Orange Swimming

Katie Belle Sikes: The greatest swimmer in Orange High history won her first relay race as a member of the Georgia Bulldogs women’s swimming team last weekend. Sikes, as a freshman, swam the anchor leg to win the 200 yard medley relay race in a tri-meet against South Carolina and Vanderbilt at the University of South Carolina Natatorium last Saturday. Sikes, Eboni McCarty, Olivia Dellatorre and Charlotte Headland finished first with a time of 1:37.89.  In her first college meet, Sikes finished third in the 100 yard freestyle. She touched the wall at 22.91 seconds. Dylan Scholes of South Carolina beat out Sikes for first at 22.72. Sikes came in fourth in the 100 yard freestyle. Georgia, ranked #13 in the country won both dual meets, beating Vanderbilt 240-48. The Bulldogs won over South Carolina 167-133.

Payton Wilson: N.C. State will induct Wilson into its Ring of Honor during the Wolfpack’s game against Stanford at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on November 2. In his final year in Raleigh in 2023, Wilson won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. He was also the 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Wilson is now a rookie for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last week, Wilson totaled six tackles, including one for a loss as the Steelers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 32-13 at Allegiant Stadium. Pittsburgh is 4-2 going into its matchup against the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium. It will be Wilson’s second Sunday Night appearance in three weeks.

Trenton Gill: The former Cedar Ridge punter made his first appearance with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium on September 29. Gill averaged 37.5 yards over four punts. His longest was 42 yards. One was downed inside the 20-yard line. On October 4, Atlanta rallied to beat Tampa Bay 36-30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Gill was only needed for two punts, averaging 43.5 yards. His longest was 45 yards.

Darius Satterfield: Satterfield had five punts for Elizabeth City State against Virginia Union at Hovey Field in Richmond, VA last Saturday. He averaged 45.8 yards. His longest punt was 49 yards. Virginia State won 35-0. Satterfield also handled kickoff duties for the Vikings. On October 5, Livingstone College edged Elizabeth City State 23-17 at Alumni Memorial Stadium in Salisbury. Satterfield had seven punts, averaging 35.4 yards. His longest punt was 56 yards. Two boots were downed inside the 20-yard line. The Vikings are 2-4 and will face Virginia State at Roebuck Stadium later this afternoon (Saturday).

Ivy Garner: The Liberty women’s soccer team is on a four-game undefeated streak in Conference USA play. Last Sunday, the Flames defeated Louisiana Tech 2-0 at Caruthers Field in Ruston, LA. Garner, who played her freshman year at Cedar Ridge, scored both goals. She notched the game-winner in the 47th minute, assisted by Halle Engle. In the 52nd minute, Garner scored off an assist from Laurie Littleton. On October 10, Garner scored another game-winning goal in a win over Sam Houston at Pritchett Field in Huntsville, TX. Garner scored in the 29th minute off an assist from Gabby Miranda. On October 6, Liberty played to a 2-2 tie against New Mexico State at Osborne Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Garner tallied another goal in the 28th minute for an equalizer assisted by Engle. Garner assisted on the second goal from Engle to put the Flames ahead. Liberty is 12-1-3 overall, 4-1-1 in Conference USA.

Emmerson Talley: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team has won five in a row. On Wednesday, the Bears blanked Mars Hill 3-0 at Meares Stadium in Mars Hill. Talley, the all-time leading goal scorer in Cedar Ridge history, scored on the Bears first shot of the game in the 15th minute. Talley is now second on the team with four goals. Last Saturday, Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Coker 3-1 at Coker Athletic Field in Harsville, SC. Talley played 72 minutes and had one shot. The Bears remain undefeated at 7-0-3 overall, 5-0-1 in the South Atlantic Conference.

