CAZENOVIA – In order to keep its place atop the OHSL Liberty division standings, the Cazenovia boys track and field team needed to withstand the challenge from Hannibal in Wednesday’s meet at Buckley-Volo Field.

That didn’t prove too difficult for the Lakers, who saw distance runner Jared Smith smash a school record that had stood for more than 50 years in the course of his team’s 98-36 victory over the Warriors.

In the 3,200-meter run, Smith, taking advantage of perfect conditions (mild temperature, sunshine), roared to the finish line in nine minutes, 47.4 seconds.

That broke a mark which was set way back in 1970 by Mike Waslewski, who had gone 9:57.5 in the 3,200, only to have Smith improve on that by more than 10 seconds.

As if that wasn’t enough, Smith also prevailed in the high jump by clearing 5 feet 2 inches, one of many fine individual efforts that Cazenovia would put together.

Slater DeLeon tore to a time of 23.2 seconds in the 200-meter dash and, in the 100-meter dash, edged teammate Jack McNerney, 11.2 seconds to McNerney’s 11.3.

Andrew Kent again proved dominant in the 400-meter dash, winning in 50.8 seconds. Kent, Jacob Ives, Tommy Insel and Cassity Gilmore claimed the 4×400 relay in 3:45.3, with Ives joining McNerney, Alex Lansing and Charles Kubinec to take the 4×100 relay in 46.6 seconds.

Cooper Hughes took the 800-meter run in 2:25.1 to Will Austin’s 2:34.1, but Austin was victorious in the 1,600-meter run, his 5:09.6 just ahead of the 5:11 flat from Hannibal’s Austin Calkin.

Austin, Hughes, Michael Senehi and Aiden Coffey were first in the 4×800 relay in 9:51.0. Elijah Clement, second in the discus with 98’8”, won the pole vault by topping 7’6”.Dylan Albicker, with a triple jump of 37’3 1/2”, beat out Dan Milison’s 34’8”.