Orange Swimming

After all this time, Katie Belle Sikes is still surprising herself.

In her second dual meet for the Orange swimming team last month, Sikes competed in the 500 yard freestyle, largely on a whim. She had never done it before in club swimming with the Hillsborough Aquatic Club or her new team, Eastern Carolina Aquatics.

It’s a marathon event compared to her forte, the 50-yard freestyle, where she won the 3A State Championship last year.

“I really like the 500,” Sikes said. “As a club swimmer, that’s not considered one of my prime events.”

Swimming against Cedar Ridge, she got out of the pool at the Orange County Sportsplex and saw a time of 5:19.81 on the digital scoreboard–a new school record.

“I think I’ll do the 500 one more time this year,” Sikes said.

When Sikes started her college recruitment, she wasn’t sure what schools would show interest. Her travel coach, Claudio Battaglini of ECA, told her she would hear from plenty of schools and encouraged her to see as much of the country as she could. She went into the process with her eyes wide open and unsure of what was ahead.

When the University of Georgia reached out, Sikes was pleasantly surprised.

It also caused a flashback of memories, or as much of one as a 16-year-old can have, anyway.

At the age of 12, Sikes competed at the University of Georgia’s Gabrielsen Natatorium for a national competition. It’s still her favorite place to swim.

“I knew back then that my dream was to swim in college,” Sikes said.

Sikes wasn’t sure if she was a Southeastern Conference-caliber swimmer until the recruitment process told her otherwise. She discovered that not only was she someone who could compete at the highest level of college swimming, but she could do it at the very place where her dream of swimming at the next level started.

“Honestly, it took me a really long time,” Sikes said. “I definitely didn’t think I was at that level. I kind of had other people tell me I could do this. I was like ‘OK, I guess?’ I didn’t want to set it as my goal because what if I don’t get there? It was pretty shocking.”

As part of her recruiting trip, Sikes attended Georgia’s football game against Auburn at Sanford Stadium on October 8. Of course, she also returned to Gabrielsen.

Days later, Sikes formally committed to Georgia. She also had recruiting trips to the University of North Carolina, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Michigan.

Before deciding on Georgia, Sikes listened to Battaglini and saw the country. She stood inside massive Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor during the change of seasons as the leaves started to change colors.

“It was so cool,” Sikes said. “Honestly, I think it was just a little too cold for me. My parents said ‘I thought you liked the cold.’ I said ‘Not that level of cold.’ Hearing stories from swimmers about how they had to walk in the snow if they didn’t have a ride to the pool made me think I didn’t want to be around that.”

Sikes met one-on-one with Georgia head swimming coach Stefanie Williams-Moreno.

“I feel like there wasn’t a wrong decision at the end of the day,” Sikes said. “They were all such amazing experiences. Georgia was definitely the best option. There wasn’t a wrong answer, but Georgia was definitely the right one.”

Her decision didn’t just come down to swimming. Georgia has a college of veterinary medicine, which Sikes has in mind for a post-swimming career. Having grown up around dogs, her family fosters a pit bull mixed puppy named “Penny” that they got during the pandemic.

“I think she’s the favorite child,” Sikes said.

She also wanted a college town. Growing up next to Chapel Hill, she understood how special a college community can be.

“I wanted my own personal bubble,” Sikes said. “That’s what I like about Chapel Hill. In Athens, it feels like the college is the center of the town. I wasn’t interested in being in a big city where I’m secluded. Georgia is a good balance of all of that.”

Last February, Sikes became the first female swimmer in Orange High history to win a state championship when she captured the gold medal in the 50-yard freestyle in Cary. The only other swimmer to win a state championship in school history was Ben Scott, the 2018 3A 100-meter freestyle champion.

“Kristin and I are just so grateful to her current coaches here in North Carolina,” said Sikes’ father, Tommy. “We’re appreciative of her future coaches in Georgia for supporting her and allowing her to follow her dream of swimming in college. She has worked extremely hard, in and out of the water, and we are both so proud of her accomplishments.”

