen and Rylan Johnson.

“I guess the thing you realized is they passed it down,” Murley said of his past runners. “The program is really the kids’ program. At the end of the day, they’re going to kind of determine the attitude and the effort and the work ethic, and this group of kids has that. They really do.”

Additional help this season will come from seventh-grader Tate DeVries and eighth-grader Carson Urlacher.

“Those two went 1-2 in almost every middle school meet last year,” Murley said.

Despite the youth movement, Murley said that expectations surrounding the squad have not changed.

“I don’t think our attitude has changed about that. Winning is not everything,” Murley said. “I’ve been around long enough to know that there’s more to this sport than winning and losing, but trying to win and doing the right things and how you conduct yourselves, and this group of kids has certainly lived up to that expectation.”

While the names may have changed from past seasons, Murley still has the same passion and desire for being around his runners that he has always had.

“It’s just always exciting, the new kids and the new challenges that you have. We did lose some names over the past few years, but really the coaching is the coaching,” Murley said. “I used to tell those guys a couple of years ago that I would coach them for free. Don’t tell the school board that, but I would coach them for free, because they were just that good of kids. I don’t feel any differently about these guys. They’re just high-quality great kids. As long as you have that and kids are willing to work hard, it’s fun to come out here.”

The Central girls will be led by Kiana Joerger, Alivia Burgard, Kaylie Peldo and Angelina Lopez.

“We’re excited to start and get everybody going,” said Central girls’ coach Bill Martens, “see where we’re at, just trying to build that base.”

Martens, who is in his 30th year of coaching, said having so much youth on the squad will impact a few things when it comes to preparing for the upcoming season.

“We’re working into it a little slower than usual, not doing as much as we normally do,” Martens said, “but at the same time we have to get to work, have good work ethic, and just have that commitment.”

Like their male counterparts, the Central girls have had their share of standout runners in the past as well.

While Martens said he doesn’t mention it much, his runners still have an appreciation of the team’s history.

“They know about it. They’re still in touch with the recent graduates,” he said. “I think that’s an important part, to have that tradition.”

Martens said it’s too early to tell where his squad is at. The Golden Eagles open their campaign at a meet in Pierre on Friday.

“It’s hard to say,” Martens said of what to expect from his runners. “We need to have some meets and have some competition to kind of see where we’re at.”