One of the most decorated female runners in Cedar Ridge history started her senior season with a strong showing at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
Naomi Dyreng finished fourth on Saturday in the Pace Yourself Early Bird Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, the first official meet of the new academic year in cross country. Dyreng was the highest finisher from a 3A school with a time of 19:54.15. Runners from Wake County schools took the top three spots, led by Kaleigh McHale of Middle Creek, who won at 19:25.96.
Last spring, Dyreng won her third Mideast Regional championship in outdoor track and field. Running at UNC Pembroke, Dyreng took the 3,200 meters title for the second straight year at 11:34.59. She finished second in the regional 1,600 meters race. She would finish 8th in the 3A State Championship meet at Truist Stadium at North Carolina A&T University.
In 2022, Dyreng won the 1,600 and 3,200 meters regional championships at Franklinton High School.
Last year, Dyreng won the Central Conference women’s cross country championship at Lake Cammack Course in Burlington. She led a Red Wolves team that finished second in the conference. As a sophomore, Dereng finished second in the conference.
Dyreng has qualified for the 3A State Women’s Cross Country championships twice. In 2023, she finished third in the Mideast Region in Louisburg. She would go on to come in 23rd in the state championships.
Cedar Ridge’s women’s team finished 12th out of 15 teams during the Early Bird Challenge. Sophomore Gracie Whitaker finished 58th. Ila Diaz, Isabella Taylor-Hall, Eliana Sobus, Anne Williams, Anna Peterson, Kate Finnegan, Annaya Srivasava, Anna Neuman and Samantha Quade also ran for the Red Wolves.
The Cedar Ridge men’s team finished eleventh out of 18 teams in the Early Bird. Junior Ryan Matthews was the highest finisher for the Red Wolves, coming in 21st out of 306 runners. Matthews time was 17:15.22. John Ngunjiri, another junior, finished 54th at 18:15.41. Elie Nadahiriwe came in 101st. Michael O’Melia, Landin Tillet, Ryan Rakouskas, Shea Spiller, Levon Copanioini, Phillip McLamb, William Neumann and Porter Sterling also ran for Cedar Ridge.
The Red Wolves men’s and women’s teams will have its first dual meet of the season against Eno River Academy on Tuesday.
Women’s Tennis: Orange 9, Voyager Academy 0: The Orange women’s tennis team continues to barnstorm while their home court is completing renovations in Hillsborough. It didn’t really matter on Friday afternoon as the Lady Panthers swept the Voyager Academy Vikings at Eno River Racquet and Swim Club in Durham.
Senior Shannon Sollars, juniors Molly Kruse and Adelyn Alvis each won two matches. Sollars won at #1 singles over Carrington Foster 8-1 (each match was limited to one set). At #4 singles, Kruse defeated Suhayma Chaudhry 8-1. Alvis won her match at #6 singles 8-0.
Sollars and Kruse won at #1 doubles over Foster and Addie Baker 8-1. Sollars won all four of her matches to open her senior year last week. Alvis teamed with junior Kyla Mehl at #3 doubles to complete the sweep for the afternoon over Chaudhry and Morgan King 8-0.
Freshman Kalynn Mason captured her second singles match of the year, winning at #2 singles over Addie Baker 8-5, the only thing resembling a competitive match on the day. Sophomore Ellie Wilson knocked off Alaina Bustillo 8-2. Oakley Gaddy, a junior, completed Orange’s singles sweep with a 8-1 win over King.
At #2 doubles, Lindsay Woodall and Casey Robinson rounded out the clean sweep for Orange with a 8-1 win over Huda Chaudhry and Bustillo.
Orange will start Central Conference play on Monday (today) against Western Alamance in Elon. It will continue Orange’s string of road matches as they wait for their home court refurbishments to be completed. The Lady Panthers will play at Walter Williams, the defending conference champions, on Thursday in Burlington.