They are experienced, they are motivated and now they want to cap off the school year on a high note this spring.

Aberdeen Christian has numerous track and field athletes who are coming off solid seasons in boys’ basketball and volleyball, and would like to get back to the state meet next month in Sioux Falls.

Knights coach Sam Bjorkman said the boys are coming into the track and field season highly motivated.

“If you ask the guys, I think they might almost say they didn’t meet their expectations in basketball and it makes them all the more hungry for track in some ways,” Bjorkman said, “because there’s a group of guys that’s used to winning.”

The boys will be led by Dylan Hofer, the defending state State B champion in the triple jump. Bjorkman said that the junior will once again be a team captain.

“He is the quintessential, kind of quiet, strong, steady, calm, cool leader,” Bjorkman said. “That’s what Dylan is.”

In addition to being a standout jumper, Hofer is also a key member of relay teams that are primed to have a big spring.

“The 4X1 last year and 4X2, both came a long ways, and with a young group, we were just off both of our school records, which kind of would put you in contention to place in the 4X1,” Bjorkman said, “and the 4X2 we’ve got some room to grow, both I think those should both be really solid.”

With other basketball starters like Brooks Jett and Luke Kaiser on the squad, Bjorkman said he doesn’t worry about things getting done.

“Getting guys that just know how to work,” Bjorkman said. “You give them their personal assignment for the day and you know it’s done. It’s always a privilege to get to work with those kinds of kids.”

State cross country meet qualifier Joseph Richards will lead the Knights in the distance events.

“He’s filling out a little bit,” Bjorkman said, “just enough as a distance runner, which is kind of what you like to see.”

Freshman Eber Wurgler will also factor into the mix.

“He’s here every week in the offseason, sprinting, jumping, doing some lifting,” Bjorkman said.

The Christian girls will be led Ali Isakson and Hope Ellyson.

“A couple of those girls really, really trained hard,” Bjorkman said of Isakson and Ellyson. “I anticipate them being significantly faster than last year. Both of them had big PR’s in the 55 (last week).”

Payton Skarin and Lauren Meyers (who qualified in the 300 hurdles two years ago before suffering an injury) will also be key contributors.

Bjorkman noted all four of those girls are used to the big stage having competed at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays and the state meet before.

Georgia Ellyson is coming off a strong performance indoors this past week.

Bjorkman already has long-term goals in mind for the Knights as the season begins.

“I’m thinking long term for ACS track, I want to see these guys score more points at a state meet than they’ve ever scored before, and so that’s just one more step towards placing as a team,” he said. “On the girls’ side, I want to see us get on the board at state. I want to see Ali and maybe Hope and the relays get some points.”

While the weather has already taken a toll on a few upcoming meets outdoors, that is nothing out of the ordinary. Bjorkman tries to keep the athletes fresh and focus using a variety of motivation indoors.

“A big thing in the athletic training world for probably the last five years is competing, even in practice, so making everything performance oriented, rather than I’m going to go grind,” Bjorkman said, “and so something, hey let’s time this, let’s hit a vertical test, let’s time your top speed.”

The Knights are equipped to do that which makes practices resemble more of an actual meet.

“These kids know what their top speed is and we have timing stuff so that we can do that any day of the week here,” Bjorkman said, “and that keeps the intensity at a level where it’s starting to approach that meet-level intensity.”