SYRACUSE – Continuing its strong early-season run, the Cazenovia girls indoor track and field team placed third in a 21-team field during last Saturday’s afternoon session of the George Constantino Memorial Meet at SRC Arena.
Again, the Lakers were the best of the small schools, its 75 points topped only by Class AA Cicero-North Syracuse (129) and Class A Jamesville-Dewitt (98.5).
Cazenovia won two events and scored in 13 of 16 as they posted six new sectional-qualifying performances and 38 new season bests during the meet.
It was all sparked by the 4×400 meter relay of Meghan Mehlbaum, Margaret Huftalen, Maura Phillips and Reid McMurtrie, who led off the meet with victory in a time of 4:20.37. McMurtie anchored the group to victory with a strong 1:01.8 leg.
Susie Pittman was the Lakers’ other first place finisher, winning a jump-off at 8 feet 9 inches to capture the pole vault for the third week in a row.
In addition to that title, Pittman placed fourth in the triple jump, going 32’10 ½” and fourth in the high jump clearing 4’8” as Megan Mehlbaum also cleared 4-8 to score for the Lakers
Izzy Stromer-Galley also had an impressive day, qualifying for sectionals and earning fifth in the 55- meter dash at 7.85 seconds in her first attempt at the event.
Later in the meet, Stromer-Galley returned to earn fourth in the 300-meter dash in 45.58 seconds and capped her day by anchoring the 4×200 meter relay to a second place finish in 1:55.55 with a 27.6 second leg. Claire Marris, Ella Gale and Dinah Gifford also contributed to the silver medal effort.
Marris earned a qualifying time of her own as she scored in the 55-meter hurdles in a sectional-eligible time of 9.83 seconds, nearly a second off her previous best.
Cazenovia’s distance runners also got on the sectional board. Olivia Ruddy led a trio of 1,500-meter runners to qualifying times with her 5:22.62 effort. Zoey Gagne also scored with a personal-best 5:25.78 and Abbie Comeau beat the sectional standard with a 5:29.94 clocking.
Phillips (1:51.21) and McMurtrie (1:51.40) both scored in the 600 with Lily Kogut close behind at 1:52.58 in another strong event for the Lakers.
Kogut (2:36.8 leg) and McMurtrie (2:37.7 leg) also led the 4×800 meter relay team of Sally Hughes and Maeve McGreevy to a fourth place finish in 10:53.84, their fastest time of the season.
Audie Spring had another impressive meet in the long jump, reaching 15’6 ¾” to place fourth with teammate Tara Pratt qualifying for sectionals in her first attempt at the event at 14’4 ¼”.
Maddy Rothfeld led the team in the throws once again, hitting a personal best 31’10 ½” for fourth place in the shot put. Alayna Berson threw a personal best of 26’3 ¾”.
Now the Lakers have a three week interlude to train and enjoy the holidays, not returning to action until Jan 6 as they will seek to build on their fast start to the season during 2023.
