by Kurt Wheeler
CAZENOVIA – The Cazenovia girls track and field team closed out a perfect regular season campaign with a resounding 104-37 victory over Altmar-Paish-Williamstown on Thursday afternoon to finish 6-0.
This win clinched the OHSL Liberty-National division title for the Lady Lakers, their ninth league championship in 11 years. The victory was especially sweet for the Class of 2021, who celebrated Senior Night by capping their careers at Cazenovia without a loss, going 16-0 since 2018.
It was a total team effort with 22 girls scoring for the Lakers. Corinne Albicker, Lili Gavitt, Mary Williams and Lauren McLean led the way, scoring in three events each.
Albicker was especially impressive, earning personal bests in both her field events as she qualified for sectionals in the long jump at 14 feet 8 inches (first place) and improved by over two feet in the triple jump to hit 29’2 1/2” for second place. Emmi Rightmyre also hit her best at 13’4”to score in the long jump.
Christina Brown led the Laker vaulters to a sweep with a season-best of 8 feet with Kiara Dolan and Faith Wheeler clearing 6’6” each. Katie Pavelchak led the charge in the high jump, hitting 4’8” for first while Lili Gavitt (season best of 4’6”) and Ava Gavitt (4’4”) completed the sweep.
Gavitt also returned to lead Cazenovia’s throwers, winning the shot put at 25’3 1/2”. Danielle Smith topped the Lakers’ discus effort at 65’3 1/2” for second with Olivia Morse earning a career best at 59’7 3/4”.
Melanie Michael and Dinah Gifford led Cazenovia on the track with two individual event victories each. Michael (1:12.8), Bonnie Pittman (1:14.4) and Mia Chesbrough all ran season bests in the 400 hurdles, while Michael (17.6 seconds), Lili Gavitt (18.3) and Pittman (season best of 18.5) earned Cazenovia a 9-0 advantage in the 100 hurdles.
Gifford’s double wins headlined Cazenovia’s dominance in the distance events. She won the 1,500-meter run in a season best 5:46.5 with Olivia Wong and Nadia Segall also scoring. She returned to hit another personal record with a 12:27.5 win in the 3,000 as Segall and Mary Williams backed her up.
Williams picked up a win of her own in the 800 (2:35.9) with Wheeler second in a season-best 2:37.7. Claire Braaten, Lauren McLean, Wong and Williams also won the 4×800 relay to complete a 31-1 advantage in distance events.
Lily Clonan led the Lakers’ sprinters, winning the 400 meter dash in 1:05.9 with McLean (season best of 1:07.0) and Ella Huftalen adding to a sweep. Clonan returned to anchor the 4×400 relay of Chesbrough, McLean and Braaten to a win in 4:43.4.
Katie Whitney led Cazenovia in their efforts against the league’s number one sprinter, Bella Scott of APW, picking up second in the 100 meter dash at 13.7 seconds, with Albicker third. She also took second in the 200 (29.0) with Laura Fitzgerald second and kept Cazenovia close in the 4×100 relay, with APW prevailing 54.2 to 54.4 seconds.
The Lakers will now try to follow up their regular season success with appearances at the OHLS Liberty Championship Meet at Skaneateles on June 2 and the B-2 Sectionals at Holland Patent on June 6.
