CENTRAL NEW YORK – Often in seasons past, the road to success for the Cazenovia boys cross country team ran through Skaneateles.
When the two Lakers sides met in last Wednesday’s season opener at the Sean Googin Sports Complex, it was Cazenovia taking charge and not letting up until it had put together a 20-38 victory.
Branden McColm emerged as the individual champion, McColm finishing in 18 minutes, 11 seconds, comfortably ahead of the 18:27 from Skaneateles’ Aidan Ward.
Sweeping the rest of the top five, Cazenovia saw Will Austin finish third in 19:43, with Jake Woolbert fourth in 19:55 and Eddie Comeau taking fifth in 20:04. Kooper Wilmot (20:33) beat Garret Lounsbury (20:57) for seventh place.
Cazenovia went from there to take part in the annual Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Invitational Saturday on the same course where the Section III and state championship meets will take place in November.
The Lakers were eighth out of 13 teams in Race 2, with McColm finishing 25th in the team standings (29th overall) in a time of 19:38.5. Woolbert got 30th in the team race in 20:04.4 ahead of Austin (20:59.2) and Wilmot (21:09.5).
Chittenango was also at the VVS meet, where it was eighth out of 15 teams in the boys Race 1 as Caleb LeBlanc logged a top-20 finish thanks to his time of 18:57.4. Laura Powers led the girls Bears, finishing 40th in 23:07.3.
