by Kurt Wheeler

CAZENOVIA – The Cazenovia girls track and field team opened their spring season with a decisive 114-27 win over visiting Syracuse Institute of Technology Central last Wednesday afternoon. The Lakers won 13 of 17 events and used its superior depth to capture all three relays and sweep eight individual events in the meet.

Juniors Melanie Michael, Mary Williams and Katie Whitney paced the Lakers as they combined to win seven events.

Michael won the 100 and 400-meter hurdle events and added to the 4×400 relay victory. Williams took first in the 1,500 and 3,000 meter runs and helped the 4×800 win.

Whitney anchored the winning 4×100 and 4×400 relays and finished second to league-leading Karizma Brathwaite in the 100 and 200-meter sprints.

The Lakers distance runners were perfect on the track as they outscored IT 32-0 in events 800 meters and up. Claire Braaten (2:52.8) led a sweep of the 800 with Faith Wheeler and Olivia Wong close behind. Braaten joined Williams, Molly Hart and Lauren McLean (2:47.3 split) to win the 4×800 meter relay.

Williams topped the 1,500 in 5:43.5 with Nadia Segall and McLean adding to the sweep and also took first in the 3,000 at 12:55.1, with Dinah Gifford and McLean closing out the Lakers’ streak in the distance events.

Cazenovia was almost as effective in the sprints with Grace Dolan (1:05.4), Lily Clonan (1:05.7) and Ella Huftalen (1:13.1) sweeping the top spots in the 400.

Brathwaite took first in the 100 (13.0) and 200 (27.2) but Whitney was close behind for second in each with both Whitney (13.4) and Dolan (13.5) earning sectional-qualifying times in the 100. They were joined by Corinne Albicker and Caryn Gagnon to win the 4×100 in a qualifying time of 54.2 seconds.

Michael nearly led a sweep of the hurdles as she won the 100 meter set in 17.7 seconds and the 400 meters in 1:15.7. Gagnon also scored in the 100 while Bonnie Pittman and Vivianne Ketcham each placed in the 400.

Pittman also helped in the field events as she led a sweep of the triple jump along with Ava Gavitt and Corinne Albicker. Albicker also scored in the long jump, taking second with a 14-foot leap for Cazenovia with Emmi Rightmyre in third.

Katie Pavelchak led a sweep in the high jump at 4’6” with Lili and Ava Gavitt also scoring for the Lakers, Christina Brown topped Cazenovia’s pole vaulters with a 7-foot effort while Kiara Dolan and Faith Wheeler completed the perfect score in the event.

Danielle Smith topped the Lakers’ throwers, winning the discus with a 69’2” toss with Wheeler picking up third. Kate Smith earned second in the shot (23’2”) while Lili Gavitt captured third to round out the Cazenovia scoring.

Twenty five different athletes scored for Cazenovia in the decisive opening win as it used the depth of its 40-person roster to full advantage.

The “Eastern Lakers” would be back in action at home against Skaneateles on Tuesday to face off in a match-up of Central New York track powers.