The Cazenovia girls track and field team picked the right time to roll out their best performance yet of the 2019 season, earning an historic victory at last Wednesday’s OHSL Liberty division small-school championship.
Setting an all-time league record for points scored and margin of victory, the Lakers earned 212 points to overwhelm Skaneateles (79) and five other squads for the crown.
It was a total team effort for the Lakers as 21 different girls contributed to score in every event en route to earning 21 All-League selections, including eight individual first-team honors during the meet. They also achieved 18 new season-best performances, many at sectional or state qualifier meet standards.
Senior Captain Maddy Gavitt led the squad, earning three titles in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. Gavitt hit a season best in the long jump at 16 feet 4 1/4 inches for first with Chloe Smith third at 14’11 1/4″.
In the triple jump, Gavitt was just short of her school record distance in the triple jump at 35’7 1/2″ and won a jump-off at 4’9″ to triumph in the high jump, with Paige Hunt third at 4’8″. Hunt earned a title of her own capturing the pole vault at 9 feet, with Gavitt fourth.
Cazenovia’s distance runners were a huge ingredient in the team’s success, exceeding pre-meet expectations in every race.
They were led by Molly Hart (11:38.78) and Isla Stover (11:46.07) who finished 1-2 at 3,000 meters, each with personal bests. The duo finished third (Hart, 5:17.24) and fifth (Stover, 5:27.98) in the 1,500, also in season-best times.
The 4×800 meter team earned honors as Claire Braaten (2:37.9) led the team of Kelly Frost, Mary Williams and Finlay Stover to their best time of 10:54.62. Braaten returned to score fourth in the 800-meter run.
Frost earned all-league honors individually as she won the 2,000-meter steeplechase in a personal best time of 8:37.67, with Jackie Gamlen earning fourth place in 9:27.13.
Savannah Johnson led the sprinters, earning second place in the 100-meter dash in a state qualifier eligible time of 13.27 seconds. She also earned all league status in the 200 with a 27.78 seconds and anchored the 4×100 team of Grace Dolan, Caryn Gagnon and Hunt to second in 53.13 seconds.
Peyton Basic was dominant in the 400-meter dash, earning first team honors in a career-best time of 1:02.80. Dolan was fifth in 1:07.70 and both girls returned to join Cavy Monahan and Ella Huftalen for a season best time in the 4×400 of 4:31.13, which put them in third place. Basic also captured fourth in the 200.
The Laker hurdlers added 26 points to the effort as Melanie Michael won the 100 hurdles in 17.38 seconds and Gagnon was second in 17.81 seconds, also returning to place third and fifth, respectively, in the 400 hurdles.
Cazenovia’s throwers also added to the exceptional meet, scoring 24 points of their own. Claire Edwards scored in both the discus (second place, 88’8″) and shot put (fourth) while Kenzie Yates (26’4 1/2″ in the shot) and Tessa Hanskenecht (78’4″ in the discus) each finished third in the league.
Lili Gavitt capped the Lakers’ championship performance with a second-place effort in the pentathlon as she achieved a personal best performance of 2,259 points across the five events.
The Lakers competed at the Clinton “Junkyard” Relays on Saturday as a final tune-up as they prepare for the Section III Class B-2 championships next Thursday at Canastota.
