by Kurt Wheeler

SYRACUSE – The Cazenovia girls indoor track team wrapped up a stellar season of competition at last Wednesday’s Section III state qualifying meet at SRC Arena.

Among its other efforts, the Lakers were among the top finishers in the section in all three relays plus several individual events as they concluded their 2022-23 campaign that was highlighted by the Section III Class B-2 championship.

Cazenovia’s 4×400 meter relay team led the way, finishing third among all the squads in Central New York with their 4:22.88 effort.

Maura Phillips led off for the Lakers, working through a congested exchange zone to pass it off to Natalie Dolan, who ran strong throughout her leg. Reid McMurtie led the team with a personal record split of 1:04.3, passing three teams before handing off to Meghan Mehlbaum who held off a late challenge by rival Vernon-Verona-Sherrill to hold on to third place.

The 4×200 was also outstanding, racing to a season best time of 1:50.40 to earn fourth place and falling just 0.18 seconds from number two overall in the section.

All four legs were superb, with Grace Dolan leading off in 27.7, Riley Knapp hitting 27.6 and Caitlyn Smithers running a season best 27.7 and making a smooth exchange to Izzy Stromer-Galley who anchored with her best time of the winter at 27.1 seconds.

The 4×800 also earned their fastest time of the season, running a 10:37.17 to earn ninth in the section.

Faith Wheeler led off with the team’s best 800 of the winter in 2:35.1 with Sally Hughes close to her best at 2:44.4 and Maeve McGreevy hitting her best split of the season at 2:38.4. Maura Phillips returned for her second race of the night, running an excellent leg of 2:39.1 in her first 800 ever to outkick VVS at the finish.

Susie Pittman led the Lakers’ individual competitors, tying her season best in the pole vault at 9 feet to earn fifth place in the section. She also tied her best effort in the high jump at 4’10” to earn eighth place. Pittman earned league and sectionals titles in the vault earlier this month.

Riley Knapp also excelled on the straightaway, coming within four-hundredths of a second of her season best to earn eighth in the 55-meter dash to cap a superb season that included league and sectional titles in the event.

Maddy Rothfeld also concluded an exceptional winter of competition in the throws. The talented Junior finished 15th in the shot and 16th in the weight throw in her first season of indoor track that included setting a new school record in the 20-pound weight throw for the Lakers.