WARDSVILLE, Mo. - There are strengths in the numbers for the Blair Oaks boys and girls track and field teams.
One strength comes with returning seven state qualifiers - four girls and three boys - from last season.
"All of our juniors and seniors are going to be capable of scoring at conference, districts and potentially sectionals," Blair Oaks girls coach Marc Keys said as the Lady Falcons and Falcons begin the season today by hosting the Blair Oaks Invitational.
"We have a few people who were all-state last year. We may just have a few of them, but they're all good."
Another important strength is preparing for the future, based on the underclassman numbers. On the girls roster, 19 of the 24 athletes are freshmen or sophomores, while the Falcons have just 12 juniors and seniors total on their roster of 34.
"Our sophomores are both experienced and talented, and well have a few freshmen that we'll be able to fit into a varsity spot," Keys said.
Regardless of numbers, the goal is still the same for Blair Oaks.
"We want to try and get as many people all-state as possible," Blair Oaks boys coach Nathan Holtmeyer said.
The top event for the Lady Falcons last season was the 4x800-meter relay, finishing second in the race at the Class 3 state track and field championships with a school-record time of 9:49.02. Blair Oaks also broke records in the javelin and 800-meter run.
Returning in that event after senior Kayla Jones and sophomore Natalie Heckman.
"Girls see success and they want to be a part of that," Keys said. "I think we'll be strong again in the 4x800 and the 4x400."
Keys added sophomore Kati Schoeneberg will also run in the 4x800.
"Based on her performance in cross country, it was a big increase from her freshman year to sophomore year," Keys said.
Jones and Heckman also ran on the 4x400, which finished eighth in Class 3. Keys said he sees Jones taking over for Emily Yaeger as the leader of the relays.
"It's just a natural progression," Keys said. "You wait for your time and you know when your time is going to come, and when it's your time, you're ready for it."
Sophomore Bailey Rissmiller will run the 4x400, as well as the 4x200.
Annette Peterson, a senior, returns as a three-time state qualifier and a two-time state medalist in the discus. She finished fourth last season.
"She's been throwing better this year than she did at the same time last year," Keys said.
Chloe Cox reached sectionals in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles.
Keys said jumping events will be a weak spot this season for the Lady Falcons, but he plans to use the sprinting events as developmental areas for the freshmen and sophomores.
"The freshman sprinters, we're going to see if we can get them to the point where they can place in the top four in conference," Keys said. "At that level, that would be a great achievement. They're going to improve a lot."
On the boys side, Holtmeyer said the underclassmen will be critical to the team's success.
"We are here now, and we want to do well with what we have," Holtmeyer said.
Senior Marcus Edler is the lone returning all-state medalist for the Falcons. He finished sixth in the 300 hurdles.
"We knew Marcus was special when we got him as a sophomore," Holtmeyer said. " That confidence from being all-state just transferred over (to football), and that confidence from winning state (in football) has just transferred over here."
Edler will also return on the 4x400, while senior Adam McCauley qualified for state last season in the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. Sophomore Josh Malone also ran on the 4x800.
"With all our relays, half the people we're very confident with, and then we have those two spots that we're going to rotate people through," said Holtmeyer, who added sophomore Jayden Purdy will be another key runner in the relays.
McCauley will be the Falcons' leading distance runner this season.
Holtmeyer said senior Trinity Scott will be one of the leaders on the team, running in the hurdle events.
In the field events, the Falcons have plenty of depth. In the throwing events, Blair Oaks will use seniors Caleb Buechter, Jake Ferrell and Connor Wilson.
"They want to make a presence, they want to step up," Holtmeyer said.
Purdy and Scott will compete in the pole vault, while sophomore Josh Bischoff will lead the jumping events.
In addition to today's meet, Blair Oaks will also host the Tri-County Conference meet May 2. Holtmeyer said that day will also be Senior Night.
"We're still trying to figure out ourselves, but by then we're going to have our identity," he said.
The regular season will be treated as training days for the postseason, Holtmeyer said.
"I never worry about winning a track meet, except at conference," he said. " At districts, it's all about getting to state. If we need to cut someone down that's been running three or four events and cut them down to two, we'll do that. Our ultimate goal is to get as many people as we can to state."