After being a member of Orange’s men’s cross country state championship in November, junior Myles Jermyn nearly won an individual state title in Winston-Salem.
At the 3A State Indoor Track & Field Championships at the JDL Fast Track on February 15; Jermyn finished 2nd in the 3,200 meters. The longest race in track & field came down to a thrilling finish as North Buncombe’s Michael Ferguson edged Jermyn to the finish line by .62 of a second. Ferguson crossed the finish line at 9:24.38, while Jermyn clocked in at 9:25.00.
Jermyn’s teammate, junior Lucas Van Mater, finished at 9:37.44.
Meanwhile, Cedar Ridge nearly had its first individual track and field state champion since 2022. Junior Ender Buchanan finished second in the pole vault, topping out at 14-feet. Swansboro’s James Yesunas captured the state championship at 14-feet, 6-inches.
Orange junior Owen Grant finished tied for 16th at 11-feet, 6-inches.
Cedar Ridge’s last state champion in track & field was Caroline Fowlkes, who won the pole vault in the 2022 outdoor track and field championships at Truist Stadium at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro.
Orange’s relay team of Cyrus Neal, Grant Schid, Van Mater and Jermyn finished 2nd in the 4×800 meter relay. They closed at 8:16.39. Croatan won the state championship at 7:59.66.
Cedar Ridge senior Naomi Dyreng finished in the top-five in two separate events. She finished 5th in the 1,600 meters at 5:16.18. North Lincoln had the top two finishers. Olivia Ferraro claimed the state title at 5:07.95, while Bella Green finished 2nd (5:09.91).
Dyreng also finished 5th in the 3,200 meters (11:38.42). Morgan Miller of First Flight claimed the state title at 10:49.37, a good 14 seconds ahead of the runner-up, freshman June Leis of A.C. Reynolds (11:03.96).
Orange junior Adeline Alvis finished 5th in the long jump at 17-feet, 6-inches. Alvis also nearly medaled in the 4×400 relay. Running the anchor leg with Gianni Burnette, Asia Whitsett and Kayla Willey, Orange finished at 4:13.05. Franklin’s team earned the bronze at 4:12.85. Greensboro Dudley, who won the overall women’s team championship, earned the gold medal at 4:01.82.
The Orange men’s 4×400 relay team of Riley Potter, Cyrus Neal, Hunter Albert and Gabe Yen finished 10th at 3;38.41. Dudley, which won the overall men’s state championship, earned the relay state title with a time of 3:29.45.
Neal finished 8th in the 1000 meters at 2:43.77. Croatan’s Noah Guerrero won the state title at 2:30.29.
Orange finished 13th in the women’s 4×800 relay. Sullivan Gaddy, Kayla Willey, Evelyn Over and Caroline Cathey finished at 11:03.97.
Orange’s Clara Flowkes came in fourth in the women’s pole vault as she cleared 8-feet, 6-inches. Blythe Jaworsky of North Lincoln claimed the state title at 10-feet, 6-inches.