One of the primary goals for the Parkland cross country teams every season is to reach the state meet as a team.

The Trojans achieved that objective last week when both teams earned the trip to Hershey this weekend for the PIAA Class 3A Championships.

Both teams took second place to Easton at districts. The Parkland boys finished 15 points behind the Rovers at 61-46 and well ahead of Stroudsburg (95) as both Easton and the Trojans had five runners within the top 20 places.

In the girls meet, Easton finished with 56 points while Parkland was second with 79. Third-place Stroudsburg finished with 91 points.

“I am extremely proud of our girls,” said Trojan junior Maddie Zaun, who led Parkland girls with a 10th-place finish at districts. “ The goal was definitely to make states. It would have been a bonus to win, but now we have a chance to go to states and we can beat Easton there. We haven’t gone in a while as a team so it’s good for us.”

The Parkland girls team has not qualified for states as a team since winning the district title in 2013.

Parkland placed its top five runners within the top 26 places at districts, as freshman Ava Bendetti (12th, 20:28), senior Kiley Krasley (13th, 20:36), Julianna Elesesser (18th, 21:00) and sophomore Lily Goense (26th, 21:33) filled in behind Zaun, who ran the course in 20:17. Senior Erin Wood (44th, 22:18) and sophomore Emma Garchinsky (46th, 22:23) were also part of Parkland’s district team.

The Parkland boys team, which hasn’t finished outside the top two at districts since 2003, was led by juniors Nick Bower and Riley Williamson, finishing third and fourth, respectively.

“I was probably around seventh in the beginning and then around mile two I was about fourth or fifth,” said Bower. “I was fourth until the end and then in the last 400 (yards) I got third.”

Behind Bower (16:45) and Williamson (16:50) was a three-man Trojan pack including senior Jake Ringer (17th, 17:33), junior Matt Zager (18th, 17:33) and junior Matt Santacoloma (19th, 17:36). Sophomores Ethan Warren (50th, 18:36) and Nate Reimer (53rd, 18:39) were also part of the Parkland boys district team.

“It was a solid performance,” said Bower. “I think it’s going to show what we’re going to do at states. I think there was a little bit of nerves throughout the team. We just have to relax. We made our goal. We all got under top 20 and that was our goal, all five of us.”