Orange Track and Field

In most sports, there is an offseason.

It’s something that Gabriel Schmid is unfamiliar with.

Just after winning his second NCHSAA 3A State Championship last month in Kernersville, he concluded the day by going out for another run.

Just three weeks later, Schmid ran in the South Regional Cross Country Championships at McAlpline Greenway in Charlotte. He was the top runner from North Carolina, crossing the finish line in 7th place at 14:57.90 in a field of 210 runners.

On Saturday, Schmid ran his final high school cross country race when he competed in the Foot Locker National Championships at Balboa Park in San Diego. He came in 16th in the country at 15:41.60, just three seconds behind Patrick Noon of Tallahassee, Florida, who finished first in the South Regionals last month.

Drew Griffith of Butler, Pennsylvania came in first at 15:06.90.

While Schmid will continue his cross country career in college, his final high school race marks the end of an era for Orange cross country. With Schmid as its leader, the Panthers won two Mideast Regional and three Central Conference championships since 2021.

Last year, Schmid became just the second runner in Orange High history to win a state championship in cross country and the first at the 3A level. Bradsher Wilkins was Orange’s first cross country champion in 1997 at the 4A level. Wilkins won again in 1998.

Schmid has been a competitor throughout the course of his life.

As a 5th grader living in Longmont, Colorado, Schmid went to the Junior World Cross Cross Country Championships in Minneapolis and New Mexico. He competed in American Ninja Warrior competitions.

Schmid was born in Phoenix, Arizona and eventually moved to Portland, Oregon. Schmid’s father works for Topcon Healthcare, which provides medical software to eye doctors. With a chance to leave the Pacific Northwest, Schmid’s father eschewed a move to New Jersey and chose to live in Efland instead.

As a sophomore, Schmid played two fall sports. He was a regular performer for the Orange men’s soccer team, but opted to go into cross country full time after he broke 16 minutes under head coach Brian Schneidewind. Schmid is quick to point out he broke 16:00 before his teammate Spencer Hampton, who graduated in 2022. That’s when he decided to leave soccer behind and focus on one sport in the fall.

Like Schmid, Hampton went on to become an All-State runner who won a regional championship in the 3,200 meters in 2022 at Southern Lee High School in Sanford.

Schmid, who was also named the Central Conference Male Runner of the Year for the second straight year last month, will continue with his track and field career in March. Last May, Schmid won the 3A State Championship in the 3,200 meters at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. He finished with a time of 9:14.94, become the first Orange athlete to win a state championship in track and field since Jamar Davis in 2018.

Schmid won two Mideast Regional cross country championship in 2022 and 2023. In addition, he won two regional Mideast Regional championships in outdoor track and field in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in Franklinton. He finished second in the state championships in the 1,600 meters last May.

With the state championship in track and field, Schmid joined an impressive list of names from Orange’s past. The first-ever Panther to win a state title in track and field was Alvis Whitted, who was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the 1993 4A championships in Chapel Hill. Whitted would go on to play football at N.C. State and is still the only Orange Panther to play in a Super Bowl. Whitted was deployed on special teams for the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego against Tampa Bay. Whitted is now the wide receivers coach with the Utah Utes after stints with the Wisconsin Badgers, the Colorado State Rams and one year with the Green Bay Packers.

Davis competed for N.C. State for five years and participated in the Penn Relays in 2018.

The old saying at the Masters every April is “the tournament doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday.”

At the 3A State Cross Country state championship on Saturday, the event didn’t start on the first mile.

As far as Gabriel Schmid was concerned, it started on the second. The other 166 runners didn’t find out until it was too late.

The first mile, Schmid played it easy running with the group, hanging back just a bit. When the second mile started, several months worth of training kicked in.

“The plan was to kick in and roll for the second mile,” Schmid said. “Just bang mile after mile and we did that. That’s the pace we had run all season. It was a strategy we developed. When you go into these bigger races, anything can happen. It can be totally running all out as a team and make it a full sprint, then just die around the finish line. Or it can be we run the first mile in five minutes, take the second mile in 4:55, then lay the hammer down in the final mile. You have to be prepared for either one.”

Schmid’s instincts, along with his team, proved correct once again at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville on Saturday.

Schmid won the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A Men’s State Cross County Championship for the second year in a row, crossing the finish line at 15:14.75. The runner-up, Tyrese Cone of Croatan, came in 33 seconds behind Schmid at 15:48.42.

