One last time this winter, Cazenovia’s top indoor track and field athletes made it to Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena for Wednesday night’s Section III state qualifying meet.
With spots in this Saturday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships at Cornell University on the line, the Lakers had some strong performances.
Walker Nichols vied for the top spot in the 55-meter hurdles and won the small-school portion of it with a time of 8.18 seconds after winning his qualifying heat in 8.35 seconds. Only East Syracuse Minoa’s Jeremy McGrath (7.97 seconds) and Baldwinsville’s Evan Donhauser (8.02 seconds) fared better.
In the long jump, Nichols went 20 feet 6 ¾ inches, just ahead of Onondaga’s Keanan Glod (20’4”) in the small-school portion, but third overall behind Rome Free Academy’s Brian Slaughter (21’1 ¼”) and Jamesville-DeWitt’s Will Cote, who went 20’8 ¼”.
In the boys 4×200 relay, Nichols, paired with Tom McNerney, Casey Fenton and Alex Devine, posted a time of 1:36.75, just behind Baldwinsville (1:36.70) for third place as RFA won in 1:34.42. Sean Satchwell needed 1:28.85 to finish fifth in the 600-meter run.
Moving to the girls side, Clara Rowles was strong in the 1,500-meter run, finishing fifth in a time of 4:58.99, her first sub-five minute clocking of the season. Jordan-Elbridge’s Abby Gugel won the small-school portion in 4:54.86 and ESM’s Natalie Marra won the race in 4:49.15.
Katie Robbins, clearing 8’6”, set a personal best in the pole vault and finished sixth as Central Square’s Bethany Cripps won with a 10-foot clearance. Meggie Hart was seventh in the 3,000-meter run in 11:17.49.
Ashley Kent was ninth overall in the triple jump with a leap of 32’4”, though second behind Clinton’s Alayna Lofgren (33’1 ½”) among small-school competitors as Chittenango’s Krissy Roberts went 30’5 ½”. Kent also recorded a top long jump of 14’ ½”.
Elsewhere, Fenton competed in the boys triple jump, but fouled on his three attempts, and Tori Fischer did the same in the girls high jump.
