Usually, when a group of performers hits the big stage for the first time, an understandable amount of nerves sets in, and it may affect how they fare on that stage. If that’s the case, then the Cazenovia girls cross country team did a good job hiding those nerves as it recorded an impressive third-place showing at Saturday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class B championship meet at Lakeside Park in Pawling. In sun-baked conditions better suited to late September than mid-November, the Lakers earned 119 points, beaten only by two long-time state powers as East Aurora won its sixth state title in a row with 25 points and Pearl River took second with 50 points. Among individuals, Rae Tobey took top honors, as the Cazenovia junior finished the 3.1-mile Lakeside Park course in 20 minutes, 39 seconds and took 33rd place. Just behind her, senior Hollie Marcelle finished 38th, in 20:47.2, while junior Michelle Karker worked her way to 57th place in 21:15 flat. Freshman Malone Gabor was 78th (22:00.0), while sophomore Margaret Wolsey took 82nd place (22:05.7) and senior Alex Dolbear was 89th in 22:27.6. In the boys Class B meet, Cazenovia senior Patrick Dermody had a strong showing as he ran to 37th place in a clocking of 17:22.3. Chittenango’s Josiah Durfee was 45th, in 17:29.2, but Oneida’s Connor McCarthy beat both of them as he recorded an impressive 10th-place showing in 16:43.8. Most impressive of all, though, was how Hamilton’s seventh-grade sensation, Sage Hurta, capped her remarkable season by winning the individual state Class D race at Pawling. Gradually, Hurta pulled away from Section III individual champion Erin McConnell (Fabius-Pompey) and crossed the finish line in 19 minutes, 59.8 seconds. McConnell was second, 14.5 seconds behind.