Last year, the Orange women’s swimming relay team of Katie Belle Sikes, Riley White, Ainsley Rasinske and Piper White claimed the first relay state title in school history. This year, Orange relay teams won two titles at the 3A State Championships last Thursday at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. To start the night, Zoe Jones, White, Sikes and White won the 200 yard individual medley state championship, the first time ever that Orange won the state title in the event. It also finished some uncompleted business from 2023, when Central Cabarrus edged Orange on the anchor leg to take the state title. This time, Piper White edged Central Cabarrus’ Audrey Wolff by eight-hundredths-of-a-second to claim the state title. Later in the night, Sikes, White, Rasisnke and White repeated as state champions in the 200 yard freestyle. Going to the anchor leg, Orange trailed Carrboro, but Sikes swam the final lap of her Orange career and blazed past everyone in the pool to take the state title. It was also the final race for Riley White. This week, White was named the recipient of the prestigious Morehead Cain Scholarship. Earlier in the night, Riley White took the bronze medal in the 100 yard butterfly. She finished 4th in the 200 yard individual medley state championship race. Piper White, a sophomore, finished 7th in the 100 yard freestyle. 

Orange’s Katie Belle Sikes, Riley White, Piper White, Zoe Jones & Ainsley Rasinske talk state titles

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Last Thursday, Luke Roman became just the second men’s swimmer in Orange history to win a state championship. If Roman had not won, then his teammate Alex Andre would have. Roman and Andre finished in the top two in the 500 yard freestyle at the 3A State Championships inside the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. Roman, who won the Central Conference and Central Regional championship in the 500 yards, captured first place with a time of 4:41.62. Andre earned the silver medal at 4:50.54. In the Central Regional championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on February 3, Andre won the 200 individual medley championship. Roman also claimed the Central Conference Championships in the 500 yard freestyle and the 200 yard freestyle. Andre captured two conference championships, as well, winning the 200 yard individual medley and the 100 yard backstroke. Roman and Andre’s leadership helped the Orange men’s swimming team win the Central Conference championship for the third straight season. The Panthers also finished 2nd in the Central Regional behind only Carrboro, it’s best-ever showing. The only other men’s swimmer from Orange High School to win a state championship was Ben Scott, who won the 100 yard freestyle in the 2018 3A State Championships. Roman and Andre are each juniors and will have plenty to look forward to in 2025.

Orange swimming’s Luke Roman & Alex Andre discuss 1-2 finish in 500 yard free state title race.

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Over the seven years of this website, we’ve covered elite athletes at Cedar Ridge and Orange High Schools.

Each one that carved out a unique place in history had distinct physical characteristics. It became their trademark, a symbol that became theirs alone, accomplishing feats so special that finding a duplicate in the future would be fruitless.

Because there would never be another.

With Bryse Wilson, it was his right arm. He threw a perfect game with it against Eastern Wayne in the 2017 State Playoffs. He has taken it all the way to the National League Championship Series, where he beat Clayton Kershaw.

With Payton Wilson, it was his broad shoulders. It made the force of his tackles fierce, if not frightening, as well as a state champion wrestler and a solid lacrosse midfielder on face-offs.

With Mia Davidson, it was her wrists that could turn on a softball in an instant. She is the all-time home run hitter in Southeastern Conference history.

With Takiya Nichols, it was her hands. Her combination of power and speed led North Carolina Central softball to the NCAA Tournament for the first time last year.

With Trenton Gill, it was his right leg. You can now find him punting for the Chicago Bears on Sundays.

Throughout the past week, I’ve wondered what Katie Belle Sikes’ trademark will be?

Will it be her lungs? Was that how she could swim so fast, and for so long, in the water without popping up for air?

How else to explain her final lap as an Orange Panther, where she swam the anchor leg for Orange’s 200 freestyle relay team in the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary last Thursday? Trailing Carrboro by roughly two-tenths-of-a-second, Sikes took the relay from Ainsley Rasinske and went nearly 20 yards underwater before she popped up for air. By that point, Sikes had surged two strides ahead of Carrboro’s Avery Shuping. Seconds later, she touched the wall for the last time as an Orange Panther with a final state title.

