CENTRAL NEW YORK – In a span of eight days, the Cazenovia girls track and field team introduced itself to everyone in 2024 and gained three separate victories.
Following an April 10 sweep of Skaneateles and Auburn, the Lakers piled up 146 points to top Clinton (96 points) and 17 other rivals at last Saturday’s Tully Coed Invitational and then overwhelmed Phoenix 125-16 last Wednesday afternoon.
Continuing her dominance that started in the winter indoor track, Susie Pittman cleared 10 feet in the pole vault at Tully to win the event and break a school record that stood for 22 years.
Five other Lakers, including Pittman, had topped 9’6”, a mark first established in 2002, but this was the first 10-foot clearance – dpne in windy, rainy conditions, no less – and it ranks Pittman ninth in the state according to ny.milesplit.com.
Pittman also won the 400 meter dash (1:01.55) at Tully and took second in the triple jump (34’3 1/4”) and high jump (4’10”) to help Cazenovia to its decisive victory, but she had plenty of help in all four events she competed.
Reid McMurtrie took third in the 400 (1:03.45), while Claire Marris was third in the triple (33’3 1/2”), Megan Mehlbaum placed fifth in the high jump (4’10”) and Sophie Reger took fifth in the pole vault clearing 7’6”.
Marris earned a pair of victories of her own as she captured the 100 meter hurdles in an exceptional early season time of 16.39 seconds and helped the 4×100 meter relay team of Audie Spring, Izzie Stromer-Galley and Dinah Gifford to first place in 53.37.
Elsewhere, Marris was fifth in the 400 hurdles behind Mehlbaum’s second-place 1:15.15. Audie Spring returned to post a season best of 15’4” for fourth in the long jump.
Maddie Rothfeld was the other individual winner for the Lakers, achieving a huge personal best in the shot put with a throw of 35’3 3/4”, the 12th best effort in the state so far this spring. She also captured second in the discus with a distance of 87’7” with Olivia Morse close behind at 78’9”for fifth.
Abbie Comeau led the team’s effort in the distance events with a third place finish in the 3,000 meter run (11:50.08), just ahead of Gifford’s fifth place effort (11:56.09). Zoey Gagne added a fifth in the 1,500 (5:38.17).
The Lakers’ relays contributed heavily to the team’s success with the Throwers 4×100 and the 4×800 claiming second place and the 4×400 posting a third-place finish.
Cazenovia then dominated Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon, winning all 17 events during the meet. Pittman again had four first place finishes including a repeat of her 10 foot height in the pole vault and a career best of 27.6 seconds to win the 200.
Rothfeld was a double winner for the Lakers, including a personal best effort of 91’11” in the discus. She also won the shot at 29’3 1/2” with Karly Vaas also posting a career best of 27’1 1/4” to score. Abbie Comeau was also a double winner, prevailing in the 1,500 in 5:25 flat and 3,000 in 12:15.1.
Wins also went to Stromer-Galley (100 sprint, 13.3 seconds), Caroline Mehlbaum (100 hurdles, 18.3), , Alyssa Wardell (400 sprint, 1:05.4) and Lily Kogut (800, 2:37 flat), with Wardell adding a second title in the long jump by going 13’8 1/2”.
The Lakers will compete in invitationals at Onondaga and Chittenango over spring break before returning to league action against Jordan-Elbridge on May 1 as it strives to add to its already-impressive efforts.
