The most accomplished runner in Orange’s cross country history has moved on to his Mormon mission, but the bulk of last year’s Mideast Regional championship team remains.
In its first Central Conference meet of the season last week, the Orange men’s cross country team maintained its dominance by posting the top three finishers to take first place against Cedar Ridge and Western Alamance at Orange High. Junior Myles Jermyn, the son of Duke University cross country coach Kevin Jermyn, finished in first place with a time of 17:32.00. His teammate, junior Lucas Van Mater, finished second at 17:55. Sophomore Grant Schmid of Orange High came in third at 18:20.00.
Schmid is the younger brother of Gabriel Schmid, who won the 2022 and 2023 3A Men’s Individual State Championship. Schmid is just the second cross country runner from Orange High to win a state championship in cross country. Schmid, who volunteered for the Efland Fire Department, will run for N.C. State’s men cross country team after his two-year Mormon mission concludes.
Orange won the team meet with 27 points. Cedar Ridge finished second with 40 points while Western Alamance came in third with 59 points.
Cedar Ridge’s top finisher was John Ngunjiri, a junior who clocked in at 18:46.10. The Red Wolves had the 4th, 5th and sixth place finishes. Behind Ngunjiri was Henry Alexander (18:46.10), who finished just ahead of teammate Nathan Walters (18:46.70).
Orange’s Grady Thomas finished 10th at 22;06.00.
In the women’s meet, Cedar Ridge senior Naomi Dyreng continued a strong start to the season with a first place finish. It was enough to lead Cedar Ridge to a team victory with 26 points. Western Alamance finished with 41 points while Orange had 68.
Orange’s Reilly Jermyn finished second overall at 21:10.
Ila Diaz and Isabella Taylor-Hall had strong finishes for Cedar Ridge to ensure the team victory. Diaz came in fourth at 23:42, while Taylor-Hall registered a 5th place finish at 23:46. Gracie Whitaker of Cedar Ridge finished 7th (24:27), while sophomore Kate Finnegan finished 9th (24:48).
Cedar Ridge and Orange were both supposed to run in a meet at Red Wolf Course on Monday, but it was rained out. The annual Orange County Meet, featuring East Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill and Eno River Academy, was also rained out on Wednesday.
Women’s tennis: Cedar Ridge 8, Person 1: Only four matches took place when Cedar Ridge defeated the Rockets in Roxboro on September 11. Cedar Ridge’s Jasmin Brown got the start at #1 singles and defeated Annie Adcock 6-0, 6-2. Terra Proctor of Cedar Ridge defeated Lehra Pastrana 6-0, 6-0. Caroline Hall of Cedar Ridge defeated Makada Fife 6-0, 6-0.
Person’s only victory came in the lone doubles match where Adcock and Pastrana won 8-6.
Cedar Ridge 8, Northwood 1: The Red Wolves continues its long road swing to open the season with an 8-1 victory over Northwood in Pittsboro on September 12. The Red Wolves won five of the six singles matches, led by senior Adeline Cummings winning at #1 6-3, 6-1. Ella Caltabiano rolled at #2 singles 6-0, 6-0. Brown, Proctor and Madeline Galindo-Woodring also won its singles matches.
Cedar Ridge won all three doubles matches. Cummings and Brown teamed to win 8-2 at #1 doubles. Caltabiano and Lily Golden won at #2 doubles 8-2. At #3 doubles, Hall and Galindo-Woodring won 8-2.
Cedar Ridge improved to 5-3 overall.
Women’s golf: The first Central Conference golf meet was held on September 9 at Occoneechee Golf Course in Hillsborough. Orange finished 4th in the 7-team event with 146 strokes. Cedar Ridge had 177.
Southern Alamance finished first with 118. Walter Williams finished second at 135.
Shannon Murphy of Orange was the top individual finisher among the players from Hillsborough. She finished with a 47 over the first nine holes, then carded a 48 on the back nine. Orange’s Gianni Burnette finished with a 51 on the front nine and a 48 on the back nine. Kayla Pope of Orange finished 12th overall with a 55 followed by a 50.
Cedar Ridge’s Laci Sykes finished 16th overall and was the top finisher for the Red Wolves. She edged her teammates in golf and softball, Victoria Matthews.