After someone stays at one place long enough, it becomes a part of them.
That’s why Katie Belle Sikes was emotional on Wednesday night. Though she dipped into the ocean on family vacations as an adolescent, the 25-yard pool at the Orange County SportsPlex was where she went from just playing in the water to becoming a swimmer.
It all started in 2014. Through her voracious work ethic, Sikes made the SportsPlex the location of her daily routine. For the past decade, she became just as much a part of the SportsPlex as the pool itself. It led to her becoming the most decorated swimmer in Orange High history.
Her final meet at the SportsPlex came during the Central Conference Championships on Wednesday night. She went out as only she can, being named the Conference Swimmer of the Year for the second time.
Sikes led Orange to its second consecutive team championship. The Lady Panthers came away with 417 points. Cedar Ridge, keyed by strong finishes from juniors Sophia Stinnett and Quinn McCrimmon, finished second at 371 points.
“I was super emotional,” Sikes said. “It’s the last time I was going to swim here after so long. It’s really bittersweet. I’m so happy I got to swim here for so long, but the fact that it’s coming to a close is really, really sad.”
Orange had first-place finishes in seven of the 12 events to earn the team title. Sikes broke her own school record in the 200 yard freestyle by five seconds. She touched the wall at 1:53.92. Stinnett finished second at 2:06.14.
Sikes also claimed gold in the 100 yard freestyle, where she is the defending 3A State Champion. She finished at 50.81 seconds. Abigale Robinson of Walter Willams finished runner-up at 1:01.81. Ainsley Rasinske of Orange came in third at 1:03.06.
Sikes ends her career with six individual conference championships. There weren’t any Big 8 Conference Swimming Championships (where Orange competed in 2021) during Sikes’ freshman year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was also the final meet at the SportsPlex for Orange senior Riley White, who encouraged Sikes to try swimming when she was still in elementary school.
Riley won two individual gold medals. She claimed the 200 yard individual medley at 2:19.17. McCrimmon earned the silver at 2:31.51, while Rasinske took the bronze (2:37.23). In the 100 yard breaststroke, Riley finished first at 1:13.28. Alejandra Gonzalez, a freshman at Walter Williams, was second while Cedar Ridge sophomore Hala Zafar came in third.
For the second year in a row, Orange’s Piper White won the 50 yard freestyle. This year, White won the sprint at 26:54 seconds. White also won the title as a freshman last year.
For the third time in her career, Stinnett claimed a conference championship. This time, Stinnett won the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:31.96. It was Stinnett’s first conference crown in the 500. In 2022 and 2023, she captured the 200 yard freestyle.
Orange junior Zoe Jones earned silver in the 500 at 6:12.50.
McCrimmon won her second individual championship in the 100 yard butterfly. In a tight race, McCrimmon won at 1:04.66, beating Piper White to the wall. White finished at 1:06.80. Jones came in third at 1:08.02.
Last year, McCrimmon took the conference title in the 200 yard individual medley.
Cedar Ridge’s team of McCrimmon, Stinnett, Zafar and Sierra Godfrey won the 400 yard freestyle relay at 4:19.23. Last year, McCrimmon, Stinnett, Zafar and Abbygale Pearce finished runner-up behind a quartet from Northwood.
Orange, the defending 3A State Champions in the 200 yard freestyle relay, won another conference championship. Sikes, White, Rasinske and White took the title at 1:47. 82. Southern Alamance’s Annabelle Hazelwood, Sophia Eusantos, Autumn Barber and Sydney Williams finished second.
F0r the first time in recent history, Orange had a female diver participate in the conference championships. Junior Lily Howard, who had been a swimmer in her first two years at Orange, finished third at 219.75. Western Alamance’s Michaela Bentley won the conference championship with a score of 357.00.