In his final cross country race for Orange in an NCHSAA-sanctioned event, Schmid improved on his time from last year’s state championship race. And he won by a wider margin. In 2022, Schmid completed the 3.1-mile course in 15:44.28, beating Stephen Fernetti of North Lincoln in 16 seconds.

Schmid became just the fourth runner in the history of Orange County to win back-to-back individual state championships. Orange’s Bradsher Wilkins won consecutive state crowns at the 4A level in 1997-1998. Cedar Ridge’s A.J. Tucker is the only Red Wolf to ever win a state cross country championship, winning the 2A titles in 2011 and 2012. Taylor Gilland of Chapel Hill captured the 4A championships in 2007 & 2008.

As a team, Orange had its best-ever finish in a state championship meet, finishing runner-up to defending state champion Croatan. The Panthers registered 93 points. Croatan claimed its second straight team crown with 67 points. Orange’s team of Lucas Van Mater, Alden Cathey, Myles Jermyn, Peter Musser, Nolan Hufner, and Cyrus Neal won the Mideast Regional Championship at Franklinton High School, its second regional crown in three years.

Cedar Ridge sophomore Ryan Matthews qualified for the state championships for the second consecutive year. He crossed the finish line at 17:49.52, finishing 93rd overall.

Schmid, who completed a run on Saturday night after winning his second state championship, was confident in his chances to earn another individual crown. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Schmid competed in the American Ninja Warrior while living in Longmont, Colorado in middle school. He ran in the Junior World Championships in Minneapolis and New Mexico while living in Vancouver, Washington before his family moved to Hillsborough four years ago.

Schmid now has three individual state championships overall. He also won the 3,200 meters in the 3A State Outdoor Track and Field Championships at North Carolina A&T University last May. In addition to two individual cross country regional championships, he also won two Mideast Regional titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters last May at Franklinton. He finished second in the state championships in the 1,600 meters.

“Obviously, I’ve taken running a lot farther than any of those sports,” Schmid said. “The will to be the best at something or set a goal for something that won’t come overnight. That’s what makes me tick. If I can’t have it tomorrow, then I’m going to work for it.”

Yet just two years ago, cross country wasn’t his only fall sport. He was also a men’s soccer player for Orange under head coach Palmer Bowman.

“My mom sat me down and told me I needed to choose between one or the other,” Schmid said. “I was a whole lot better at running than I was at soccer.”

At the Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, Schmid broke 16-minutes for the first time. That’s when he decided to leave soccer behind.

“Coach Bowman was very supportive,” Schmid said.

Six months later, Schmid finished second in the 3,200 meters in the State Outdoor Championships.

In addition to running, Schmid also volunteers for the Efland Fire Department, where he’s frequently on call. There’s training on Thursday night. Out of the department’s 700 calls in 2022, Schmid ran 203 of them.

The entire Cedar Ridge team qualified for the women’s race. As a squad, the Red Wolves finished 12th out of 18 teams. Naomi Dyreng, the Central Carolina Conference individual champion, was the highest Red Wolf finisher, coming in 17th at 19:43.71. Junior Abigail Klaitman finished 47th (20:44.40), while freshman Kate Finnegan crossed the finish line in 113th place (22:51.32). Cedar Ridge junior Anna Peterson finished 130th (23:46.44), while freshman Safiyya Frej came in 141st (25:00.05). Another Red Wolf freshman, Samantha Quade, finished 146th. Freshman Grace Whitaker came in 148th (25:45.02).

There’s no need to ask Gabriel Schmid what his goal is for his final cross country race at Orange High this Saturdfay.

Ever since he crossed the finish line first to win the 3A State Cross Country championship last November, his goal has been to repeat.

The only thing he would like to change in his final trip to the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville would be for his teammates to join him on stage as team state champions.

For the second time in three years, the Orange men’s cross country team won the Mideast Regional Championship on Saturday at Franklinton High School. Running on the grassy terrain in Louisburg, Schmid won the individual championship, crossing the finish line at  16:19.50, beating out Ethan Rich of Western Harnett by seven seconds.

