by Kurt Wheeler
SYRACUSE – The Cazenovia girls indoor track team fell just short in their quest to upset defending champion Westhill at Wednesday’s Onondaga High School League Division 1 meet at SRC Arena, scoring 120.5 points to the Warriors’ 131.
Despite their runner-up status, the Lakers had plenty to celebrate including 10 first team and eight second team all-league selections during the competition.
The Lakers (defending Section III Class B-2 champions) and Warriors (defending B-1 champions) dominated the competition, scoring a combined 251.5 points with the other 10 schools totaling just 243.5 points. Skaneateles was third with 69.
Susie Pittman earned two of the Lady Lakers’ 18 all-league honors as she set a new personal indoor record of 9 feet to win the pole vault and high jumped 4’10” to claim second there. She also added a third place effort of 33’4” in the triple jump.
Pittman had plenty of help in all three events. Faith Wheeler took fourth in the pole vault (7’6”), Meghan Mehlbaum tied for sixth in the high jump (4’6”) and Corinne Albicker earned fifth in the triple at 32 feet.
Maddy Rothfeld also had a career best day, smashing the all-time school record in the weight throw with a 32-foot effort to capture third place. Teammate Karly Vaas also had a huge personal best, reaching 28 feet as Rothfeld returned to set another personal record with a throw of 29’5” to claim second team league honors in the shot put.
Riley Knapp was among the many Laker leaders on the track, racing to the league title in the 55-meter dash with a state qualifier eligible time of 7.62 seconds. Teammate Caitlyn Smithers was close behind, capturing fifth in 7.81.
The duo also contributed to Cazenovia’s league champion 4×200 meter relay with team captain Grace Dolan and Izzy Stromer-Galley adding to the winning time of 1:52.38, the Lakers’ fastest of the season.
Dolan and Stromer-Galley each added two more scores for the team, including second and fourth-place finishes in the 300-meter dash and two strong legs on Cazenovia’s champion 4×400 meter relay. Natalie Dolan and Mehlbaum also added to the relay’s winning time of 4:21.66 with season best 400-meter legs.
Wheeler, another senior captain, led the Lakers’ distance contingent, racing to a personal record time of 5:19.99 to earn second team all league honors in the 1,500. Zoey Gagne was close behind, capturing sixth in 5:39.20.
Also, Wheeler also ran the fastest leg (2:37.7) on Cazenovia’s second place 4×800 meter relay with Julia Reff, Maeve McGreevy and Sally Hughes each helping the group to their speediest time of the winter in 10:40.72.
Reff (third place, 3:23.95) and McGreevy (fifth place, 3:29.47) also doubled up Cazenovia’s scoring in the 1,000 meter race. Maura Phillips (fourth, 1:46.98) and Reid McMurtie (sixth, 1:49.29) were just as impressive in the 600-meter run, as each achieved huge personal best times in the event.
Kate Millson added another point for the team, picking up sixth in the 3,000 at 12:44.47. Albicker rounded out the scoring on the track with a season best, sectional time of 10.05 seconds in the 55 hurdles with fellow captain Bonnie Pittman close behind in 10.77. Albicker also added the Lakers’ best effort in the long jump at 14’7 1/4”.
Cazenovia will return to action at SRC Arena this Wednesday as they seek to defend their sectional Class B-2 title and earn its ninth sectional crown overall since 2011.
