The girls indoor track team capped a successful winter of competition at the State Championship Qualifier Meet hosted by Utica College on Feb. 18. The Lakers’ appearance at the elite competition was a fitting conclusion to triumphant season which also saw the squad earn league and sectional titles.
Four members of the Lady Lakers team competed at the Qualifier, led by Meggie Hart who earned a fifth-place finish in the 3,000-meter run in a time of 10:47.84. Hart had also qualified in the 1,500-meter run. Maddy Gavitt earned a sixth-place finish in the long jump and a seventh-place finish in the triple jump while teammate Chloe Smith was just one place back in the long jump, earning seventh. Smith also achieved a personal best time in the 55-meter dash, clocking 7.74 to finish 12th.
Katie Robbins equaled her personal best in the pole vault with a height of 9-0, good for sixth place in the competitive field. Athletes must finish in the top two among all classes of schools combined to advance in each event. While none of the Lakers moved on to the state championship, they acquitted themselves well in the elite competition.
A total of ten members of the team had earned bids to the qualifier, which was originally scheduled for Feb 15. The threat of stormy weather forced the meet to be pushed back into the school vacation which precluded some competitors. Also earning slots were Olivia Catania in the 300, 600 and 4×200, Kirsten Underwood in the 55, Brenna Hughes and Delaney Yates in the 4×200 and Meg Seeley and Taylor Tilison as alternates in the 4×200.
The overall season was a tremendous success for the Lady Lakers as they earned league and sectional titles for the seventh season in a row. They triumphed over second place Skaneateles 135 to 98 to capture the OHSL Division 2 crown on Feb. 1 at OCC. The team earned 12 all-league slots during the meet, led by double winners Olivia Catania (300, 600), Meggie Hart (1,500 and 3,000) and Maddy Gavitt (long jump, triple jump).
They capped their season of team competition with an impressive Section 3, Class B1 championship meet at Utica College on Feb. 10. Twenty-one members of the squad competed for Cazenovia, scoring in every event as they earned a 167.5 to 101.5 victory over runner-up Westhill for the title. The Lady Lakers were equally successful in the classroom this winter, earning scholar-athlete team status as 31 members of the team posted a GPA over 90 percent during the season.
The future remains bright for the program as the Lakers will graduate just eight of the 42 girls on roster, highlighted by the individual sectional champion Catania and Captains Megan Henderson, Delaney Yates and Summer Steinhorst. Next year’s squad will be led by a host of top returning athletes including 18 of this year’s 21 sectional competitors.
