By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
Over the years, the state of Kansas has seen its fair share of great cross-country teams, but very few of those teams became great programs, and of those great programs, fewer still earned the title of “dynasty.”
Southeast of Saline stands tall among that exclusive group, laying claim to nine state titles on the girl's side and eight more on the boy’s since the unification of schools under the SES banner.
After a dry spell that lasted from 1997 to 2013, a new generation of elite runners emerged and restored the Trojan dynasty to its former glory.
The girls raised state championship banners in 2014 and 15, the boys three-peated from 2018-20, and the girls rebounded to grab two more in 2020 and 2021.
As the state meet at Rim Rock approaches, both Trojan teams stand on the precipice of etching their names into the annals of Southeast history and continuing the long-held tradition of turning most schools' dreams into a repeated reality.
This success has never come easy for SES, and there’s no reason to believe that this year will be any different, but as the Trojans and Lady Trojans prepare for one final run in 2022, both teams will leave Lawrence knowing that they gave this season everything they had.
“This is a great group of kids and I didn’t expect anything less of them but they’ve put in the work all season and done everything we’ve asked them to do,” SES cross country coach Wade Caselman said. “They want to succeed and they've put in a lot of miles, sweat, tears, and blisters this season to get to where they’re at.”
Southeast has been the fastest 3A team at every meet they’ve entered this season, with the boy’s team taking first in all eight events, and the girl’s collecting six top finishes, coming second only to ranked opponents from classes 4 and 5A.
The Trojans and Lady Trojans collected a pair of league and regional titles with ease, dominating some of the best teams in Class 3A without a second thought in preparation for this race.
“It was great to see both teams get out and compete at a high level at regionals,” Caselman said. “At this point in the season, everybody wants to peak at the right time and run their best races and there were some kids in both that really went out and attacked the course.”
While both state titles are very much on the table, SES must remain vigilant on Saturday, as members of each team prepare for the run of their lives.
“I think we’re running at our peak but I still think we can cut our time gaps down even more,” he said. “Adrenaline runs high at Rim Rock and the kids are going to come out and give it everything they’ve got.”
The SES girls will come into this final test as the favorites to repeat as state champs, with only Wichita Trinity and Cheney, who the Lady Trojans defeated earlier this season, seeming capable of standing in their way.
“For the girls, running against Cheney at the Halstead invitational gave us a sense of where we are,” Caselman said. “We haven’t seen Trinity yet but we believe we can compete with any team in 3A and we have a positive mindset that we’re going to go out and give it our all.”
While the Lady Trojans hold the upper hand, the Trojans will have a much steeper hill to climb for 3A glory, as Southeast looks to snatch the crown back from the reigning champions in Wichita Trinity, who bring back every single runner from their title-winning 2021 team.
“We know that our boys are in for a tough race but we’re looking forward to it,” he said. “We wish we had an opportunity to run against them during the regular season but that’s just how it worked out.”
Whether SES leaves Rim Rock with or without state titles, every member of both teams can hold their heads high, not only as members of two of the most dominant teams in recent memory but as student-athletes who gave their all to continue building upon one of the greatest running dynasties in the state of Kansas.
“It’s been a pure joy to coach each and every one of these kids,” Caselman said. “I see them as extended family and we try to keep that atmosphere with our group. I want the very best for them and I know that I can count on them to give me their best. Regardless of the outcome on Saturday, I wouldn’t want to trade this group for any other.”
The 3A girl’s race will begin at 10 am on Saturday with the boys to follow at 11:45. For continuing coverage of both teams’ state title runs stay tuned to the Salina Post.