In retrospect, that lap was foreshadowed from her adolescence. When she was three years old, Sikes was at her grandparents pool when, against her parents orders, she jumped off the diving board into the deep end. As her parents starting scrambling in horror, her head bobbed out of the water and she safely reached her brother on the other end without any aid.

Sikes put Orange women’s swimming on the map. She won five individual state championships and swam the anchor leg for the relay team of Rasinske, Riley White and Piper White that won the 200 yard freestyle state championship twice. Sikes, White, Zoe Jones and White claimed the 200 yard medley relay state title for the first time last week, as well.

She was named Most Outstanding Swimmer of the 3A State Championships twice and earned automatic All-American status in two events last week. Her 100 meter time of 48.76 seconds set a new 3A State record and was the 25th fastest time ever recorded by a high school athlete.

Now, her swimming career at Orange is over.

But part of her legacy is what she leaves behind for the future of Orange swimming.

Molly Kruse, the younger sister of Orange men’s lacrosse midfielder Connor Kruse, starting swimming this year for Orange because of Sikes’ influence.

“Katie Belle inspired me and so many others to join the swim team,” Kruse said. “It was such an amazing experience. Growing up, many days were spent going to watch her meets and cheering her on. So being able to swim with her was unforgettable. Katie Belle is one of my biggest role models, both athletically, academically and I am so grateful for all of the time we had together on the swim team.”

Sikes had individual success early in her career. As a sophomore, she became the first Orange female swimmer to win an individual state championship in the 50 yard freestyle.

This year, her success carried through to the entire team. The Orange women won the Central Conference championship, and finished as a runner-up in the Central Regionals (to Carrboro) and the State Championships (to Lake Norman Charter). It was their best-ever showing in the state championships.

“Our numbers were up on the team this year,” Geib said. “Part of that was because of Katie Belle. A lot of it had to do with kids bringing other kids in. She helped put swimming on the map for Orange. If you aren’t football, if you aren’t basketball, if you’re not baseball, sometimes people forget there’s other sports out there. Katie Belle makes it look easy, but it’s not.”

Katie Belle is moving on to the University of Georgia, which has won seven NCAA National Championships in women’s swimming. She vows that she will still keep up with Orange swimming while she’s in Athens while her former Orange teammates likely will badger her for football tickets on autumn weekends.

Katie Belle says that swimming is a less covered sport. But the swimmers aren’t lesser people, and anyone who saw her perform over the last four years understands that.

Because there’s only one Katie Belle Sikes.

And there will never be another.

CARY–It wasn’t the last lap of her life. Far from it.

But it was Katie Belle Sikes’ last lap as an Orange Panther. As Ainsley Rasinske approached her, Carrboro’s Ellie Hill had just put the Jaguars ahead by .11 of a second in the 200 yard freestyle relay 3A State Championship final. The capacity crowd roared as Rasinske yielded to Sikes one more time.

Sikes final anchor leg would be one to remember.

In lane four, she dove in the water just behind Carrboro’s Avery Shuping. Like a blue streak underneath the aqua water, she surged ahead almost effortlessly and completed 25 yards in just over eleven seconds. Within an instant, Orange went from trailing to leading comfortably.

25 yards later, Sikes touched the wall as a Panther just once more. In her last high school race, she clinched one final state championship.

If there was a way to freeze that moment for just a little longer, Sikes would have.

Orange, comprised of Sikes, Rasinske, Riley and Piper White, won the relay at 1:39.23, three full seconds ahead of Carrboro’s time of 1:42.30.

Sikes had earned individual titles since she was a freshman. She became the first female swimmer from Orange to win a state championship as a sophomore when she captured the 50 yard freestyle in 2022.

When she formally signed with the University of Georgia last November inside Orange High Gymnasium, she said the only thing she had never done was help her teammates (or as she more commonly refers to them, “her friends”) win the 200 yard medley relay state championship.

On Thursday night at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, Sikes erased the only blot on her otherwise spotless record.

