The Cazenovia girls track and field team opened their 2017 campaign with a decisive early-season victory, defeating visiting Norwich 97 to 44 on March 30. The win raised the team’s overall dual meet record to 49-2 since the 2010 season as the Lady Lakers strive for their seventh league title in eight years this spring.
Meggie Hart led the Lakers in the distance events, capturing both the 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs and also anchoring the 4×800 meter relay of Jamie Joseph, Julia Barrett and Eleanor Wester to victory. Molly Hart also contributed to the win, scoring in both the 1,500 and 3,000 in her first varsity spring track meet while Virgina Soler and Emma Wardell both added points in the 800 to round out the Lakers’ distance effort.
Freshman Chloe Smith had a brilliant start to her varsity spring track career, winning both the 100-meter (13.0) and 200-meter (28.1) dashes and also scoring in the long jump. Brenna Hughes scored in both sprint events and helped the 4×400 relay to victory as well. Freshman Peyton Basic also had a great start to her varsity career, winning the 400-meter dash in 1:09.9 and contributing to the 4×400 victory along with Julia Barrett and Delaney Yates.
Yates led the Laker hurdles as they swept the 100-meter event and took two out of three places in the 400 meter. She won the 100 hurdles in 18.0 seconds with Scout Mueller just one tenth back for second and Jackie Gamlen in third. Yates took second in the 400 hurdles with Gamlen also capturing third in that event.
Maddy Gavitt led the Lakers in the field, winning the long jump (15-9) and triple jump (32-2) and also scoring in the high jump and pole vault. Katie Robbins recorded the win in the pole vault with an 8-0 effort and placed third in the triple jump at 29-5.5 while Chloe Smith earned third in the long jump at 15-5. Molly Carges and Paige Hunt tied for first in the high jump with Gavitt in third as all three athletes cleared 4-6 for the sweep. Hunt joined Robbins and Gavitt as the Lakers shut out Norwich 9-0 in that event as well.
Jamie Joseph won the shot put at 28-1 to lead the Laker throwers while Freshman Claire Edwards was tops in the discus at 69-9 for second place with Joseph close behind at 64-11.5. Mackenzie Yates was second among the Lady Lakers in the shot at 23-5.5.
Only the second spring track meet to be conducted in March in the past 20 years, the Lakers hope to keep defying the odds with the weather as they are slated to host the Syracuse Institute of Technology on April 5.