In her freshman year, Sikes was an immediate sensation amid quirky circumstances.

Starting her high school career in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sikes couldn’t compete with other swimmers across from her in opposite lanes like a standard dual meet. She was only able to attend a handful of practices. For much of the year, a  meet consisted of Sikes swimming in an empty pool competing only against a clock.

She won the 50-yard Central Regional championship, finished second in the state, and did all of it before she even had her first in-person class at Orange. As a freshman, she was named the Big 8 Conference Swimmer of the Year.

Sikes has plenty to accomplish before she packs the family SUV for Athens. This year, she has already qualified for six events in the Central Regionals, though she can only compete individually in two of them. She wants to set the state record in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle.

Perhaps what scariest for her competition is that Battaglini has encouraged Sikes to continue high school swimming, unlike previous travel coaches.

“High school swimming is a lot less stressful than club swimming,” Sikes said. “Claudio really wants me to do well in high school.”

Battaglini has gone as far to design a training plan for Sikes right up to the state championships next month. This season, in addition to the 500 yard freestyle, she has broken her own school record for the 50 yard freestyle, the 100 yard freestyle, the 200 yard freestyle and the 100 yard backstroke.

With one more year ahead of her and a 4.4 grade-point average, there’s still new ground that Sikes is trying to break for herself.

Her story is far from complete, but Sikes can rest assured that all the times that Sikes trained at the Sportsplex six days a week has paid off. Not just with a state championship and whatever else may come in the future, but also in how her dream as a 12-year-old came true.

The Orange men’s swimming team continues to have a strong season. Last week, the Panthers defeated Western Alamance and Northwood in a dual match at the Orange County Sportsplex. Sophomore Luke Roman, who broke the school record in the 200 yard freestyle to begin the year, wound up winning the 500 yard freestyle at a time of 5:00.28. Senior Evan Phillips captured the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:07.67. Phillips has now qualified for regionals in five different events this year. His senior night is coming up tonight at the Orange County Sportsplex when Orange faces Cedar Ridge. In addition, Phillips, Roman, Nick Baczara and Andrew Weeks qualified for regionals in the 400 yard freestyle relay. They had a time of 3:41.36, well ahead of the regional qualifying standard of 4:00.99. Last year, Roman, Phillips, Alex Andre and Baczara finished 9th in the 3A State Championships. Orange will conclude the regular season tonight against Cedar Ridge, then prepare for the Central Carolina Conference championships.

Orange’s Evan Phillips & Luke Roman discuss qualifying for Central Regionals

The Orange men’s swimming team continues to have a strong season. Last week, the Panthers defeated Western Alamance and Northwood in a dual match at the Orange County Sportsplex. Sophomore Luke Roman, who broke the school record in the 200 yard freestyle to begin the year, wound up winning the 500 yard freestyle at a time of 5:00.28.

Men’s swimming: Senior Evan Phillips and sophomore Luke Roman each continued their strong seasons as the Orange men’s swimming team swept Western Alamance and Northwood in a dual meet at the Orange County Sportsplex on January 11.

Phillips has now qualified for five separate events in the 3A Central Regionals. Roman, who finished 8th in the 2022 3A State Championships in the 200 yard freestyle, also has qualified for five separate events for regionals.

Orange won over Northwood 102-49. The Panthers also defeated Western Alamance, who hosted the meet, 110-41.

In addition, Roman, Phillips, senior Andrew Weeks and sophomore Nick Baczara won the 400 yard freestyle relay, earning a trip to Greensboro with a time of 3:41.36, well ahead of the automatic qualifying regional time of 4:00.99.

Last year, Roman, Phillips, Baczara and Alex Andre finished 9th in the 3A State Championships in Cary.

Phillips won the 100 yard breaststroke, touching the wall at 1:07.67.

Weeks won the 100 yard backstroke at 1:02.24.