Sikes, White, Zoe Jones and White opened the night with a tight victory over Central Cabarrus to take the state championship. Last year, Central Cabarrus edged Orange by .15 seconds for the gold medal.

Piper White completed the freestyle in 24.48 seconds, edging Cabarrus’ Audrey Wolff by six-hundredths-of-a-second to take the crown.

“I think what’s really impressed us about Katie Belle over the four years we’ve known her is what a quality kid she is,” said Orange swimming coach Ron Geib. “Everybody sees her swimming prowess and it’s undeniable how fast she is. But that girl will cheer everyone from the newest member of our team to the most experiences member of our team. She’s just as happy as someone else winning as she is for herself winning.”

With four first place finishes, the Orange women’s team finished 2nd in the team standings, their best-ever showing. The Lady Panthers came away with 187 points. Lake Norman Charter won the state championship with 300 points.

Individually, Sikes was as strong as ever. For the third year in a row, she captured the 50 yard freestyle state title. The only minor quibble would be her time of 22.38 seconds was a tad shy of the 22.17 seconds she completed the race in last year, which set an event record and earned her automatic All-American status.

But her other individual race on Thursday night made up for it.

Sikes earned her second straight 100 freestyle state title at 48.76 seconds, setting a new state championship event record, regardless of classification. It was the 25th fastest time ever recorded by a high school swimmer in American history and earned Sikes automatic All-American status in two separate events.

For the second year in a row, Sikes was named the Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the 3A State Championships. She’s the fifth woman to repeat as MOFS of the 3A championships dating back to 1992.

Sikes ends her Orange career with five individual state championships, three relay state titles (she was a member of the first Orange relay swim team, regardless of gender, to win a state championship in 2023) and seven individual regional championships.

Cedar Ridge junior Sophia Stinnett finished with her first individual state championship medal. After winning two championships at the Central Regionals on Saturday in Greensboro, Stinnett finished third in the 100 yard backstroke at 1:01.25 Abbey Cronin of Central Cabarrus took the gold. Stinnett also came in fourth in the 500 yard freestyle at 5:15.99. Madison Bowen of Croatan, in a thrilling finish, took first after Kathryn Ford of Fred T. Foard led almost the entire race.

Orange’s Riley White, another senior, also went out in style. She earned the bronze medal in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 59.06 seconds. Carrboro’s Maya Lambers won the state championship at 55.83. seconds. White also came in fourth in the 200 yard individual medley at 2:11.77. Cedar Ridge junior Quinn McCrimmon finished tenth. Kaylee Eggers of Rocky Mount earned the state title.

Orange sophomore Piper White finished sixth in the 50 yard freestyle. She came in seventh in the 100 yard freestyle.

Cedar Ridge junior Quinn McCrimmon finished 10th in the 200 yard individual medley. McCrimmon also came in 13th in the 100 yard butterfly.

Cedar Ridge’s 400 yard freestyle relay team of Stinnett, McCrimmon, Sierra Godfrey and Hala Zafar finished 14th.

CARY–It turns out the two best 3A 500 yard freestyle swimmers in the state have been practicing together for years.

And they’re on the same team.

Just like the fierce inner-team competition between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen drove the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s, Luke Roman and Alex Andre were the dynamic that steered Orange men’s swimming to the Central Conference championship for the third straight year this winter.

Often, the best swimmer that Roman and Andre would face in a given week wouldn’t be from an opposing team in a dual meet.

It would be in practice against each other at the Orange County Sportsplex on many a weekday morning.

The ultimate proof came in the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary on Thursday night, when Roman and Andre were paired alongside each other in the 500 yard freestyle finals.

Roman would walk away with the 3A State Championship at 4:41.62.

Andre, situated one lane to the left of Roman, beat Carrboro’s Matt Strada to the wall for second place with a time of 4:44.45. Strada took the bronze at 4;47.37.

