Submitted by Kurt Wheeler
One week after clinching the regular season championship, the Cazenovia girls track and field team added another title to their 2018 campaign as they won the American division at the overall OHSL Liberty league meet. The Lakers scored 172 points to top rival Skaneateles (125) and five other teams for the championship. Two days later, the girls squeezed in one more competition at the Clinton “Junkyard Relays” as they honed their skills for the sectional championship meet this week.
Senior Captain Meggie Hart led the Lakers with an amazing “triple” of first place/first team all-league finishes, winning the 1500 meter, 3000 meter and 2000 meter steeplechase, the most grueling combination of events possible. Even more impressive was that each of the victories came in State Qualifier-eligible times. Cazenovia racked up the points in all three events as Clara Rowles (1500 and steeple) and Kelly Frost (3000) both backed up Hart with season-best performances. Rowles and Frost also added points in the 400 hurdles.
Maddy Gavitt led the Lakers in the field as she accumulated two first team all-league honors in the long jump (15-10) and high jump (4-10) and added a second team finish in the 100-meter hurdles (18.13) and a third-place finish in the triple (33-6). Fellow Lakers backed her up in each event as Paige Hunt took second in the high jump (4-10), Katie Robbins scored in both the long jump and triple jump and Cassidy Jarvis turned in a career-best performance in the 100 hurdles.
Versatile Senior Captain Jamie Joseph scored in four events for the Lakers, winning the shot in 31-11, taking second in the 800 at 2:27.53 and contributing to two relays. Claire Edwards added a first team all-league effort in the discus (85-4) and also scored in the shot. She was backed up by Eva Salzman in the discus (third, 73-2.5).
Senior Captain Katie Robbins also earned all-league honors, tying for second in the pole vault, with Paige Hunt picking up fourth. Freshman Lili Gavitt shined for the Lakers, picking up first team honors as she won the Pentathlon in her first attempt at the tough five event combination.
A major key to the Lakers’ victory was their depth, led by their three relays. Senior Captain Julia Barrett contributed to all three as she led off the second team all-league 4×800 of Molly Hart, Cavy Monahan and Kelly Frost. She was joined by Monahan, Joseph, and Peyton Basic in the 4×400 (third place, 4:29.47) and by Joseph, Hunt and Chloe Smith in the 4×100 (third in 53.42). All three relays were season-best performances for the Lakers. Chloe Smith also added a third-place finish in the 100 (13.55) while Basic and Monahan each added points in the 400.
The Lakers squeezed in one final competition before sectionals, competing at the Clinton “Junkyard Relays” which was hastily shifted to May 18 due to the threat of bad weather on May 19. Despite missing many of its athletes due to the late change, the girls combined with the boys team for a third place finish in the combined team scoring. The meet was highlighted by first place finishes in the 4×400 (Joseph, Monahan, Basic and Meggie Hart) and Sprint Medley Relay (with Smith stepping in for Monahan). Maddy Gavitt claimed an individual win in the triple jump (32-8).
The Lakers will vie for the Section 3, Class B2 title on Wednesday, May 23 at Canastota.
