The experienced pieces are there, now it’s just a matter of fitting them all together for the Aberdeen Roncalli track and field squads this season.

The Cavaliers have athletes that can cover multiple events and a large percentage of them are seniors.

“We have a lot of multi-event athletes here. I would be one of many coaches who would say there’s a lot of value in that,” said Roncalli coach Mark Stone. “We have just a really large group of seniors. I can’t say enough about how appreciative we are. When you’re a senior and it’s your last season of a high school career, it’s easy to walk away from that. Not only do we have a big senior class, it’s full of really great kids and kids that are going to contribute to our success this year.”

A pair of those seniors can be found in the hurdles and relays where Parker Grieben and Aiden Fisher will set the pace. Grieben finished fourth at state in the 110-meter high hurdles last season. Brody Weinmeister is also a key member of those relays.

Stone said more than anything, the seniors help to set the tone in practice every day.

“It’s one thing to come out and be a senior, it’s another thing to choose to come out as a senior and then set an example that’s the kind of example that you need and want to have set. That’s what they’ve been doing,” Stone said. “It’s really nice to have us all here now. The winter seasons delay some of that, and that’s OK, but now that we’re all here, we’re just really noticing … it’s our seniors for example in this warmup every day that kind of get us rolling. If your seniors are your hardest working kids, now you’re onto something.”

While there are fewer girls out this spring, there is no shortage of talent. Maddie Huber will be counted on in hurdles, while Addison Cassady and Hazel Kannegieter will bolster the distance races.

Gabby Thomas is coming off a breakout basketball season and can do a little bit of everything.

“The challenge for the coaches then is to get them plugged in to spots where they can utilize their talents and then also help the team as a whole,” Stone said.

And team is a important word when talking about Roncalli track and field.

“In track, the numbers are just so important. As individual as track is, we never talk about it that way. It’s always a team thing,” Stone said. “In order to be successful as a team, you’ve got to be able to cover those events. In a lot of ways we can do that, particularly on the boys’ side.”

Roncalli, which has its first outdoor meet this week, is still working on putting all of the pieces in the right place this early in the season.

“We don’t talk about goals in terms of maybe conference or state at this point. Eventually arrows kind of point in that direction as the season unfolds, but right now we’re just trying to assemble the group, figure out where they all fit in,” Stone said. “Track is very much like a puzzle. It’s getting people in the right spots where they can help the team, and then also getting stronger and more in shape every day. That’s a big goal right now.”

For Stone and the entire Roncalli coach staff, the real key boils down to the relationships they establish and develop with the athletes that they are working with.

“If we’re assembling a team and the only thing these kids know about us is maybe we know something about an event, whatever, field or running event, we’re trying to assemble a group, and this is all a really big goal for all of us, we’re trying to build relationships here,” Stone said. “We want these young people to feel like, no matter their talent level, no matter how far they can jump, or throw or how fast they can run, that no matter any of those numbers in this program, they’re valued for who they are and what they bring to this place.”

It’s a philosophy that has worked well for the Cavaliers and undoubtedly what keeps bringing kids back to the program year after year.

“We work really hard on building community, and I always believe that one of the measuring sticks of a program is if you have kids that keep coming back,” Stone said. “Maybe it doesn’t come easy for them. Maybe they have a hard time finding success, but they keep coming back. Then something right is going on with your culture. That’s one of our really primary goals.”