Roman, in lane four, led after completing the first lap in 24.94 seconds. Strada would briefly take the lead after lap three, but Roman came back and reassumed command by .15 of a second following the fourth turn. Andre would surpass Strada on lap five, but Roman delivered his best moments in the final stages. He lengthened his lead to 2.1 seconds going into the bell lap.

Roman becomes just the second male swimmer in Hillsborough history to win a state championship. The only other champion was Orange’s Ben Scott, who won the 2018 3A 100 yard freestyle title.

“It’s means so much to me,” Roman said. “I got so emotional when I saw the first place on that scoreboard. Swimming is kind of like a life cycle. I go to school, I swim and I feel like that’s all I do. In the end, I’ve wanted this for such a long time. I’ve been praying so long for this.”

It was a twist of fate from the 2023 3A State Championships. In the sane pool, Andre finished third in the 500 while Roman came in seventh. Facing Andre on a daily basis helped make him a state champion.

“It definitely gets a little competitive,” Roman said. “But we’ve been swimming all of our lives with each other. So it’s something that we’re used to. I love it in the end.”

Earlier in the day, Andre finished fifth in the 200 yard individual medley at 2:00.82. Strada won the gold with a time of 1:55.95.

“By constantly pushing each other in practice, we make each other better,” Andre said.

Roman wound up with two medals on the day. He captured the bronze in the 200 yard freestyle. Andrew Commins of Carrboro took the gold with a time of 1:3.96. Owen Lin of J.H. Rose earned the silver.

“I couldn’t be happier for Luke,” said Orange Swimming coach Ron Geib. “Luke has battled his own mindset sometime and he’s defeating himself when he can win. He’s now proved to himself that he can win at this level. It’s always been there. It’s just a matter of getting over that mental hurdle.”

The elusive state championship completes a dominant year for Roman. Two weeks ago, he lapped the field to win the 500 yard freestyle in the Central Conference Championship in Hillsborough. On Saturday, he took the gold medal in the Central Regionals in the 500, swimming’s marathon race. It’s so lengthy, teammates are stationed at the end of the pool to hold up placards signaling how many laps a swimmer has remaining.

“When you’re doing a 500 yard race, that’s tough,” Geib said. “To be down in the pool and not relent, it’s huge.”

Cedar Ridge’s Nikhil Agans, a senior, finished seventh in the 200 yard freestyle. In the 100 yard freestyle, Agans reached the finals and came in 8th.

In the opening event of the men’s finals, Andre, Roman, Nicholas Baczara and Ayden Twiddy finished 9th in the 200 yard medley relay. After finishing 9th in prelims on Thursday morning, the quartet won the consolation race at 1:46.21.

To close the night, Andre, Baczara, Twiddy and Roman came in 5th in the 400 yard freestyle relay. Carrboro, which claimed the team state championship, won the 400 relay state title.

It is the final week of swimming season and several Orange Panthers are going for state championships. In the case of Orange senior Katie Belle Sikes, she will complete her legacy as the most accomplished swimmer in the history of Hillsborough. On Saturday, Sikes claimed two more individual regional championships at the Central Regional Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. Sikes won the 50 yard freestyle regional championship for the fourth year in a row, ending with a time of 23.11 seconds. For the third consecutive year, Sikes captured the 100 yard freestyle title at 51.17 seconds. In both races, Orange sophomore Piper White finished runner-up behind Sikes. It helped the Orange women finish second in the Central Regional championships, its best-ever showing. On the men’s side, Orange had the top two finishers in the 500 yard freestyle. Junior Luke Roman won his first regional championship  at 4:45.59. His teammate, Alex Andre, finished 2nd at 4:50.54. Later that night, Andre won his first regional championship in the 200 yard individual medley. He touched the wall at 2:01.50 in the tightest race of the night. Carrboro’s Matt Strada finished second at 2:01.72. Sikes, Roman and Andre will join their teammates in the 3A State Swimming Championships on Thursday at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. It will be Sikes final meet as an Orange Panther. She has three individual state championships in her career, as well as a relay championship with Riley White, Ainsley Rasinske and Piper White. In 2023, Sikes was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer of the 3A State Championships. 

