by Kurt Wheeler
CAZENOVIA – The Cazenovia girls track and field team topped off an undefeated regular season with a 126-15 victory over Phoenix Tuesday at Buckley-Volo Field to capture the OHSL Liberty-National league title.
This victory was even sweeter for the team’s seniors who capped a perfect 16-0 career in dual meets. After losing their 9th grade season to COVID-19, the Class of 2023 ran off three unbeaten seasons and three league championships, part of a broader string of five in a row for the program and 11 in the past 13 years.
Senior captain Faith Wheeler led off the landmark victory with an outstanding 2:32.4 leg in the 4×800 meter relay. Reid McMurtrie matched her pace exactly in the second leg with Izzy Stromer-Galley and Senior Julia Reff also handling the baton to run a season best time of 10:20.8 to win the race. Wheeler returned later in the meet to win the 3000 meter in a time of 11:59.6.
Fellow captain Corinne Albicker was also brilliant for the Lakers, winning three events, including victories in the 100 meter hurdles (17.6 seconds) and 400-meter hurdles (1:12.5). Captain Bonnie Pittman was just steps behind, capturing second in both events, including a season best time of 1:14.2 in the 400 hurdles with Meghan Mehlbaum (1:14.3) completing the Cazenovia sweep.
Albicker also won the long jump (15 feet 8 inches) with Susie Pittman (14’11”) and Sophie Rheaume (14’11”) shutting out the Firebirds. Pittman returned to win the triple jump (33’9”), with Albicker second.
Senior captain Grace Dolan earned four victories including individual wins in the 400 (1:01.4) and 200 (career best of 26.8 seconds) while also leading off the Lakers’ winning 4×100 and 4×400 relays.
Freshman Alyssa Wardell backed up Dolan in the 400 with a personal best of 1:05.6 and returned with fellow freshman Audie Spring (29.7 each) to complete a Laker sweep of the 200. Wardell, Mehlbaum and Maura Phillips all added to the Laker victory in the 4×400 (4:31.0).
Senior Caitlyn Smithers joined Dolan, Spring and Rheaume to win the 4×100 relay in 53.6 with the “Seniors only” Cazenovia team of Jane Lee, Erin Kuhn, Cady Webb and Sami Carnahan also beating out the Phoenix foursome.
Smithers earned a victory of her own as she led a sweep in the pole vault, clearing 9 feet for first, with Susie Pittman second at 8’6” and Wheeler third at 8 feet.
Senior Riley Knapp capped off the Class of 2023’s winning efforts with a career-best time of 12.9 seconds for first in the 100-meter dash with Smithers second at 13.4 as Spring (13.6) and Rheaume (13.7) also ran sectional times in the event.
Cazenovia’s juniors also got into the winners’ circle during the meet as Zoey Gagne won the 1,500 in a personal best time of 5:31.0 and Maddie Rothfeld won the shot at 29’6” and the discus with a personal record throw of 82’1”. Fellow juniors Karly Vaas (26’10” in the shot) and Olivia Morse (74 feet in the disc) also scored in the throws.
Not to be outdone, sophomore Susie Pittman and Freshman Maura Phillips also added first place finishes as Cazenovia won 16 of 17 events.
Pittman added to her triple jump victory with a winning leap of 4’8” in the high jump that was equaled by Mehlbaum for second. Phillips led a sweep of the 800 with a winning time of 2:39.1 as Lily Kogut and Lauren McLean also ran season bests to score.
Cazenovia is back in action on Monday as it strives to win its fifth straight Onondaga High School League Liberty League meet at Marcellus.
