They may be small in number, but the Aberdeen Christian runners have big goals for the upcoming cross country season.

The Knights have just four total runners out of the sport, but three of them are returning members who have goals of getting to the State B meet this fall.

Clara Herreid, Joseph Richards, and Austin Schwab are all returning varsity members who have their eyes on qualifying for the state meet.

“The returning kids, we’ve all kind of talked about expectations and goals, looking at different time goals from where we were at last year,” said Christian coach Adam Franken. “Where we want to be in practice. All three of the returning ones, they have that goal to make it to the state meet this year and really put in that work to get there.”

Franken said goals are established before the season starts and then reevaluated to make sure things are on track.

“We look at them here at the beginning of the year,” Franken said, “and then we’ll go back to them throughout the year just to kind of see where we’re at and if we need to modify or change things.”

While runners need to put in the milage and do the conditioning, Franken said there is a big mental component when it comes to distance running as well.

“A lot of running, it’s just a mental sport along with everything else,” Franken said. “To be able to push past the point where your mind is telling you to slow down or stop, and just to work beyond that, to get to where they want to be.”

Franken believes the runners have the ability to push through once they hit the wall in a race.

“They have the skill and the ability to get there, so a lot of it is pushing their mind past it,” Franken said. “And doing that in practice as well as in meets. We perform how we practice.”

Because no two courses are alike when it comes to cross country, Franken said it’s difficult to compare times from one week to the next.

“It’s hard to compare from meet to meet to meet to meet, just because they can be a little bit different,” he said.

Instead, the Knights focus on the same exact meet from one season to another, knowing full well that weather, training conditions, etc., could factor into the equation.

“We look at a variety of variables that can affect our performance,” Franken said.

Of course with most outdoor fall sports, the weather can feature a wide variety of conditions. Cross country runners can start their seasons is sultry heat and end up with near winter-like elements.

“We’ve ran with snow on the ground and ice,” Franken said. “There can be a big change from the beginning of the year to the end.”

The fourth member out for the sport this season is Franken’s daughter, Danielle.

Christian will kick off its season on Thursday, competing in the North Central Invitational in Bowdle.

“We’re small this year, but excited to see the kids as they work to achieve those goals that they’re setting,” Franken said. “They’re working pretty hard already this year.”