A week after the Panthers won the Central Carolina Conference championship, Orange’s top four runners all finished in the top eight. Sophomore Lucas Van Mater finished fourth overall at 16:39.69, while senior Alden Cathey came in sixth (16:59.41). Sophomore Myles Jermyn crossed the finish line eighth (17:06.22)

It was a full circle experience for Schmid. In 2021, Orange won the Mideast Championship behind the leadership of then-senior Spencer Hampton, who came in second overall. Schmid, then a sophomore, finished fourth overall.

“The course was amazing,” Schmid said. “It was like a golf course. The grass was perfect and our team was phenomenal”

Orange’s Nolan Hufner came in 19th to help the Panthers hold off Northern Nash for the team championship. The Panthers finished with 38 points, while the Knights had 60.

The Orange men have now won three straight conference championships, as well as two of the last three Mideast Conference titles.

For the second year in a row, Cedar Ridge sophomore Ryan Matthews qualified for the state championships individually. Matthews finished 21 at 18:27.03. Edgar Ibarra finished 26th for the Red Wolves at 18:35.53.

Last year, Schmid became just the second runner in Orange history to win a state cross country championship. In 1997, Bradsher Wilkins won the 4A State Championship as a junior. The following year, Wilkins repeated as state champion.

As a team, Orange is the second seed going into Saturday’s state championships. Croatan, who edged Orange during the North Carolina Runners Elite Invitational in Kernersville on October 14, will be the top seed. Croatan had 69 points during the event while Orange finished with 78.

Cedar Ridge has had one individual men’s cross country champion in school history. A.J. Tucker won a pair of 2A State Championships, the first in 2011. He repeated in 2012.

The Cedar Ridge women’s team qualified for the state championships with a fourth place finish in the Mideast Regionals. Led by junior Naomi Dyreng, who won the Central Carolina Conference individual championship last week at Lake Cammack Course in Burlington, the Red Wolves finished third as a team with 123 points. Carrboro won the team regional championship with 56 points. Walter Williams, who edged Cedar Ridge to take the CCC team title, finished second at 111 points.

Dyreng finished third overall with a time of 20:10.56. It will be Dyreng’s second trip to the state championships.

Freshman Brinkley Robinson of Franklinton won the state championship, pacing the field at 19:35.34. Robinson finished thirty seconds ahead of runner-up Addison Barlett of Durham School of the Arts, who came in at 20:05.06.

Cedar Ridge junior Abigail Klaitman finished seventh at 21:13.84. Red Wolf freshman Kate Finnegan finished 24th in her first regional meet at 23:47.44. Anna Peterson of the Red Wolves came in 42nd. Red Wolf freshman Safiyya Frej (52nd at 26:30.09), Samantha Quade (54th at 26:42.72) and Gracie Whitaker also finished for the Red Wolves.

Orange’s top female finisher was senior Channing Mahaney, who came in 57th. Grace Pell came in 58th for the Lady Panthers. Arely Cabarera also competed for Orange.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior runner Gabriel Schmid. The most accomplished cross country competitor at  Orange High since the turn of the century, Schmid was honored at halftime of Orange’s football game against Montgomery Central on Friday night. Last November, Schmid won the 3A Cross Country State Championship at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville. He finished with a time of 15:44.28, more then 15 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. He became just the second Orange individual state champion in men’s cross country, and the first to win at 3A. Two weeks ago, Schmid started his senior season with a win in Orange’s first Central Carolina Conference meet of the year at Person High School in Roxboro. Schmid finished at 18:39, some 46 seconds ahead of the nearest finisher. Orange won the meet. Last week, the Orange men’s cross country team won a meet at Lake Macintosh in Burlington. Once again, Schmid finished first at 18:34.0. The Panthers had eight of the top ten finishers to win the meet. As a sophomore, Schmid was a top runner for the Orange team that won the Mideast Regional championship for the first time in school history. Schmid is aiming to become just the 27th multi-time state men’s cross country champion in state history this November. While he isn’t busy running, Schmid has been a volunteer for the Efland Fire Department. Regardless of where Schmid goes from here, he will go down as one of the greatest athletes in school history.

Orange Panther of the Week: Gabriel Schmid

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Another week goes by and the Orange volleyball team remains in first place in the Central Carolina Conference.

Not only that, but the three top contenders to stop Orange from its first conference championship in over 15 years have been turned back by the Lady Panthers in the opening three matches of league play.

