by Kurt Wheeler

CENTRAL NEW YORK – The Cazenovia girls cross country team earned a perfect score against league opponent Phoenix last Wednesday and posted a strong performance at the East Syracuse-Minoa Invitational three days later during its second week of action.

Against Phoenix, the Lakers placed the first seven runners across the line to achieve the lowest possible score of 15, the cross country equivalent of a shutout.

Eleven members of the Cazenovia squad achieved a season best performance on their tough Fenner course to earn the decisive victory.

First year running star Olivia Ruddy led the team once again, earning an impressive time of 20:02, the fastest achieved by a Cazenovia runner on their home course in five years. She improved on all three of her mile splits during the race, running 6:30, 6:53 and 6:39 consecutively over the 3.0-mile route.

Olivia Wong also had a personal best day, not only topping her best time on the course, but running her fastest race ever over 3.0 or 3.1 miles with a 21:01 effort. Captain Faith Wheeler took third for the team with a 21:24, her fastest race of the season.

Athletic “double-threat” Dinah Gifford was fourth for the team in 21:55 just 24 hours after scoring the Lakers’ lone goal in a tough soccer match with Westhill. Gifford is one of a few athletes participating in the OHSL trial to allow athletes to participate in two sports for their school.

Freshman Maeve McGreevy, in only her third cross country race, earned a top-five finish for the Lakers with a time of 23:20, her fastest yet.

Senior Captains Grace Dolan (23:35) and Bonnie Pittman (season best 23:40) claimed the critical six-seven spots for the team to complete the shut-out and displace all Phoenix scorers.

Phoenix’s top runner, Zoe Gordon, finished in 24:07, followed by five Lakers led by Freshman Haylee Stearns (season best of 24:24) along with Mesi Stevens, Ilsa Denton, Captain Sedona Millard and Michaela Tobin. Emma O’Shea and Iris Casey also ran well for the Lakers.

Cazenovia was back in action Saturday at ESM, earning a fourth -place finish in the 23 team field despite having nearly half the lineup out of action for the day. Only Class A powers Cicero-North Syracuse and West Genesee and Montrose, from Westchester County, finished ahead of Cazenovia in the competitive race

Ruddy ran her fastest race yet, covering the full 5,000 meter course in 20:01 to finish fifth individually in the 132 runner field. Her speedy race included a 6:00 minute flat pace over mile three of the competition. 

Gifford was second for the Lakers in 21:48 (25th) with Wong taking third for the team in 22:36 (36th overall).

McGreevy and Stearns stepped up to fill the gaps in the Lakers’ lineup. McGreevy ran a personal best of 22:59 to earn fourth for the team (43rd) while Stearns clocked a best time of her own in 24:25 to round out the squad’s score with a 59th place finish. Denton, Tobin, Millard and O’Shea also ran well for the Lakers, each earning their best 5K time of the fall.

Cazenovia will travel to Hannibal this Wednesday in a three-way race with Skaneateles and then compete in the massive Baldwinsville Invitational on Saturday as it seeks to defend its small schools title in the race from 2021.