Roman, Phillips, Alex Andre and Andrew Weeks won the 200 yard medley relay.

Andre, a sophomore, has qualified for five different events, as well. Andre reached regionals in the 200 yard freestyle last Thursday, coming in first at 1:57.51.

Roman, who opened the year by breaking the school record in the 200 yard freestyle last month, won the 500 yard freestyle at 5:00.28.

Orange will host senior night in a dual meet against Cedar Ridge on Thursday night at the Orange County Sportsplex.

Once a swimmer qualifies for regionals, they can only choose two individual events to participate in.

Women’s swimming: Orange 82, Western Alamance 55; Northwood 80, Orange 74

Another big night from 2022 3A State Champion Katie Belle Sikes for Orange carried the Lady Panthers swimming team past Western Alamance last Thursday at the Orange County Sportsplex. Sikes, who became the first female to win a state swimming championship in school history last February, has qualified for another six events for regionals.

Sikes swam and qualified in the 200 yard individual medley. She has a goal of qualifying for regionals in every individual event. Sikes also won the 100 yard backstroke.

Junior Riley White qualified for the 500 yard freestyle, winning the race at 5:39.93. White also qualified for regionals in the 100 yard butterfly, finishing second behind Northwood’s Abigail Emrich.

Sikes, White, Piper White and Ainsley Rasinske won the 400 yard freestyle relay. They came in at 3:56.12, well under the automatic regional qualifying time of 4:50.99. They also qualified for the 200 yard freestyle relay, winning the event at 1:58.47.

Indoor track: Thus far in the season, three Orange Panthers have qualified for the 3A State Indoor Track and Field Championships.

In November, Orange junior Gabriel Schmid qualified in the 3,200 meters in the New Balance Dash for Doobie 3,200 at Ronald Reagan High School in Pfafftown. Schmid, the 2022 3A State Champion in men’s cross country, finished 12th at 9:20.33. The qualifying benchmark for the 3,200 meters is 10:00.

Since then, Issac Seymour, a senior who played on Orange’s men’s basketball team last year, has qualified twice in the high jump. On December 10 at Dave Thaden Stadium at East Chapel Hill Polar Bear event, Seymour cleared the bar at 5-feet, 10 inches, two inches above the minimum qualifying jump.

In the women’s high jump, Grace Pell also qualified. Pell finished first with a jump of 4’10”. Pell was also the top runner for the Orange women’s cross country team last fall.

In the Eastern Alamance Polar Bear at Fred Brady Stadium in Mebane, Orange junior Aedan Sampey qualified for the state championships in the pole vault. Sampey cleared 11-feet and finished second behind Eastern Alamance’s Gabe Ocampo. The minimum qualifying height is 10-feet.

Also at the Eastern Alamance Polar Bear, Seymour won the high jump by clearing 5’8″.

The 3A State Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held February 10 at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem.

A year after he qualified for five different events in the 3A State Swimming championships, Luke Roman has already printed his name in the record book to start his sophomore season.

In the opening dual match of the season, Roman set the Orange High record in the 200 yard freestyle at the Orange County Sportsplex in Hillsborough. Competing against Northwood and Eastern Alamance, Roman established a new school mark of 1:51.69, instantly qualifying him for the Mideast Regionals.

Roman also qualified for regionals in three other events to open the season. In the 100 yard freestyle, Roman beat out Eastern Alamance’s Jesse Sikes for first place. Roman’s time of 51.51 seconds was well ahead of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association standard of 54.99. Sikes also automatically qualified.

The quartet of Roman, Alex Andre, Evan Phillips and Nick Baczara qualified for regionals in two different events. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, they captured first place with a time of 3:39.64. In the 200 yard medley, Andre, Roman, Phillips and Baczara finished first at 1:48.65, the only team among four who automatically qualified for regionals.

Last year, Roman, Andre, Phillips and Baczara finished ninth in the 3A State Championships in the 400 yard freestyle relay.

