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Steamboat Springs — For Steamboat Springs High School senior Gus Allen, running Saturday at the state cross-country meet brought on mixed feelings.

By finishing 67th, Allen ended his high school career on a high note, but he said he wished the end hadn’t come so quickly.

“I like this team, like the coaches, like doing workouts here, and, honestly, I would like to come back for one more year,” he said. “But I’m on to the next step of my life.”

Allen was second on the team at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins, helping the Sailors secure a 19th-place finish in Division 4A.

With 25 teams and 195 runners, Allen had to change his approach, which might have affected his time.

“On this course with this many people, you really have to go out hard, which isn’t something I like to do,” he said. “I like to start slow and work my way up, and you really couldn’t do that because there were so many people. If you got behind, you couldn’t really weave your way up.

“I was just chasing people the whole way.”

Although he said he has given college running some thought, Allen said he gave a full effort in what might be his last race.

“I went as hard as I could and ran as hard as I could,” he said. “I did what I could, and I think it went all right.”

Junior Jack Burger led the team by finishing the course in 17 minutes and seven seconds — good enough for 31st place.

“I thought I ran pretty well,” he said. “Like Gus said, with this course, you have to go out really fast in the beginning.”

Burger said his fast start might have actually hurt his time.

“I went out hard and tried to hold that pace, but the second mile was the hardest for me,” he said. “I think I went too hard, but I finished well.”

Burger, who also played tennis for Steamboat Springs, was racing in his fourth meet of the year.

He said his first meet also was at Fossil Ridge High School.

“I think I was 57 seconds faster today,” he said.

That improvement should carry over into next fall, Burger added.

“I think our team should be pretty good next year; we just need to start training in the off-season,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Steamboat’s other top runners included sophomore Asher Rohde, who finished two seconds behind Allen for 73rd, sophomore Scott Powers finished 115th, senior Hunter Thompson finished 185th, and junior Jeff Sperry finished 188th.

Coach Andy Reust said the Sailors might have been affected by the state meet being delayed one week because of weather.

“They did fine,” he said. “I think the week off kind of takes it out of you; you’re all geared for the last week, and then we had another week.”

Even with an extra week, the team still managed to impress Reust.

“The guys performed,” he said. “And they did their best.”