The Helias Crusaders and Lady Crusaders are looking for their first track and field test of the season.
They won't be looking at team scores when they open the season this afternoon against Jefferson City at Adkins Stadium. Instead, it will be to see how much improvement has been made since the start of practice and how much needs to be made looking down the road.
"We're going to find out a lot (today)," Helias coach Tim Rulo said. "Not in looking at the team scores, but at our own times and distances. This is going to be an early season test."
Helias has a total of 70 boys and 40 girls out for track this season. Rulo can see a change in the program during his second season as head coach.
"The kids understand things a little bit more, how we run practice and they have a little more focus and energy," Rulo said. "They've done a great job getting ready for the season."
There is a definite influx of athletes from other sports at Helias this spring.
"This is an opportunity for athletes from other sports to get outside, have some fun, stay in shape and find one or two of the 19 events," Rulo said. "This is a good individual sport for those athletes to get better."
The Helias boys are coming off a season where they won a district title.
"We graduated some very good athletes from that team," Rulo said. "Now we're looking for others to step up and take their places."
The Crusaders return three members of the 4x800-meter relay team - Joe Randazzo, Colden Imhoff and Chandler Luebbert - that finished fourth at state last season.
Rulo said among those bidding for a spot on the relay are freshmen Jack Crull and Jenson Starr, who also will compete in the distance events.
"We've got a good combination of athletes that should give us a deep distance group in both the relays and individual events.
Rulo touted hurdlers Sam Heckart and John Paden as two poised to have good seasons.
Blake Veltrop, a state qualifier in the 400-meter dash, along with Kaleb Davis and Grant Bryan should lead a good group in the sprints.
In field events, Helias is led by Nash Harvey in the pole vault and Jonas Miller in the jumps.
The Helias girls finished fourth at districts and tied for 32nd at state.
Anna Vollet, a junior, was fifth in the 200-meter dash at state for the Lady Crusaders last season.
Distance events should be good for the girls with senior Kayla Yanskey and junior Abby Hake leading the way after all-state performances in cross country last fall.
"I think that group is going to have a lot of fun this season," Rulo said.
Rulo also said top performers for the Lady Crusaders should include Alex Randolph in the throws and Chloe Ramsey in the pole vault.
"We've got some pieces, I'm curious to see how it's going to turn out for us," Rulo said. "But there's a long time from the start of practice to the end of the year.
"We just want to get better every week and have a great season."
This will be the final season for Crusader and Lady Crusader track before the school opens its new facility, where it will be able to practice and host meets.
"We know next season, we're going to have our own fantastic facility," Rulo said.
But that's next season. The Crusaders and Lady Crusaders have work to do between now and the start of the postseason.
"I feel good about our future," Rulo said. "We want everyone to trust the process, believe that all the workouts and drills will have you running, jumping and throwing at your best at the end of the season."
Among the schedule highlights this season are an appearance later this month at the Blair Oaks Invitational and the Warrenton Invitational late in April.
"At Blair Oaks, we're going to see a lot of local schools, so that will be fun," Rulo said. "At Warrenton, that will provide us the opportunity to test ourselves against some of the top teams from the St. Louis and St. Charles area.
"But in reality, all of our meets are a buildup for districts. That's what we're aiming toward."
Helias will participate in districts at Camdenton.