Orange swimming’s Katie Belle Sikes, Luke Roman & Alex Andre talk winning regional championships

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GREENSBORO–Luke Roman and Alex Andre have finished on the brink of winning state championships for Orange men’s swimming in recent years. This week, they each hope to reach that elusive milestone after breaking through with regional championships for the first time.

On Saturday, Roman and Andre led the way for Orange swimming as its finished runner-up to Carrboro in the 3A Central Regional championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on Saturday night. Carrboro claimed its third straight regional title with 353 points. Orange edged Oak Grove for second place with 239 points. Oak Grove came away with 232.

It was the third straight year that Orange finished as regional runner-up behind the Jaguars. Last week, the Panthers claimed its third consecutive Central Conference championship at the Orange County Sportsplex in Hillsborough.

Roman won his first career regional championship in the 500 yard freestyle. He finished at 4:45.59, a new personal best. Andre finished second at 4:50.54 to also qualify for the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center on Thursday.

Last year, Andre finished third in the state in the 500 yard freestyle.

Later in the night, Andre would claim his first regional title in the 200 yard individual medley. In the closest race of the 3A championships, Andre edged Carrboro’s Matt Strada by .22 of a second for the championship. Andre touched the wall at 2:01.50.

This was the first time that Andre had competed in the individual medley during the regional championships. In addition to finishing 4th in the regionals in the 500 freestyle last year, he came in fourth in the 200 yard freestyle.

Roman also qualified for the state championships in the 200 yard freestyle. Andrew Commins of Carrboro, a senior who won the 500 yard freestyle championship last year, claimed the 200 freestyle regional title at 1:43.01. Roman finished runner-up at 1:45.98.

Cedar Ridge’s Nikhil Agans, who won the 100 yard freestyle conference championship last week. came in 3rd in the 200 yard freestyle at 1:49.41. Agans also finished third in the 100 freestyle at 49.82 to qualify for the state championships. Lucca Battaglini of Durham School of the Arts claimed the gold medal in the 100 free.

In 2023, Agans finished fifth in the state in the 200 yard freestyle. It will be his third straight appearance in the state championships.

Orange’s relay team of Andre, Roman, Nicholas Baczara and Ayden Twiddy qualified for the state championships in two events. They finished third in the 200 yard medley at 1:48.86. Durham School of the Arts’ Battaglini, Carson Sheehan, William Gray and Vincent Battaglini claimed first place (1:43.53).

In the final event of the night, Andre, Baczara, Twiddy and Roman finished first in the 400 yard freestyle relay. Baczara, who swam the second leg, held a narrow lead at the end of his run, but Carrboro’s Grey DeWalt and Commins squeezed out a strong finish to propel the Jaguars to the championship with a time of 3:24.87. Orange finished at 3:29.13.

Baczara qualified for the state championships in the 200 yard individual medley and the 100 yard butterfly. In the individual medley, Baczara finished fifth at 2:13.46. In the butterfly, Baczara came in fifth at 57.62 seconds. Commins, who won two individual championships, claimed the butterfly title at 50.69.

Cedar Ridge freshman Christopher Seawell, who won the conference championship in the 50 yard freestyle last week, claimed a spot in the state championships in the 100 yard backstroke. Seawell finished fifth at 1:03.78. Lucca Battaglini won the state title at 49.50 seconds.

In regards to Orange and Cedar Ridge, there has only been one swimmer to ever win a state championship at any level. In 2018, Orange’s Ben Scott won the 3A State Championship in the 100 yard freestyle, finishing at 45.95 seconds. Scott made All-Big 8 Conference his senior year when Orange was coached by Mark Alford.

Ron Geib, the current coach of the Panthers, steered the Panthers to another strong finish on Saturday.

GREENSBORO–The Katie Belle Sikes farewell tour made its latest stop in Greensboro, where she achieved her first individual success.

On Saturday, she helped Orange women’s swimming reach its greatest achievement as a team.

