by Kurt Wheeler
SYRACUSE – The Cazenovia girls indoor track team assembled its best meet of the season at the perfect time as they ran away from the rest of the field to win last Saturday’s Section III Class B-2 championship in dominating fashion.
Achieving 18 season-best performances, the Lakers scored 181.5 points to outrun perennial rivals Clinton (61) and Skaneateles (54) and seven other schools for the victory.
Cazenovia’s distance runners topped the effort as it scored 61 points in the 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000- meter events. Olivia Wong led the charge, earning an individual sectional title in the 3,000 at 12:02.43 with Dinah Gifford (second, 12:02.79) and Zoey Gagne (third in a personal best 12:52.99) close behind.
Wong returned to place second in the 1,500 in a personal best of 5:23.04 with Claire Braaten, Nadia Segall and Gagne combining for four Cazenovia scores in the event. Braaten earned an individual title of her own in the 1,000, taking first in 3:21.75 with Nadia Segall (second, 3:22.63) and Faith Wheeler (fourth, 3:29.09) adding a dozen more points.
Braaten (personal best 2:33.8 leg) also led off the Lakers’ sectional champion 4×800 team as Cazenovia earned 28 out of a possible 30 points in the relays.
Segall, Wheeler and Mary Williams all contributed to the 4×800’s season best time of 10:34.39 as they earned a bid to the State Qualifier Meet. Meghan Mehlbaum (personal best of 1:05.9) anchored the 4×400 team to a championship effort of 4:33.27.
Bonnie Pittman, Melanie Michael (season best of 1:06.7) and Maleigha Coffie added to the winning effort as they also earned a trip to the state qualifier. Michael led off the Lakers’ second place 4×200 relay with Katie Whitney (28.3), Caryn Gagnon (best of 28.4) and Jane Lee combining for a season best of 1:57.01.
Michael added an individual title of her own, winning the 55-meter hurdles in a career-best time of 9.28 seconds, the sixth-fastest in Section III this year. Bonnie Pittman added a personal best effort of 10.16 for fourth.
Katie Whitney was also fast on the straightaway, earning third in the 55-meter dash in 7.67 seconds with Gagnon sixth at 8.19. Susie Pittman topped the team in the 300, placing third in 45.92 seconds with Mehlbaum fourth at 48.24.
Mary Williams led the team in the 600, smashing her season best and dramatically exceeding pre-race expectations with a second place, 1:49.00 effort.
Susie Pittman led the Lakers in the field events, earning a sectional title in the high jump at 5 feet with teammate Katie Pavelchak second at 4’10” and Coffie and Mehlbaum also adding points. Pittman also contributed a second place effort in the pole vault at 8 feet with Wheeler achieving a personal best of 7’6” to take fourth and Sofie Reger clearing a best of 6’6” for sixth.
Corinne Albicker topped the Laker long jumpers, placing fourth at 14’5 ½” with Kylie Anthony sixth. The duo also scored in the triple with Anthony leading the way in fourth at 30’11 ¾” and Albicker fifth at 30’1”.
Kenzie Halliday led Cazenovia’s throwers, smashing her personal best to place fourth at 27’2 ¼”. Skye Stanford also achieved a huge personal record performance of 25’11 ¼” for fifth. Danielle led the team in the shot, earning fifth at 23’9 1/4”.
Twenty-two athletes from the squad scored during the meet, an exceptional total, as the Lakers won their eighth sectional championship since 2011. Eleven of the girls have earned bids to compete at the elite State Championship Qualifier Meet, slated for Feb. 16.
