There’s no need to ask Gabriel Schmid what his goal is for his final cross country race at Orange High this Saturdfay.
Ever since he crossed the finish line first to win the 3A State Cross Country championship last November, his goal has been to repeat.
The only thing he would like to change in his final trip to the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville would be for his teammates to join him on stage as team state champions.
For the second time in three years, the Orange men’s cross country team won the Mideast Regional Championship on Saturday at Franklinton High School. Running on the grassy terrain in Louisburg, Schmid won the individual championship, crossing the finish line at 16:19.50, beating out Ethan Rich of Western Harnett by seven seconds.
A week after the Panthers won the Central Carolina Conference championship, Orange’s top four runners all finished in the top eight. Sophomore Lucas Van Mater finished fourth overall at 16:39.69, while senior Alden Cathey came in sixth (16:59.41). Sophomore Myles Jermyn crossed the finish line eighth (17:06.22)
It was a full circle experience for Schmid. In 2021, Orange won the Mideast Championship behind the leadership of then-senior Spencer Hampton, who came in second overall. Schmid, then a sophomore, finished fourth overall.
“The course was amazing,” Schmid said. “It was like a golf course. The grass was perfect and our team was phenomenal”
Orange’s Nolan Hufner came in 19th to help the Panthers hold off Northern Nash for the team championship. The Panthers finished with 38 points, while the Knights had 60.
The Orange men have now won three straight conference championships, as well as two of the last three Mideast Conference titles.
For the second year in a row, Cedar Ridge sophomore Ryan Matthews qualified for the state championships individually. Matthews finished 21 at 18:27.03. Edgar Ibarra finished 26th for the Red Wolves at 18:35.53.
Last year, Schmid became just the second runner in Orange history to win a state cross country championship. In 1997, Bradsher Wilkins won the 4A State Championship as a junior. The following year, Wilkins repeated as state champion.
As a team, Orange is the second seed going into Saturday’s state championships. Croatan, who edged Orange during the North Carolina Runners Elite Invitational in Kernersville on October 14, will be the top seed. Croatan had 69 points during the event while Orange finished with 78.
Cedar Ridge has had one individual men’s cross country champion in school history. A.J. Tucker won a pair of 2A State Championships, the first in 2011. He repeated in 2012.
The Cedar Ridge women’s team qualified for the state championships with a fourth place finish in the Mideast Regionals. Led by junior Naomi Dyreng, who won the Central Carolina Conference individual championship last week at Lake Cammack Course in Burlington, the Red Wolves finished third as a team with 123 points. Carrboro won the team regional championship with 56 points. Walter Williams, who edged Cedar Ridge to take the CCC team title, finished second at 111 points.
Dyreng finished third overall with a time of 20:10.56. It will be Dyreng’s second trip to the state championships.
Freshman Brinkley Robinson of Franklinton won the state championship, pacing the field at 19:35.34. Robinson finished thirty seconds ahead of runner-up Addison Barlett of Durham School of the Arts, who came in at 20:05.06.
Cedar Ridge junior Abigail Klaitman finished seventh at 21:13.84. Red Wolf freshman Kate Finnegan finished 24th in her first regional meet at 23:47.44. Anna Peterson of the Red Wolves came in 42nd. Red Wolf freshman Safiyya Frej (52nd at 26:30.09), Samantha Quade (54th at 26:42.72) and Gracie Whitaker also finished for the Red Wolves.
Orange’s top female finisher was senior Channing Mahaney, who came in 57th. Grace Pell came in 58th for the Lady Panthers. Arely Cabarera also competed for Orange.