by Kurt Wheeler

MARCELLUS – The Cazenovia girls cross country team was unable to defend its streak of Onondaga High School Liberty League Championships Wednesday at Marcellus Park, finishing fourth in the 13-team field, but the silver lining was a fistful of individual honors as five harriers earned all-league recognition.

With four of their 13 runners, including defending Liberty League champion Olivia Ruddy sidelined by injuries, the short-handed Lakers were unable to match their dominant 2021 and 2022 title wins.

Maeve McGreevy made a valiant effort for Cazenovia, turning in a season-best race of 19 minutes, 55.4 seconds over the 2.9-mile course at Marcellus Park for tenth place to lead the team’s all-
stars.

Captain Zoey Gagne also earned first team all-league honors as she placed 12th overall (fifth in the National Division) with a time of 20:10.3. Fellow captain Lauren McLean was the Lakers’ other first team all-league honoree as she had a season best effort of 21:01.2 over the fast course to finish 21st overall and eighth among division rivals.

Olivia Wong, also a senior tri-captain, led Cazenovia’s showing among second team all-league recipients, finishing 29th overall and ninth among Liberty-National runners in 21:56.3. 

Fellow senior Mesi Stevens continued to build on her series of successes, earning all-league recognition for the first time with a 31st place (11th in division) finish in 22:17, her best race of the season.

Ilsa Denton (49th, 24:20.2), Emma O’Shea (60th, 26:14.5), Michaela Tobin (26:59.2) and Savannah Randall (65th, 27:55.7) also ran well for Cazenovia in the championship race.

The Lakers will now shift their focus to the Section 3 Championship that will be contested at Vernon Verona Sherrill High School on Nov. 4.

Cazenovia is the defending Class C champions and finished fifth in last year’s state championship meet but will have an uphill battle as it faces state no. 2-ranked South Jefferson and state no. 3-ranked Adirondack for the crown.