In those same state championships, Roman finished 8th in the 200 yard freestyle. In all, Roman qualified for the state championships in four relay races, as well as the 200 yard freestyle individually.

In the 200 yard medley relay last year, Roman, Phillips, Andre and Ian Moore (now graduated) finished 8th in the state championships.

In all, five Orange men’s swimmers qualified for regionals in individual events. Andre, a sophomore, captured the 50 yard freestyle at 23.84 seconds, edging Sikes. In the 100 yard butterfly, Andre swam a qualifying time of 58.70 seconds, finishing second behind Eastern Alamance’s Owen Sawyer, who touched the wall at 55.84 seconds.

Baczara also earned a spot in regionals in the 100 yard butterfly, finishing third at 59.52 seconds.

Phillips earned a spot in regionals in two different events. Phillips won the 100 yard breaststroke at 1:05.07. He finished second in the 200 yard individual medley at 2:08.20. Northwood’s Wiley Sikes took first place. Orange senior Andrew Weeks finished third, but also earned a spot in regional in the 200 medley at 2:24.70.

Weeks also got a bid to regionals in the 100 yard backstroke, winning the 100 yard backstroke at 1:03.00.

In the women’s events, Orange’s Katie Belle Sikes, the defending 3A State Champion in the 50 meter freestyle, immediately qualified for regionals in her top event. Sikes, who committed to the University of Georgia during the fall, cruised to victory with a time of 23.48 seconds. Last February, Sikes became the first female swimmer from Orange to win a state championship at 23.24 seconds, which earned her consideration as an All-American.

Sikes also qualified for the 100 yard freestyle with a victorious time of 52.73 seconds.

The relay team of Sikes, junior Riley White, freshman Piper White and freshman Ainsley Rasinske qualified for regionals in two different events. They won the 200 yard medley relay with a time of 2:00.96. They also won the 400 yard freestyle relay (4:03.31).

Piper White, in her first varsity race, qualified for the 200 yard freestyle with a winning time of 2:04.73.

Junior Riley White won the 100 yard backstroke at 1:04.51. She also captured the 100 yard butterfly at 1:03.36.

Rasinske qualified in the 500 yard freestyle. She finished second with a time of 6:31.36 in her first varsity race. Northwood’s Bianca Perez came in first place at 5:56.59.

On the night, the Orange men’s team won both of its dual matches. The Panthers outscored Northwood 209-97. Orange also defeated Eastern Alamance 225-81.

in the women’s dual matches, Orange won 110-43 over Northwood. The Lady Panthers defeated Eastern Alamance 113-41.

The 3A Central Regionals will be held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on February 2.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is Sandra McCouch. In June, McCouch graduated from Orange after a successful season on the swimming team. McCouch qualified for the 3A Central Regionals at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. McCouch teamed with Katie Belle Sikes, Melissa Campbell and Ellie Wileman to finish second in the 200 yard medley relay at the Central Carolina Conference championships at the Orange County Sportsplex in February. She also qualified in the 200 yard individual medley after a third place finish in the CCC Championships. McCouch moved to North Carolin from Philadelphia last summer in hopes of attending college. She helped the Orange women’s swimming team to a 4th place finish in the CCC Championships. An Eagles fan, McCouch walked across the stage at the Smith Center for graduation in June. 

After becoming the first female Orange swimmer in school history to win an individual state championship, Katie Belle Sikes earned two spots on the All-Central Carolina Conference squad.

In addition, Cedar Ridge freshman Sophia Stinnett made the All-Conference team.

After leading the Orange men’s team to its first Central Carolina Conference championship, Ron Geib was named the Central Carolina Conference Men’s Coach of the Year.

In men’s swimming, freshman Luke Roman was one of five Panthers to be named to the All-Conference squad. Roman was named the Central Carolina Conference Male Swimmer of the Year in February.

The conference championships were held on January 27 at the Orange County Sportsplex in Hillsborough.

