HANNIBAL – The Cazenovia girls varsity track team overcame stormy weather and six opponents to win the OHSL Liberty Championship Meet in dominant fashion Monday afternoon at Hannibal High School.
Despite a 20-degree drop in temperature and periodic wind and rain, the Lady Lakers scored 236 points to outpace Skaneateles (100) and five others for their fourth consecutive league crown.
Cazenovia earned 27 all-league honors during the meet as its won six events, took second in a dozen more and paced in every event for the decisive showing.
Susie Pittman led the Lakers with two individual first team awards, winning the pole vault at 8 feet 6 inches and hitting a personal best in the triple jump at 32’1 1/2” for the victory there. She also added points in the high jump.
Grace Dolan was also a double winner, capturing the 400-meter dash in 1:03.16 and helping the 4×100 team of Katie Whitney, Melanie Michael and Corinne Albicker to first place in 53.98 seconds. Dolan also added a third in the 200 meter dash.
Olivia Morse was also a winner for the Lakers, taking first in the discus at 75’3”, just three inches off her personal best from a week earlier. Faith Wheeler earned first team honors in the 800 with a 2:40.12 finish as well as second-team recognition in the pole vault.
Cazenovia claimed 18 second-team league awards, led by Dinah Gifford, who took second in the 2,000-meter steeplechase at 8:19.56 and added to the silver medal 4×800 team of Claire Braaten, Nadia Segall and Kate Millson as they ran a season best relay time of 10:45.47.
Meghan Mehlbaum earned second team honors in the 400 sprint (1:04.66) and aided the number two 4×400 meter relay team of Bonnie Pittman, Mary Williams and Olivia Ruddy.
Pittman picked up individual honors also, taking second in the 400 hurdles in a season best 1:14.69 with Michael close behind at 1:15.62 for third. The duo switched in the 100 hurdles as Michael achieved all-league with a second place 17.32 as Pittman took third in 18.53, season bests for both girls.
Katie Whitney claimed second team recognition in the 200 at 28.55 seconds in addition to third in the 100 at 13.26 and her strong anchor leg in the winning 4×100. Sophie Rheaume ran a huge personal best in the 100 to earn fourth in 14.02.
Olivia Wong also had a career best performance as she captured second in the 1,500-meter run in 5:21.56 with Mary Williams close behind in a personal best of her own at 5:33.47.
Albicker took second in the triple jump in a career best effort of 31’5” and also led the Lakers in the long jump with a season best of 14’8”. Rheaume and Kylie Anthony also placed for the team there. Katie Pavelchak led the squad in the high jump, earning second team honors at 4’6”.
Skye Stanford was Cazenovia’s final all-league honoree, capturing second in the grueling five event pentathlon with 1,213 points including season bests in the high jump and shot put.
Other scorers contributing to the Lakers’ meet record 236 point total were Olivia Ruddy in the 400 hurdles, Wong and Braaten in the 3000, Danielle Smith in the shot and discus, Segall and Gifford in the 800 and Zoey Gagne who earned a bid to sectionals with a 9:14.93 effort in the steeplechase.
The Lakers will participate in Clinton’s famous “Junkyard” meet Saturday before turning its attention to the Section III Class B-2 championships at Little Falls on May 26.
