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Steamboat Springs — The Steamboat Springs High School cross-country team hosts its lone home meet of the season Saturday at Strawberry Park Elementary School.

The girls portion of the 5-kilometer race begins a 9:15 a.m., with the boys to follow at 10:15 a.m.

The course will go around the track and softball fields and briefly onto the Butcherknife Creek Trail.

In addition to Steamboat, Meeker and Rangely are expected to attend.

"I want to see all teamwork," Steamboat coach Matt Reinhold said. "I want to see five alive on the boys side and five to seven work on the girls side."

With the meet being the first of the season for the Steamboat harriers, Reinhold said he wants to see a pack-like mentality from his team. He wants them to learn to work and run together.

The benefit, he said, is when bigger meets come around, the closer all the Steamboat runners are to one another, the higher the Sailors are likely to finish.

"We're trying to keep it as close as possible," Reinhold said.

Reinhold said with a much bigger team this year, he expects better results. Although certain runners are ahead of others, he said Saturday should allow Steamboat to see where it stands as a team.

"Our definite goal is to win the meet, for sure," he said. "Really, I think the pack running will bring us to it. Just keeping everyone together with the team as strong as it is. It's pretty cut-and-dry that we should be able to take the race."

On the boys side, Reinhold expects big days from John Cutter and Charlie Stoddard. The two runners have worked throughout the offseason and already have a good base under them.

Jaime Winter and Brittany Long lead the girls side, with Long working throughout the summer with Cutter and Stoddard.

Although there is anticipation for the first meet, Reinhold said it's just part of the bigger picture.

That includes the regional and state meets.

"Those are our main goals," Reinhold said. "We've already made the playoffs, so every day is a learning experience for everyone. We're getting in miles and building up speed for the regional and state race. We're getting our mindset to work as one."