Sikes was named to the All-Conference team in the 50 yard freestyle and the 100 yard freestyle. She was the CCC champion in both events, winning the 50 freestyle at 24.77 seconds. Sikes went on to win the 3A State Championship in the 50 yard freestyle at the Cary Aquatic Center on February 11, earning All-American consideration. She also captured the 3A Central Regional Championship in the 50 meters for the second straight year. Sikes was the only Lady Panther to make All-Conference.

Stinnett was named All-Conference in the 200 yard freestyle and the 500 yard freestyle. In the CCC championships, Stinnett won the 200 with a time of 2:05.28, leading Cedar Ridge to a third place finish as a team. Stinnett finished 2nd in the 500 yard freestyle behind Northwood senior Mia Corrado.

The Orange women’s team, which finished 4th in the CCC, was also honored with the league’s sportsmanship award.

The Orange men’s team, which captured the school’s first conference championship as a 3A team, had Roman earn three spots on the All Conference team: in the 200 yard medley relay and the 500 yard freestyle. Roman swam a dominant race in winning the conference 500 yard freestyle championship, touching the wall at 5:19.54. It was a full 32 seconds ahead of runner-up Greyson Brummer, also of Orange.

Brummer, a junior, was also named All-Conference in the 500 freestyle.

Orange’s Ian Moore, Evan Phillips and Alex Andre joined Roman on the All-Conference team for the 200 yard medley relay team. The quartet won the conference championship with a time of 1::49.80. They went on to finish eighth in the state championships.

The Panthers’ 400 yard freestyle relay team of freshman Nick Baczara, Roman, Andre & Phillips earned All-Conference honors after winning the conference championship.

In all, Phillips, a senior, claimed four spots on the All-Confernce team: two relay and two two individual races. He won the 200 yard individual medley championship (2:10.39), as well as the 100 yard breaststroke. Phillips came in 15th in the state championships.

Moore claimed an All-CCC spot for winning the 100-yard backstroke championship. Moore went on to finish eleventh in the state championships.

Orange freshman Alex Andre made All-Conference in four events. In addition to the two relay teams, he finished runner-up to Philips in the 200 yard individual medley. Andre also came in 2nd in the 100 yard butterfly behind Eastern Alamance’s Owen Sawyer.

Cedar Ridge had several freshman earned conference honors. Matthew Czar earned three spots on the All-Conference team, two for individual races and one for a relay. Czar captured the CCC championship in the 50 yard freestyle. He was also honored for winning the 100 yard freestyle title.

Czar, Alexander Hill, Nikhil Agains and Jason Pattison made All-Conference for a runner-up finish in the 200 yard freestyle relay (1:54.15).

Agans was also honored with an All-Conference spot following a runner-up finish, behind Czar, in the 50 yard freestyle.

In addition, Orange senior diver Stanz Zitko was named All-Conference. Zitko finished with his fourth 3A Central Regional diving championship at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in February.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is sophomore Katie Belle Sikes, the 2022 3A State Women’s Swimming Champion in the 50 yard freestyle. Sikes is the first female swimming state champion in Orange High School history. Last Saturday at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, Sikes won the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 23.24 seconds, earning her All-American consideration. Sikes also finished 3rd in the 100 yard freestyle. Already in her high school career, Sikes won a silver medal as a freshman in the 50 yard freestyle. Unlike her freshman season, Sikes found herself competing around large crowds and more competitors. Sikes credits her experience competing at the Junior Winter Nationals in Greensboro last month in helping her face the size of the crowds that she went against in Cary last weekend. Last month, Sikes won two Central Carolina Conference championships at the Orange County SportsPlex. As spring approaches, Sikes will be competing in various club competitions as she prepares for her junior season at Orange. But she has already cemented her name into the history books as the most successful female swimmer in Orange High history. Sikes is also the #1 ranked sophomore female swimmer in North Carolina.

