CICERO – An ending of sorts marked the Cazenovia girls track and field team’s appearance in Friday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium.
And it proved quite special for the Lakers, who capped its incredible season with superb performances that led to nine medals two new school records despite more challenges from Mother Nature.
Susie Pittman led the team with a career-best performance in the pole vault, clearing 11 feet to break her own school record and earn the silver medal. Only one vaulter among all Division II (small schools) in the state went higher, Oakfield-Alabama’s Paige Harding clearing 11’6”.
Pittman was perfect through 11 feet, hitting 9 feet, 10 feet, 10’6” and 11 feet on her first attempt at each height. Her continual string of record-setting performances raised the school record one and half feet from where it stood at the start of the season (9’6”) after 25 years of girls vaulting.
Like Cazenovia’s battle for the sectional title, its bid for state honors was interrupted by major weather delays as heavy rains, thunder and lightning swept through Cicero-North Syracuse twice during the meet. For example, Claire Marris sprinted to a 14th place time of 16.23 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles with only moments to warm up after the first delay.
A massive rainbow emerged over the facility as Cazenovia warmed up following the second delay, a positive omen for the team’s two upcoming relays.
The 4×100 meter team of Pittman, Marris, Izzie Stromer-Galley and Audie Spring made good on the opportunity as they sprinted to a season best time of 50.03 seconds to claim fourth place among all small schools in the state, more than a half second under their previous best and only .15 seconds from Oneonta’s-first place, state champion time of 49.88.
Earning a third medal, Pittman also led off the Lakers’ record-breaking 4×400 meter relay, leading the field after her lap with a personal best time of 58.80 seconds, one of the fastest 400-meter times in school history.
Meghan Mehlbaum followed up with a personal record of her own, racing to a 1:00,82 split. Marris added a speedy 1:01.04 leg the keep the Lakers in contention and Reid McMurtrie kicked to the finish with a time of 1:01.23 to lock in the fastest time in school history at 4:01.87,
By doing so, the Lakers missed the bronze medal by just 6/1000ths of a second with Cold Spring Harbor edging them 4:01.861 to 4:01.867.
The meet was a dramatic conclusion to the Lakers’ undefeated season which included league and sectional titles. It was also a rewarding finish for a senior class that went unbeaten during four regular seasons of competition, ending with a 22-0 mark.
Avery Cashatt, Natalie Dolan, Caroline Mehlbaum and Ava Eno were alternates in the 4×100, with Stromer-Galley, Alyssa Wardell, Maura Phillips and Lily Kogut alternates in the 4×400. All of them are slated to return in 2025.
Cazenovia’s boys track team would compete in the 4×400 relay as Eliot Comeau, Tristan Field-Bradley, Caleb Gilmore and Finn Worthington finished in 3:30.88, improving upon their previous best 3:31.45 and taking 10th overall as Randolph prevailed in 3:19.75. Wyatt Scott, Charlie Compeau, Braden Carnahan and Michael Harris served as alternates.
