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Phil Blackwell | Sports Editor | 434-8889 ext. 348 | pblackwell@eaglenewsonline.com
Caz cross country celebrates historic season
By kURt WhEElER
The Cazenovia girls cross country squad celebrated one the best seasons in the program’s history in 2022, highlighted by a fifth place finish at the New York State Class C championship Meet.
Along the way, they earned an undefeated, 13-0 regular season to win the OHSL Liberty-National crown for the sixth time in the past 12 years as they amassed an overall win-loss record of 78-7 (.918) during that span. The Class of 2023 had an exceptional record of 30-1 during their careers.
The girls also earned the program’s fourth sectional title, reversing their second-place finish to South Jefferson in 2021 as they topped the 13 team Class C field this year with 47 points. Olivia Ruddy (fifth), Maeve McGreevy (sixth) and Faith Wheeler (ninth) all finished in the top ten to lead the team.
The Lakers also captured the overall OHSL Liberty League Championship, winning that exceptionally competitive contest for the second year in a row.
Ruddy, McGreevy, Wheeler, Dinah Gifford and Zoey Gagne each earned first team all-league honors at the meet while Haylee Stearns and Bonnie Pittman achieved second team honors.
Cazenovia also excelled in each of its multi-school meets over the course of the season, starting with the opening invitational at VVS, where they finished ninth mong 110 teams with only Class A teams and defending state champions ahead of them.
They were the #1 Class B/C/D team at East Syracuse Minoa and finished third overall at Baldwinsville. Their trip to New York City was highlighted by a second place finish among all NY Class C teams competing. They were also second at Tully behind only South Jefferson, a loss they would avenge at sectionals.
The team was also highly successful in the classroom during the season, earning team scholar-athlete status for the 26th year in a row. The top three quarters of the roster achieved a GPA of well over 90 during the fall to earn recognition in the statewide NYSPHSAA competition.
Given the squad’s outstanding depth and cooperative success, it was difficult to select just three runners for athletic department honors.
Ruddy was honored as Most Valuable Runner. She was the individual Liberty League Champion and finished first for the Lakers in all 14 races this season. McGreevy earned the Most Improved Runner award, going from ninth on the squad in her first race to second at both leagues and sectionals.
Wheeler received the Rookie of the Year award as she earned five second place finishes and five third-place finishes on the team in her first season as a cross country runner. Wheeler was also honored with Section III Class C’s Sportsmanship Award winner at the state meet. Pittman, Grace Dolan and Sedona Millard were also recognized for their leadership throughout the season.
Despite losing four outstanding seniors to graduation, the future remains bright for the Lakers as they will return 12 members of this year’s championship squad, including their top three finishers from this year’s state championship meet.
picture by cardinal SportSimaging
HISTORY MAKERS: The Cazenovia girls cross country team achieved one of the best seasons in program history in 2022, finishing the regular season undefeated as they earned league and sectional titles and finished fifth at the state Class C championships.
By Phil BlACkWEll
Chittenango High School’s 2022-23 winter sports schedule, with all dates and times subject to change.
Boys Basketball
Dec. 2: at CBA, 8 p.m. Dec. 9: Marcellus, 7 p.m. Dec. 13: at Bishop Grimes, 7 p.m. Dec. 16: at Skaneateles, 6:30 Dec. 17: New York Mills (at Liverpool), 5:30 Dec. 20: Bishop Ludden, 7 p.m. Dec. 22: Phoenix, 6:45 Dec. 27: Rome Showcase at Rome Free Academy, time TBA Jan. 5: at Westhill, 6:30 Jan. 10: CBA, 7:15 Jan. 12: at Cazenovia, 7 p.m. Jan. 14: at East Syracuse Minoa, 3:30 Jan. 17: at Syracuse ITC, 6:45 Jan. 19: Mexico, 7 p.m. Jan. 24: Westhill, 7 p.m. Jan. 27: Syracuse ITC, 7 p.m. Jan. 31: at Marcellus, 7 p.m. Feb. 3: Homer, 7 p.m. Feb. 7: at Hannibal, 6:30 Feb. 10: at Solvay, 6:30
Girls Basketball
