AMES – Aggressive cross country strategies are always risky, the consequences sometimes brutal.

South Hamilton freshman Logan Peters knew that prior to stepping up to the starting line as the gusty wind howled around him Monday evening at the Iowa State course.

He just didn’t care.

Throwing caution right out the window, Peters sprinted out with the lead pack and then eventually to the front early on and showed the entire field the way through the trees and around the corners for the better part of 2 1/2 miles.

If it had only ended there.

Unfortunately, the rigorous five-kilometer course caught up to Peters late. He hung on the best he could down the stretch, but was passed by five runners with more left in the tank and settled for sixth.

Earning all-conference recognition and the spot on the podium were great. But he wanted gold.

“I wanted to get first really bad, but I just didn’t have it in me,” Peters said while still trying to catch his breath minutes after the race. “I wanted to do well because it means a lot to me to be at this meet as a freshman. I’m really proud of how I did.”

South Hamilton head coach Darrell Paulsen joined his pupil in that boat.

“He went after it,” Paulsen said of Peters. “He’s a competitor and he’s done this all year. He was looking to get a spot on the podium.”

The absence of Peters’ classmate Gaige Pickering – South Hamilton’s occasional No. 1 runner – left the seventh-ranked (Class 1A) Hawks out of the championship picture. Pickering watched in street clothes because of a lingering groin injury, but even with him it would have been a mountainous climb to try to track down 11th-ranked (3A) Gilbert. The Tigers showcased their depth with five runners in the top 11 and claimed the team crown with 30 points. North Polk (83) was a distant second. Nevada (91) and South Hamilton (91) tied for third, but bronze went to the Cubs on a tiebreaker.

Paulsen understood what his team was up against, which is why he felt resting Pickering was the correct call.

“I figured we would finish second, third, fourth, somewhere in there,” he said. “If we would have had Gaige we might have finished second, but that’s the way it goes. This was an important meet, but next Thursday (at the State Qualifying Meet) is more important. I told him we need him more at (the state qualifier) than we do at conference.”

Gilbert’s Jason Taylor was the first runner to get by Peters down the homestretch. Taylor captured gold in 17:44.16. Peters completed the course in 17:51.29.

South Hamilton’s usually balanced lineup wavered somewhat, however. Usually sticking relatively close together, the pack splintered and the result was a gap of 1:19 between its first and fifth runners.

Josiah Brown and Devon Fisher stayed in close contact and placed 18th and 19th, respectively. Brown got to the finish line in 18:31.89, Fisher in 18:40.53.

Drake Thompson hung back and wound up in 23rd with a clocking of 19:07.16. Trey Woodall stepped in to fill the scoring void left by Pickering and was solid with a 25th-place result in 19:11.65.

“Trey ran really well and that’s a plus because we need him to do that at (the state qualifier), too,” Paulsen said.

Triston Koopman (22:28.44) completed South Hamilton’s varsity lineup with a 49th-place result.

The Hawks will have until next Thursday to rest and get healthy before they head to Ankeny for the 1A qualifying meet. They’ll be looking to punch their first state-meet ticket since 2010.