Orange came in second in the 3A Central Regional championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, its best-ever finish in the team standings. Orange came away with 239 points. Carrboro rode four first-place finishes to take the regional championship with 353 points.

Sikes won her sixth and seventh career individual regional championships on Saturday. For the fourth year in a row, she won the 50 yard freestyle at 23.11. Her own teammate, sophomore Piper White, earned the silver medal at 25.41.

As a freshman in 2021, Sikes won her first regional championship in the 50 yard freestyle. Sikes will go into the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary as the two-time defending state champion in the 50 free. Last year, Sikes broke the state championship record, regardless of classification, with a time of 22.17 seconds.

Sikes also repeated as the 100 yard freestyle regional champion for the third year in a row. She touched the wall at 51.17 seconds. Once again, White claimed the runner-up spot at 55.82 second. Alexis Krzyzaniak of Durham School of the Arts finished third at 56.94.

In 2023, Sikes won the 100 yard freestyle at 50.99 seconds. She is the defending 100 freestyle state champion, as well.

On the day, Sikes claimed four gold medals, two individual and two relay titles. While she has won individually since her freshman year, Sikes said helping Orange to its best-ever showing as a team meant a lot to her.

“I’ll remember the team culture and getting to be here with all my friends,” Sikes said. “I’ll remember making some fond memories with them and making my coaches proud.”

Cedar Ridge junior Sophia Stinnett, coming off winning the 500 yard freestyle in the Central Conference championships last week at the Orange County Sportsplex, won the first two regional titles in her career. Stinnett claimed the regional championship in the 500 yard freestyle by over seven seconds. Stinnett touched the wall at 5:15.59, beating Carrboro’s Avery Shuping, who finished at 5:22.86.

Stinnett surprised herself with the individual championships.

“I just wanted to have fun and race the people around me,” Stinnett said. “I really didn’t expect to win either of my races. I just had fun and had a good time with my friends.”

Last week, Stinnett won the conference title in the 500 at 5:31.96. She will go into the state championships in the third and final heat. She will look to become Cedar Ridge’s first female state swimming champion since Becca Churchill, who won the 2014 3A title in the 100 backstroke.

Stinnett also won the 100 yard backstroke  at 1:01.17. Last week, Stinnett didn’t participate in the 100 backstroke in the conference championships. She qualified for regionals in the 100 backstroke on January 4 during a quad meet with Northern Durham, Chapel Hill, Riverside and Woods Charter.

Orange’s 200 yard freestyle relay team of Sikes, White, Ainsley Rasinske and Riley White captured its second straight regional championship. They finished at 1:41.63. Carrboro’s team of Maya Lambert, Anna Wesley, Frances Reed and Avery Shuping came in second at 1:47.90.

Cedar Ridge’s 200 freestyle team of Stinnett, Hala Zafar, Quinn McCrimmon and Sarah Latham qualified for the state championships with a fourth place finish. Stinnett swam the anchor leg and completed the race at 1:53.06.

Sikes, White, Rasinske and White are the defending 3A State Champions in the 200 yard freestyle. They are the only relay team in school history to win a state championship.

Orange also claimed the 200 yard medley relay regional title. Zoe Jones, White, Sikes and White finished at 1:53.45. Carrboro’s team of Wesley, Reed, Kyla Conner, and Ellie Hill came in second at 2:01.87.

Orange’s Riley White and Cedar Ridge’s Quinn McCrimmon both qualified for the state championships in the 200 yard individual medley. White came in second (2:13.07), behind Carrboro’s Lambert. McCrimmon finished third (2:22.17).

Riley White also finished runner-up in the 100 yard butterfly at 1:00.21. Carrboro’s Lambert took the gold at 58.83. McCrimmon also qualified for the state championships in the butterfly with a fourth place finish (1:03.32).

Orange’s Jones finished 5th in the 500 yard freestyle.

