Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — For the second week in a row, freshman runner Jessica Peters made plenty of noise on the track. This week in Eagle Valley, she wasn't alone.

Distance runner Jennifer Hooper's return to the Steamboat Springs High School track team last Saturday was anything but quiet.

The sophomore collected a second place finish in the 1,600-meter run and then followed it up with a third-place showing in the 800.

She came back a few heats after her last individual event and ran a 400-meter leg on the Sailors 1,600-meter relay, which also earned a second-place medal. Hooper and teammates Missy Chotvacs, Amy Fox and Peters finished the race in a time of 4 minutes, 25 seconds.

"I got to the finish and my legs just wouldn't move anymore," Hooper said. "But I would do it again -- I thought it was really fun."

Meanwhile, Peters was collecting points for a first-place finish in the 200- and 400-meter dashes. Her times were 27.28 and 58.85, respectively.

She also took a second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.75 and was part of Steamboat's 1,600-meter relay team.

"These kids are willing to do anything it takes to make this team successful," coach Andy Reust said. "I asked more than one of them to do events that they've never done before or that are a stretch. They didn't complain and they went out and got it done."

But while Hooper and Peters scored most of the points, they were not the only Sailors to crack into the top of the results.

Both Fox and Chotvacs scored points for the team in the relay race. Chotvacs also placed sixth in the triple jump with an effort of 30 feet.

Reust said the team's numbers were down this week because of college testing and the fact that several volleyball players headed to national competitions.

However, he expects the team's numbers to increase this week when it heads to West Grand for a meet at the high school.

"We are hoping that a lot of people will come over and see the meet," Reust said. "It's not that much further than Craig."

The coach said he expects more than 50 Sailors to take part in the meet. He said Steamboat will have athletes in every event and will fill nearly every spot it can.

"It's the first time we've done that since I took over as the head coach," Reust said.

Field events are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. and the running events will follow at 9:30 a.m.