Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Steamboat Springs High School senior Asher Rohde has grown to like the idea of continuing his running career in college, and he’s in the process of searching the nation for a school where he can deploy his talents.

He got a little taste Saturday of just what he may be in for, lining up against some of the best runners in the region at the Nike Cross Regionals in Arizona.

The experience didn’t leave him questioning his decision, but it did provide a lesson in strategy.

“It was just a lot of people starting pretty fast, and the course bottlenecked really quickly, and a lot of lower-altitude people were throwing elbows and kicking trying to get their spot,” Rohde said.

Rohde finished the 5-kilometer course in 16 minutes, 44 seconds. It was short of his personal best set during this fall’s high school cross-country season. Thanks to the massive field of runners, the event was more about racing than running for a time, he said.

“I learned in a race like that you have to get out to the front a lot quicker and probably be a little more aggressive than I am as far as elbowing people goes,” he said.

Rohde said his focus now will turn to the high school track season, where he hopes to make state in the 3,200- and 1,600-meter runs. Along the way, he hopes to narrow down his choices for college.

So far, the list is not too exact: probably but not definitely something outside Colorado, maybe a school in British Columbia, Canada, or potentially a Division I school like Iowa State.

“I’ve talked to a couple schools in California,” he said. “One gave me a call and tried some recruiting. That was kind of fun. They called me for once.”

To reach Joel Reichenberger, call 970-871-4253 or email jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com