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Kremmling — It was the first track meet of the year.

It was only the third time Soroco High School's team was able to compete on an outdoor track.

And the conditions? They were windy, wet and cold.

Still, don't look for excuses from sophomore Sarajane Rossi.

Rossi, who has her eyes set on making state in the 800-meter dash after missing qualifying by a mere second last year, could only shake her head after her second-place finish Saturday at Joe Shield's Invitational in Kremmling.

"I hate losing," said Rossi, who led for 700 meters before falling into second. "I think I gave up a little in the end. I don't usually run like that - I set my bar a lot higher, and today, I didn't reach it."

Even with Rossi's disappointment, Rams first-year coach David Bruner came away from the first meet of the year with more positives than negatives.

Since Soroco has been able to practice on a track only twice - commuting to Gardner Field in Steamboat both times - Bruner said a lot of the Rams' performances opened his eyes.

"We have a lot to work on, but we've had some surprises," Bruner said. "They all competed and ran hard, and that's what I'm proud of."

Bruner said he was especially impressed by Michael Schmidt and Traci Schlegel. Schmidt finished seventh in the 1,600-meter dash and Schlegel placed sixth in the 100-meter dash and was part of the fourth-place 800-meter sprint medley and fifth-place 4x200 relay team.

"I was really pleased with our relays," Bruner said. "Traci was a big surprise with all of her performances. She really did well Saturday. And Michael, I didn't know he could run like that."

While Bruner said the Rams could improve in a lot of areas, he said when he looks at the first meet - a meet that consisted mostly of bigger schools - he likes his team's chances as the season progresses.

"We have a lot of improvement to do, but seeing the schools here that beat us and where we stand with the other 2A teams," he said, "I'm ecstatic."