By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
The Southeast of Saline cross-country teams turned in a pair of strong finishes at the state meet at Rim Rock in Lawrence on Saturday, finishing as 3A runners-up on both the boys' and girls' side.
Hesston narrowly beat out the Lady Trojans, securing their third consecutive 3A title by just 15 points, while Wichita Trinity dominated on the boys' side, finishing 70 points clear of the next closest team.
Freshman phenom Avery Tripp led the charge with an 8th-place finish for the girls, followed closely by Piper Brown, who finished 11th.
Tripp ran the lone sub-20 time on the girls' side, with an impressive run of 19:53.40.
On the boys' side, the pack of Brooks Carlin, Zachary Carlin, Cole Franklin, and Joseph Bircher all locked up spots in the top 35, helping Southeast secure a second-place finish ahead of Holcomb in third.
Southeast will graduate three senior girls in Piper Brown, Regan Duran, and Anna Jackson, and one senior boy in Cole Franklin, but the rest of the squad should be able to return and build on another strong finish in 2027.
Full results from the 3A state meet at Rim Rock can be found below
3A Girls Team Results
1. Hesston - 69
2. SE of Saline - 84
3. Cheney - 139
4. Ellsworth - 147
5. Girard - 164
6. Lakin - 172
7. Maranatha Christian - 177
8. Wichita Trinity - 178
9. Minneapolis - 194
10. Frontenac - 196
11. Osage City - 220
12. Central Heights - 227
SES Girls Individual Results
8. Avery Tripp - 19:53.40
11. Piper Brown - 20:08.11
28. Regan Duran - 21:06.11
36. Ava McGraw - 21:29.78
39. Skylar Duran - 21:34.53
47. Anna Jackson - 21:51.15
54. Payson Murray - 22:09.26
3A Boys Team Results
1. Wichita Trinity - 41
2. SE of Saline - 111
3. Holcomb - 130
4. Riley County - 138
5. Central Heights - 151
6. Nemaha Central - 161
7. Girard - 163
8. Caney Valley - 205
9. Scott City - 213
10. Lakin - 231
11. Burlington - 240
12. Wichita Collegiate - 243
SES Boys Individual Results
28. Brooks Carlin - 17:21.62
29. Zachary Carlin - 17:23.05
30. Cole Franklin - 17:24.29
32. Joseph Bircher - 17:24.92
40. Caleb Knopf - 17:37.82
49. Andrew Knopf - 18:01.58
55. Bryce Hartman - 18:06.42