By Kurt Wheeler
VERONA –
The Cazenovia girls track and field team scored in 15 of 18 events to earn 91 points and a second place finish among 14 teams at last Saturday’s Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Invitational.
Only Class A power East Syracuse-Minoa (141) outscored the Lakers as the team achieved 26 new season-best performances during the meet.
Junior Faith Wheeler led the team as she won the pole vault with a 7-foot effort, captured second in the 800-meter run in a season-best 2:40.2 and led off the Lakers’ fourth-place 4×800 meter relay.
Senior captain Melanie Michael was also sharp for Cazenovia, earning second in the 400 meter hurdles in a season-best 1:12.9, third in the 100 hurdles in 17.7 seconds and leading off the second-place 4×100 relay to a time of 54.5.
Corinne Albicker also scored in the 100 hurdles, taking fifth in 19.9 seconds in her first attempt ever at the event. She also joined senior captain Katie Whitney and Jane Lee in the successful 4×100 and captured third in the long jump with a leap of 14 feet 5 inches.
Whitney added a strong second-place finish in the 100-meter dash in 13.4 seconds and a quick 28.9 in the 200-meter dash.
Claire Braaten headlined the Lakers’ effort in the distance events, earning sectional qualifying times in both the 1,500-meter run (second place, 5:31.1) and 3,000-meter run (fourth place, 11:55.1). Grace Kingsley earned season best times in both the 800 and 1,500 while Kate Millson achieved a personal best of 2:52.3 in the 800.
Lauren McLean led a trio of Cazenovia runners in the grueling 2,000-meter steeplechase event, earning sixth place in a sectional time of 9:04 flat. Senior captain Mary Williams also hit the sectional standard with a 9:12.4 effort with Zoey Gagne close behind at 9:18, while Williams and Gagne returned to join Millson and Wheeler in the 4×800.
Grace Dolan was strong in the 400-meter dash, sprinting to a fourth place time of 1:03.2, just two tenths of a second off the elite State Qualifier standard. She also led off the third place 4×400 relay that included Maleigha Coffie, Meghan Mehlbaum and Olivia Ruddy, who ran a personal best leg of 1:06.5.
Danielle Smith led Cazenovia’s throwers, placing fifth in the discus at 68’4” and achieving a season best in the shot put with a 24’4 ½” effort. Michaela Tobin (60’6” in the discus) and Karly Vaas (23’10 ½” in the shot) also earned personal best performances.
Senior captain Katie Pavelchak (fourth in the high jump at 4’6”), Emma Steinberg (sixth in the pole vault at 6 feet) and Sophie Rheaume (sixth in the long jump at 13’8 ½”) rounded out the Lakers’ scoring in the field events. Maleigha Coffie added a season best of 29’8” to lead the team in the triple jump.
Cazenovia will host Christian Brothers Academy on Tuesday as, after last week’s meet with Westhill was postponed it opens a regular season of league competition and strives for a 10th league title over the past 12 seasons.