Cedar Ridge also finished 2nd in the 400 yard freestyle relay. McCrimmon, Zafar, Godfrey and Stinnett completed the race at 4:08.14. Carrboro earned the gold medal at 3:52.44.

In the final days of January, the Orange men’s swimming team is in a familiar position.

This Saturday, they will head to the Greensboro Aquatic Center with hopes of winning the 3A Central Regional Championship. Last year, they finished runner-up in regionals to Carrboro.

Following that, it will be the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary on February 8th.

For the third year in a row, Orange will go into Greensboro after winning the Central Conference championship.

Senior Nack Baczara and juniors Luke Roman and Alex Andre each won two individual events as the Panthers finished with 417 points in the conference championships at the Orange County Sportsplex on Thursday night.

Cedar Ridge finished 2nd with 371 points. Red Wolf senior Nikhil Agans won the 100 yard freestyle at 51.39 seconds to take the conference title. Freshman Christopher Seawell captured the 50 yard freestyle at 25.24 seconds in his first conference championship appearance.

Roman was named the Central Conference Male Swimmer of the Year for the second time in his career. He also earned the honor as a freshman. For the third straight year, Roman won the 500 yard freestyle as he literally lapped the field with a time of 4:51.05. Phillip Cauwels of Cedar Ridge earned the silver medal at 5:33.00.

Roman also won the conference championship in the 200 yard freestyle at 1:46.63. Agans, the defending conference champion, finished 2nd at 1:52.33. It was his second 200 yard freestyle conference title. Roman last won the event in his freshman year, narrowly edging Cedar Ridge’s Alexander Hill by :.54 of a second.

Roman now has six individual conference championships in his career. Last year, Roman won the 500 yard and 100 yard freestyle.

Baczara won the 100 butterfly at 59.29. Cauwels finished second at 1:02.93. Later, Baczara added the 100 yard breaststroke to his gold medal collection with a time of 1:16.78. Evan Sawyer, a freshman from Eastern Alamance, came in second at 1:18.59.

Andre, a junior who finished 3rd in the 3A State Championships in the 500 yard freestyle last February, captured the gold in the 200 yard individual medley at 2:03.33. Eamon Hipps of Western Alamance was second at 2:19.71. Orange senior Benjamin Sirgany was third at 2:29.15.

Andre captured the 100 yard backstroke at :58.68. Cedar Ridge freshman Christopher Seawell was second at 1:00.62. Sirgany took the bronze at 1:06.98.

In his first conference championship meet, Seawell came away with an impressive medal total. In addition to winning the 50 freestyle, Seawell and Agans would add another gold to their collection in the 200 yard freestyle relay. The duo would team with Cauwels and junior Jacob Olmstead to win at 1:42.33, The time automatically qualified Cedar Ridge for regionals. Orange’s team of Dylan Cowan, Noah Jones, Andrew Jouannet and Sirgany finished 2nd at 1:45.96.

Orange’s 400 yard freestyle relay team of Roman, Andre, Baczara and Ayden Twiddy took first place in two relay events. They captured first place at 3:38.46. It was their first victory in the 400 relay. Last year, Roman, Andre, Andrew Weeks and Evan Phillips finished second behind a team from Northwood.

Orange also repeated as the winner of the 200 yard medley relay. Roman, Andre, Twiddy and Baczara registered a time of 1:53.13. Western Alamance’s team of Zack Ollis, Wylie Kline, Eamon Hipps and Jacob Miles came in second. Orange’s team of Colin Wuthrich, Sirgany, Cowan and Noah Jones finished third at 2:04.69.

Jones took the bronze medal in the 100 yard freestyle at :59.06.

Twiddy finished third in the 500 yard freestyle at 5:40.65, which automatically qualified him for regionals.

With a trip to Greensboro next on its itinerary, Orange is going to a pool that have plenty of experience with. In December, several Orange swimmers competed in the Robert Sawyer Invitational at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. In that event, Roman won the 500 yard freestyle at 4:47.39, beating many swimmers from 4A and private schools from across the state.