When Katie Belle Sikes earned the right to choose her own walkout music for the 50-yard freestyle finals, she could only think of “Enemy” by Imagine Dragons.

The fact that the Las Vegas-based band had actually performed at PNC Arena in Raleigh just hours before Friday’s NCHSAA State Swimming Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary was fitting, yet moot. Sikes, a sophomore, was focused on mental preparation.

“I thought it might intimidate the competition a bit,” Sikes said.

As the top-ranked sophomore swimmer in North Carolina, public or private school, Sikes had already secured two regional championships before Saturday. Along with that comes the feelings of being a marked woman and the pressure that could saddle a lesser competitor down, which made “Enemy” the perfect song to walk into the biggest race of her young life on several fronts.

Your words up on the wall as you’re praying for my fall

And the laughter in the halls and the names I’ve been called

I stack it in my mind and I’m waiting for the time

When I show you what it’s like to be words spit in a mic.

By the time the long day finally ended, Sikes dropped the mic and accomplished something that no female swimmer in the history of Orange High School has done: win a state championship.

Sikes won the 50 meter freestyle at a time of 23.24 seconds, earning All-American consideration. Carrboro’s Lindy Bilden came away with the silver medal at 23.65 seconds. West Carteret freshman Adeline Cloutier was third at 23.77 seconds.

“I was pretty confident in my 50 meter freestyle, but I was also the most stressed for that one,” Sikes said after a long day that started at 8:30 AM and didn’t end until nearly 12 hours later. “In my 100 freestyle I was seeded 2nd, so I was not as stressed about losing my ranking.”

Last year as a freshman, Sikes finished 2nd in the state in the 50 meter freestyle behind Charlotte Catholic’s Olivia Rhodes.

In the preliminaries earlier in the day, Sikes had the top time of 23.27 seconds, once again earning All-American consideration. Bilden was 2nd, while Parkwood’s Emilee Hamblin was third at 23.90.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has awarded state championships since 1950 in swimming and diving. In the 61-year history of Orange High School, only Ben Scott won a state championship in the 100 yard freestyle in 2018.

Orange’s Jennifer Rehm won two 4A State Championships in diving in 1999 and 2000.

“I don’t think words can express how honored I am,” Sikes said. “I’m just so proud to be able to represent my school as best as I can.”

In addition, Sikes won the bronze medal in the 100 yard freestyle. She finished third at 51.37 seconds. J.H. Rose’s Madeline Smith, who was named the Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the 3A Championships, finished first at 50.18, automatically earning All-American status.

Sikes, Melissa Campbell, Sandra McCouch and Ellie Wileman qualified for the state finals in two different relay events. The quartet finished 7th in the 200 yard medley relay at 1:59.28. In the 200 freestyle relay, Sikes, McCouch, Campbell and Wileman came in sixth with a time of 1:47.02.

McCouch, who is in her first year at Orange after transferring from Philadelphia last summer, finished 11th in the 100 yard breaststroke.

Campbell came in 16th in the 100 yard butterfly.

In men’s swimming, Orange freshman Luke Roman, who won two Central Carolina Conference championships, finished eighth in the 200 yard freestyle. Nick Baczara came in 15th in the same event.

Roman also came in ninth in the 500 yard freestyle at 5:08.06. Another Panther freshman, Alexander Andre, came in 7th in the same event.

Andre also came in 14th in the 200 yard individual medley, while Phillips finished 15th.

The Orange men’s team of Ian Moore, Evan Phillips, Andre and Luke Roman finished 8th in the 200 yard medley relay.

Roman, Baczara, Andre and Phillips finished 9th in the 400 yard freestyle relay.

Orange senior Evan Phillips reached the finals of the 100 yard breaststroke, finishing 8th.

