By Kurt Wheeler
SYRACUSE – The Cazenovia girls indoor track team posted another exceptional performance in its final meet of 2021.
The Lakers scored 77 points to place second among 20 schools at the morning session of last Saturday’s George Constantino Memorial Invitational at SRC Arena. Only the nationally renowned Fayetteville-Manlius squad (116) outscored Cazenovia, whose athletes placed in 14 of 16 events.
Senior Captain Katie Whitney led the Lakers with a first place finish in the 55-meter dash as she tied her season best of 7.84 seconds. ThenWhitney returned to anchor the 4×200 meter relay to a third place finish in 1:58.41, their fastest time of the winter.
Caryn Gagnon, Jane Lee and Captain Melanie Michael also contributed to the speedy relay time. Michael posted an impressive individual performance of her own, taking second in a competitive field of 55-meter hurdlers in 9.75 seconds, also a season best.
The team was just as strong in the middle distances, claiming two places in the 600-meter run. Captain Mary Williams led the way with a fifth place, 1:54.95 effort with Bonnie Pittman close behind in seventh at 1:56.24.
Pittman returned to lead off the 4×400 relay of Maleigha Coffie, Maya Gilmore and Meghan Mehlbaum. Mehlbaum’s noteworthy 1:07.3 anchor leg sparked the team’s season best time of 4:46.65, which was good for second place.
The Laker’s strong contingent of distance runners were a key to the team’s success once again as they achieved six scoring performances.
Olivia Wong led the way, placing eighth in a packed field of top-rated 1,500 meter runners in a time of 5:33.72. Nadia Segall was just one place back in a season best 5:35.23. Wong returned to earn sixth in the 1000 in 3:23.44 with Faith Wheeler at seventh in 3:26.27, both personal bests.
Dinah Gifford led the team in the 3,000 with a seventh place 11:59.85 best effort, just ahead of Claire Braaten’s best of 12:01.25 for eighth. Segall, Braaten, Braaten and Zoey Gagne all contributed to Cazenovia’s fourth-place 11:25.06 in the 4×800 meter relay.
Susie Pittman led the Lakers in the field, scoring in three events. She equaled her personal best of 7 feet 6 inches for sixth in the pole vault with teammate Faith Wheeler achieving a personal best of 7 feet to take eighth. Pittman also tied for third place in the high jump at 4’8” while Katie Pavelchak earned seventh at 4’6”.
Pittman closed out her hat trick with a fifth-place, 14’3 1/2” effort in her first competition in the long jump. Corinne Albicker was just a half inch back at 14’3” to claim sixth for the team. Albicker was tops for Cazenovia in the triple jump (fifth at 29’4”) with Erin Kuhn eighth at 26’2 1/4”.
Danielle Smith led the team in the throws with a seventh-place, 22′ 1/2” effort in the weight throw as teammates Emma Schwartz and Skye Stanford also achieved season bests. Mary Williams led the Lakers in the shot put with a 23’2” throw.
With two first-place and two second-place finishes during their opening four meets, Cazenovia’s 2021-22 campaign is off to great start. They will have three weeks to train over the holidays before returning to action on Jan 8.