Dec. 2: at East Syracuse Minoa, 6:45 Dec. 6: Henninger, 7:15 Dec. 9: at Marcellus, 7 p.m. Dec. 13: at Fayetteville-Manlius, 7:15 Dec. 16: Skaneateles, 7 p.m. Dec. 22: at Phoenix, 6:30 Dec. 27-28: Chittenango Holiday Tournament Jan. 4: Bishop Grimes, 7 p.m. Jan. 6: Westhill, 7 p.m. Jan. 11: Canastota, 7:15 Jan. 13: Cazenovia, 6:30 Jan. 20: at Mexico, 6:45 Jan. 27: at Syracuse West, 6:45 Feb. 2: Oneida, 7:15 Feb. 3: at Homer, 7 p.m. Feb. 7: Hannibal, 7 p.m. Feb. 9: Solvay, 7 p.m. Feb. 13: at Oswego, 6:45
Boys Volleyball
Jan. 4: Sauquoit Valley, 6:45 Jan. 5: at Mount Markham, 6:45 Jan. 11: Westmoreland, 7 p.m. Jan. 12: at Oneida, 6:45 Jan. 19: at Rome Free Academy, 5 p.m. Jan. 21: Canastota, 12:30 Jan. 24: at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, 6:45 Jan. 27: Central Valley Academy, 5:30 Jan. 31: Cincinnatus, 6 p.m. Feb. 2: at Herkimer, 6:45 Feb. 4: Oneida, 12:30 Feb. 10: Rome Free Academy, 5:30 Feb. 11: at Canastota, 2:15 Feb. 14: Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, 6:45 Feb. 16: at Central Valley Academy, 6:45
Girls Volleyball
Dec. 1: at Pulaski, 7 p.m. Dec. 6: Tully, 7 p.m. Dec. 9: at Port Byron, 7 p.m. Dec. 13: at Canastota, 6:30 Dec. 15: CBA, 7 p.m. Dec. 17: at Tully Tournament, 8:30 a.m. Dec. 20: Onondaga, 7 p.m. Dec. 22: at Manlius Pebble Hill, 7 p.m. Jan. 3: Fabius-Pompey, 7 p.m. Jan. 5: at Faith Heritage, 7 p.m. Jan. 7: at Mount Markham Tournament, 9 a.m. Jan. 10: Weedsport, 7 p.m. Jan. 12: Pulaski, 7 p.m. Jan. 17: at Tully, 7 p.m. Jan. 19: Port Byron, 7 p.m. Jan. 24: at Cincinnatus, 7 p.m. Jan. 26: East Syracuse Minoa, 7 p.m. Jan. 30: at CBA, 7:30 Feb. 1: at Oneida, 6:30
Wrestling
Dec. 3: Andersen Tournament at Cicero-North Syracuse, 10 a.m. Dec. 8: Marcellus, 6 p.m. Dec. 10: at Central Valley Academy Duals, 10 a.m. Dec. 14: at Jordan-Elbridge, 6 p.m. Dec. 19: at East Syracuse Minoa, 7 p.m. Dec. 21: Homer, 6 p.m. Dec. 28-29: Kenneth Haines Memorial at SUNY Oswego Jan. 4: at Mexico, 6 p.m. Jan. 7: Hornet Duals at Fayetteville-Manlius, 10 a.m. Jan. 11: at Phoenix, 6 p.m. Jan. 14: at Cazenovia Invitational, 10 a.m. Jan. 18: at APW/Pulaski, 6 p.m. Jan. 28: OHSL Championships, 10 a.m. Feb. 4: Section III Class B Championships at CVA, 10 a.m. Feb. 11: Section III Division II Championships at SRC Arena, 10 a.m. Feb. 24-25: NYSPHSAA Championships at MVP Arena, Albany
Boys, Girls Indoor Track
All meets at SRC Arena unless otherwise noted Dec. 1: Jack Morse Kickoff Meet, 4:30 Dec. 11: Oscar B. Jensen Holiday Relays, 3 p.m. Dec. 16: MVITA Meet at Utica College, 4:30 Jan. 7: John Arcaro Memorial, 2 p.m. Jan. 14: Fred Kirschenheiter Memorial, 3 p.m. Jan. 21: Bob Grieve Memorial, 3 p.m. Feb. 1: OHSL Championships, 4:30 Feb. 8: Section III Class B Championships, 4:30 Feb. 15: Section III State Qualifier, 4:30 March 4: NYSPHSAA Championships at Staten Island
Boys, Girls Bowling
Home matches at Cazenovia Sports Bowl Nov. 29: CBA, 3:30 Dec. 6: Bishop Grimes, 3:30 Dec. 8: at Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, 3:30 Dec. 13: Weedsport, 3:30 Dec. 15: at Solvay, 3:30 Dec. 20: Homer, 3:30 Dec. 21: at CBA, 3:30 Jan. 6: at Bishop Grimes, 3:30 Jan. 10: Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, 3:30 Jan. 12: at Weedsport, 3:30 Jan. 17: Solvay, 3:30 Jan. 19: at Homer, 3:30
Business
l From page 1 to local school districts to help fund business classes and scholarships.
On Nov. 17, Scholars Landscaping made its first donation, totaling $1,000, to the Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD).
“I know this is a small amount this year, but I expect to donate more and more as the years and our business [progress],” said Maggio.
According to Maggio, the donation to CCSD will be put toward a scholarship for a high school graduate pursuing education in the trades and entering a career path outside of the traditional collegiate route.
“We are very lucky to have someone like Matt in our community,” said Cazenovia High School Business Teacher Christina New. “[The] addition of this unique scholarship opportunity better allows our business students to be financially successful in their career choices and interests.”
New also said that Scholars Landscaping will add to her Work-Based Learning class by giving students another opportunity to gain hands-on work and entrepreneurial experiences before they leave high school.
“We are so thankful to Matt,” she said.
According to Maggio, Scholars Landscaping plans to donate 25 percent of its profits to a school district within its service area each year.
