By Huey Counts
Not long after the Class 3A state cross country championship race ended last season, Southeast of Saline runner Cali Augustine, then a junior, knew big things were possible for her final go around.
Six of the team's top seven runners that had just led Southeast to its fourth consecutive state championship, by a whopping 60-point margin at Rim Rock, were underclassmen and some talented runners from middle school would be joining the roster.
The squad would enter this season a heavy favorite for a fifth consecutive championship, something the Trojans accomplished from 1991 to 1995.
"We were more worried about who all was going to make varsity," said Augustine, looking back, "because we had so many to choose from."And, now, that changed a lot."
Did it ever. Sophomore Breckyn Alderson and senior Abby Commerford elected not to run this fall. Alderson was the Trojans' top finisher at state in 2023 with her 11th-place finish, one year after placing 10th, and Commerford was 16th after racing to sixth and fifth the prior two seasons.
Then, just prior to the start of school, talented freshman Kyla Hamel announced she was going to begin her high school career at Salina South."Yeah, our team kinda totally changed at the beginning of the year," a smiling Augustine said. "We were a little worried, but we've been able to come back and work as a team."
But, even with such losses, Southeast remains one of the favorites in 3A. They brought back a pair of state medalists in sophomores Piper Brown (14th) and Anna Jackson (19th) along with Augustine (31st) and sophomore Regan Duran (35th). Freshman Ava McGraw was Southeast's top finisher in their season opener and yet another freshman, Alea Barnaby, thus far has not looked out of place running varsity. "As a senior I've had to talk with the younger kids to say it's OK if you're not having a perfect day at the beginning of the season," Augustine said, "because we are working to peak by regionals and state because that's what matters."
Southeast ran its third meet Thursday morning in Buhler where Brown placed ninth in 21 minutes, 53.6 seconds, a decent time on a hot and humid morning. Augustine was 15th (22:25.3), McGraw 16th (22:32.3), Jackson 17th (22:33.4) and Duran 20th (22:52.5)
"The coaches want us to 'pack run' a lot more which is fine," Brown said, "because I feel like we kind of naturally do that. We're all just trying to stay healthy, work together and encourage each other."
Brown says she and her teammates are well aware of the history they could accomplish this season — and even possibly next — but they try not to think too far ahead."The coaches bring it up a lot more than us," she said. "We just try not to think about it because it stresses everyone out."Said Augustine: "We are working toward something that hasn't happened in long time. It is pressure, but it's a good pressure. I've been a part of it each of the last three years and I know how to maybe help the younger kids not get too nervous or put too much pressure on themselves."
Not feeling much pressure, if any, at Buhler was Southeast of Saline's top guy, junior Brayden Walker. In the boys race he surged to an early lead and an expected push from McPherson's Caleb Muehler never materialized."I kind of slowed down after the mile-marker when I saw Caleb was way back," he said. "I feel good, wish I was a little stronger at the end of races, but that's nothing that more running can't help."
He finished in 16:48, 23 seconds ahead of Muehler and three places ahead of Salina Central's Liam Deniau-Young (17:20.9)Southeast easily won the boys' title as Walker received solid support from Jacob Bircher (fifth in 17:22), Jacob Tonne (10th, 18:00.7), Brooks Carlin (18th, 18:38.5) and Zachary Carlin (25th, 18:48).
Alina Arceo continued her solid start to her junior campaign with an 11th-place finish for South. This was her first race of the season without Hamel, the Southeast transfer, who sat out with a leg injury."I'm used to having her there to help push me, so that was different," Arceo said. "Today wasn't my best run, it kinda hurt really bad."