In the 100 yard backstroke, Orange senior Ian Moore finished 11th at 59.71 seconds.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior diver Stanislav “Stasz” Zitko. On Thursday, Zitko completed his Orange career with a 2nd place finish in the 3A State Diving Championships at the Pullen Aquatic Center. It was the third time in his career that Zitko medaled in the state championships. Last year, Zitko finished with a total of 412.15, which put him in consideration for All-American status. Zitko is a four-time Central Regional Diving Champion. On February 3, Zitko won is fourth regional championship with a final score of 441.20, once again earning All-American consideration. Zitko’s total in the regionals was a personal record. In his Orange career, Zitko had two bronze medals in the 3A State Championships, along with a silver medal. Zitko got his start by diving into pools across Hillsborough as an adolescent, which earned him some admonishment from lifeguards. Now, he leaves Orange as the most accomplished male diver in school history. Zitko hopes to walk on with a college diving team after he graduates from Orange in June.

The path to success for senior diver Stanislav “Stasz” Zitko is quite different from his fellow athletes at Orange High.

Swimmers typically work out in the morning because it’s the best hours available to train together at the Orange County Sportsplex, which makes them unusual in their own right since most other sports hold practices during the afternoon and evenings. Plus, it’s the only sport where Orange and Cedar Ridge athletes practice together, which makes for a close kinship between two rival schools.

Zitko, for four years, has strayed even further away from his classmates by necessity. Instead of working out at the SportsPlex, he’s practiced at the Duke University Aquatic Center with coach Brandon Robinson. For two hours a day, five times a week, Zitko is surrounded by other divers, none of whom go to high school in Hillsborough.

“It can be a little isolating because sometimes I see other teams with more divers on them,” Zitko said. “It’s helpful to have more people on your team because you can be more competitive with each other. Everyone else is just as friendly as a team, so it’s kind of like I still have one.”

Truly in a category by himself, Zitko is the most accomplished male diver in Orange history. Last Thursday, he claimed the 3A Central Regional Diving Championship in the 1-meter springboard at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. Zitko set a new personal best of 441.20 over ten dives. It was a score high enough for All-American consideration.

“I wasn’t expecting it at first,” Zitko said. “I thought I was just going to have a normal day since I was the only one in my event. So I was really just trying to push through it and get to states. I started off pretty strong and I realized at that point that I could go for a personal record.”

This afternoon, Zitko will go for an elusive 3A State Diving Championship at the Pullen Aquatic Center in Raleigh. It’s the fourth time that Zitko has qualified for the State Championships. Two years ago, Zitko finished with a bronze medal in the state championships at Koury Natatorium at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Zitko’s parents met on a cruise in Russia. After years of moving across the United States, they finally settled down in Hillsborough, where Zitko was born inside UNC Hospitals.

When Zitko was five years old, he learned that he had a taste for extreme things.

“I just saw it was a new thing and it was interesting,” Zitko said. “I’ve done surfing, hang gliding, skiing ad snowboarding. I got competitive with diving and it stuck with me. It’s a really difficult sport. It’s constant training. One hour of dry training and one hour in the water.”

Zitko started diving at his own expense. He got in trouble at a neighborhood pool for ignoring constant warnings to not dive into the water. There were a few suspensions along the way, but Zitko discovered his high school passion at the same time.

“The people who ran the poll told my dad to sign me up for diving if I wanted to do it so badly,” Zitko said. “I had a lot of fun.”

Zitko’s coaches implored him to start going to competitions.

“At first, I didn’t really understand what was going on,” Zitko said. “I started going around to different places to practice. Later on, I learned I was gaining these skills to compete.”

Zitko started getting more daring on his dives when he worked on dry land diving into a foam pit. With time, that carried over into the water.

At the Duke Aquatic Center, if Zitko has a fear of heights, he doesn’t show it.

“Stasz likes to jump off the 10-meter platform,” said Robinson, who was alongside Zitko for his regional championship last week. “Not everyone is as enthusiastic about jumping off that platform the way he is.”

The only diving state champion in Orange High history is Jennifer Rehm, who won two 4A State Championships in 1999 and 2000 on the 1-meter springboard.