The Cazenovia girls indoor track team placed achieved 17 season-best performances during last Friday’s Section III Class B-2 championships at Utica College’s Hutton Dome.
But it wasn’t enough to overcome a talented Clinton squad, as the Lakers placed second with 103 points to the Warriors’ 152 to 103. Still, the girls outpaced Canastota (81), Skaneateles (62) and five other squads to place in the top two at sectionals for the 10th year in a row.
Claire Edwards was the Lakers’ sole individual sectional champion, winning the shot put with a 28-foot. Overall, the throwers were a major ingredient in the team’s success with Edwards, Paige Hunt (fourth, 26’7”) and Mackenzie Yates (fifth, 26’6 ¼”) all scoring in the shot put and Lily Sorbello achieving a career-best of 28’9” to place third in the weight throw.
Chloe Smith was a triple-scorer for the Lakers, placing second in the long jump with a career indoor best of 16’11 ¾”,third in the 55-meter dash (7.77seconds) and anchoring the 4×200 meter relay to a third place, season-best time of 1:55.51 with her fastest leg of the season (27.7). Taylor Tilison, Caryn Gagnon and Grace Dolan (season-best of 28.8) also contributed to the speedy relay.
Senior Captain Maddy Gavitt also scored in three events, coming within half an inch of her own school record in the triple jump at 35’ ½” to place second, earning third in the long jump with a season best of 16’1 ½” and also picking up a third in the high jump (4’8”).
Another senior, Paige Hunt was the Lakers’ other triple threat, placing third in the pole vault (8’6”) in addition to scores in the high jump and shot put. Lili Gavitt also had a career-best of 15’6” to earn fifth in the long jump for the team’s third score in that event.
The Lakers’ best event on the track was the 55-meter hurdles as Lili Gavitt (second, career-best of 9.47 seconds), Caryn Gagnon (fourth, personal-best of 9.91) and Melanie Michael (fifth at 9.91, just one-hundredth of a second from her best) all scored for the team.
The 4×400 and 4×800 relays equaled the success of the 4×200 as all three groups achieved their fastest times of the year.
Eighth-grader Grace Dolan led the 4×400 to a 4:30.63, fourth-place finish with a personal-best 1:05.9 leg. Molly Dolan added a season-best 1:06.6 while Senior Kaitlyn Puffer led off and Senior Captain Grace Rajkowski anchored the team.
The 4×800 was also a successful combination of youth and experience, earning third place in 10:58.66. Eighth-grader Julia Reff (career-best 2:41.2) and freshman Mary Williams ran the middle legs while Seniors Emily Reff and Hope King (season-best of 2:42.4) led off and anchored the relay.
Senior Captain Clara Rowles capped her distinguished indoor track career with a third place, 11:45.67 effort in the 3,000-meter run. Molly Hart also added points with a fifth-place finish in the event.
Cazenovia’s second-place finish tops off a decade of excellence in indoor track. The Lakers have finished in the top two at sectionals every year since 2010, including seven consecutive titles from 2011 to 2017.