“In my opinion, we do not support or give enough emphasis to young, motivated people to pursue entrepreneurship,” he said. “There is always the pressure to excel in school with a sole focus [on] college and higher learning. It is rare that an alternative is offered to successfully learn and pursue a trade [or own] your own business. I wanted to bridge that gap and create that pathway.”
Maggio added that he has four daughters in CCSD, and he is happy to donate to their school to help improve not only their futures but also the futures of their friends and students in years to come.
“As we grow in scope, I would love to be able to donate to other schools and create opportunities for these districts as well,” he said.
Maggio, who currently resides on a small farm outside Cazenovia, has worked in the animal health sector for 20 years. He is also the owner of M-Z Securities, LLC, and an owner/partner in Mad Tacos, a restaurant on Route 20 East in Nelson.
He said his decision to start a lawn service was based on multiple factors.
Firstly, he explained, the work itself can be fun and the skillset required of the job can be easily picked up by all age groups.
“The learning curve is relatively low,” he said.
Secondly, the job incentivizes hard work since it is directly correlated with profitability.
Lastly, because he lives on a farm, Maggio already owned a lot of the necessary equipment.
“I donated [that] equipment to the business to help kick-start these young entrepreneurs in a landscaping business,” he said. “It seemed like a natural fit.”
To learn more about Scholars Landscaping, visit scholarslandscape.com.
Submitted photo
on Wednesday, nov. 9, the Cazenovia Central school district Athletic department held a national letter of intent Signing Ceremony for Forrest Ives. The Cazenovia High School senior officially committed, via a National Letter of intent, to Johns hopkins Universityto play men’s lacrosse. Johns hopkins is a member of the nCAA division i.
CVCsFA guild announces afghan winner
Submitted photo
on nov. 10, the Cherry Valley Country spinners and Fiber Artists (CVCsFA) guild met for its monthly meeting at the Cazenovia Public library (CPl), where CVCsFA President kirsten Weyter presented CazCares Client services director Gigi Redmond with a check for $1,050. Redmond then drew the winning ticket for the guild’s afghan raffle. The afghan was produced by CVCSFA members using yarn handspun from natural undyed fibers (wool, alpaca, and mohair), most of which were sourced from local farms. The winning ticket was purchased by Paula Christ at Caz Cares. Christ picked up her prize at the library before the meeting concluded. the CVCsFA’s next meeting will be held on thursday, dec. 8 in the CPl Community Room. during the meeting, the guild will host its annual holiday party from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Refreshments will be served, and guests are always welcome.
l From page 1 ups are actually being held this week during lunch periods outside the cafeteria. . . Students do receive community service hours for their time, but I know a lot of students who don’t need community service hours and enjoy ringing anyway.”
According to Redmond, the money raised from bell-ringing each year goes to the Salvation Army. However, through its partnership with the Salvation Army, CazCares is able to direct most of the funds back to the local community to help meet the critical needs of Cazenovia area families throughout the year.
“Ninety percent of the money stays in the Cazenovia community and is spent on needs identified by CazCares,” explained Hoak. “For example, the Salvation Army could [help] a family with emergency heating needs identified by CazCares. Another example is the Salvation Army buys all the meat for the Christmas food baskets and 200 backpacks for [the] CazCares back-to-school program. It is an amazing partnership between the Salvation Army, CazCares, and the Cazenovia High School students. The Cazenovia Community is always so generous in helping one another.”
Hoak has been involved with the Red Kettle Drive since his freshman year when he was asked to serve as his class’s student ambassador.
“When I said yes, I did not understand how much it truly helped our community,” he said. “I am honored to be a part of it.”
For more information or to participate, contact Hoak at jphoak4@ gmail.com.
To learn more about CazCares, visit cazcares.org.
for the holiday sale grew from a 2021 fundraiser that helped support improvements to the Burton Street Rink.
“I snapped a picture of the Cazenovia Varsity Hockey team practicing [and] then made a pillow for the rink manager, Mark Costello,” said McCrink.
“Once the parents saw it, they wanted one, which got me thinking, and just like that money was able to be raised for repairs and updates.”
The holiday fundraiser will support PTSA programs, which support all aspects of the high school (grades 8-12) community.
Cazenovia Central School District is a member of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the oldest and largest child advocacy association in America.
According to the district website, the mission of Cazenovia’s elementary, middle, and high school PTA programs is “to support and speak on behalf of children and youth in schools, to assist parents in developing skills they need to raise and protect their children, and to encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools.”
“With the funds raised, we can fund our scholarship and sponsorships, teacher appreciation events, and bring in guest speakers for students and families,” said Benedict. “We also have a few student engagement activities planned for the year too, like a badminton tournament, contests for the holidays, and a game night in the spring. . . Everything that the Cazenovia HS PTSA does is intended to support the high school and make [it] a positive and enriching environment for all members. The PTSA is made up of some very dedicated and busy volunteers. We are busy bringing activities to the high school throughout the year, but PTSA members also serve on a number of school and district-wide committees, putting the PTSA in the position to advocate for students, teachers, and families.”
For more information on the PTSA, visit the Parent-Teacher-Student Association page on the district website at cazenoviacsd.com and follow the organization on Facebook and Instagram at @cazhsptsa.
PTSA
l From page 4
