It doesn’t do enough justice to Katie Belle Sikes career to say she is the greatest swimmer in the history of Orange High School. She has accomplished many things that swimmers from neighboring schools with deeper pedigrees never reached individually. She is the only swimmer in school history to win a state swimming championship. In fact, she has won three individual state titles and a relay state championship with Riley White, Ainsley Rasinske and Piper White. Last year, she was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer of the 3A State Championships. In her freshman year, Sikes immediately served notice that she would be a force at the high school level when she won the Central Regional championship in the 50 yard freestyle. She finished second in the state. As a sophomore, she claimed her first state championship in the 50. Last year, she won the state championship in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle and earned automatic All-American status. In Orange’s first meet this season against Southern Alamance and Southeast Alamance, Sikes qualified for regionals in four different events. Last month, Sikes formally signed her letter of intent to swim at the University of Georgia, which has won seven NCAA Championships in women’s swimming. Sikes will continue her senior season at Orange in the Robert Sawyer Invitational on Thursday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, where she won her first regional title.
Orange state champion swimmer Katie Belle Sikes discusses signing with Georgia Bulldogs
It doesn’t do enough justice to Katie Belle Sikes career to say she is the greatest swimmer in the history of Orange High School. She has accomplished many things that swimmers from neighboring schools with deeper pedigrees never reached individually. She is the only swimmer in school history to win a state swimming championship.