On Thursday night, Orange made its long-awaited return home with a 3-0 sweep of Person. The Lady Panthers, who had played its past nine matches on the road, remain the only undefeated teaming the CCC at 3-0.

It was the Lady Panthers first home match since August 15.

Sophomore Aubrey Jordan finished with a career-high 17 kills while sophomore setter Katie Silcott had 31 assists. Senior Ella Wimsatt registered 12 kills and 15 digs as Orange won its seventh straight match. Sophomore Ava Wilkerson added nine kills, two aces and two blocks.

Person (4-5, 1-2) dropped its third straight match to Orange.

Orange dominated the opening set 25-8, reeling off an 8-2 run behind three kills from Wimsatt. Jordan had a block and a kill for the final points of the set.

It appeared the second stanza would follow a similar path. Orange jumped out to an 11-3 lead behind an ace from Wilkerson and consecutive kills from Wimsatt. Person roared back with a 9-1 run to seven the match at 12-12, the tying point coming from sophomore Abby Sharlow off a pass from Miriam Clayton. The Rockets increased its lead to 21-18 following a block from Clayton, but Orange rallied to even the set 23-23 after the Rockets were called for a net violation. Person had a set point after a return from Orange went wide, but the subsequent serve went into the net. Even 25-25, Jordan notched a kill. On set point, Jordan’s attack was returned wide by the Rockets, giving Orange a 2-sets-to-nothing lead.

Orange got off to another strong start in the third set, leading 7-3 following a point by Wilkerson. Once again, Person rallied off strong plays by Kaylie Parker and Clayton, narrowing Orange’s lead to 13-12 until Wilkerson scored off a block. That spawned a 5-1 Panther run which included an ace by Abby Silinski and two kills by Wimsatt. Jordan racked up kills on the final two points of the match, which sent the Orange student section into jubilation, many of them adorned in neon yellow safety vets who traded taunts with Person students at the other end of the gym throughout the night.

On Friday night (tonight), Orange will travel up Highway 57 to face Roxboro Community School. Last week, Person defeated their crosstown rival in five sets.

Men’s cross country: Orange 19, Williams 43, Person 62, Eastern Alamance n/a: Two months from the 3A State Cross Country state championships and Orange’s Gabriel Schmid appears in midseason form.

Schmid, the 2022 3A State Cross County Champion, earned his second victory of the season during Orange’s meet at Walter Williams high School in Burlington on Wednesday. Schmid finished at 18:34.0, beating Williams Easton Freeman by five seconds.

Orange had five of the top six runners. Alden Cathey finished third (18:50.1), while Myles Jermyn came in fourth (19:02.0), followed by Lucas Van Mater (19:17.6), and Peter Musser in sixth place (19:28.6).

Cyrus Neal (8th), Nolan Hufner (9th) and Aidan Viola (10th) had top ten finishes for Orange. It was Orange’s second win in a conference meet in as many weeks. Last week, the Orange men finished first at Person.

Women’s cross country: Williams 18, Orange 31, Person 70, Eastern Alamance n/a: Caroline Cathey was the top finisher for the Orange women’s cross country meet at the Williams meet. Cathey finished fifth at 28:00.2, a split second behind Williams Sofia Anaya, who came in a 28:00.0. Grace Pell came in sixth for the Lady Panthers (28:43.2), while Kassi Scarantino came in seventh, one-tenth of a second behind Pell. Orange’s Channing Mahaney finished in ninth place. Orange’s Mia Blake finished 11th, while Harper Trust finished 14th (32.56.9).

Williams won the meet with the top four finishers. Lucy Lowe was at the head of the pack at 26:50.9, while Avery LaPlante was runner-up at 26:58.8.

Jamar Davis: Davis ended a successful track & field career at N.C. State in June in the NCAA Championships in Austin, TX on June 9th. He had a leap of 15.65 meters in the men’s triple jump to finish as a second-team All-American. He finished in 14th place nationally. Davis was a second-team All-American in his freshman year of the NCAA Indoor Track and Field championships. Davis will go down as one of the greatest all-around athletes in Orange High history. In his senior year, Davis won an individual state championship and was named Most Outstanding Performer at the 3A State Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He also was the leading scorer for the men’s soccer team, which reached the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs. Earlier in his career, he was a wrestler on three Orange teams that won Big 8 Conference championships.

Mia Davidson: It’s been a summer full of softball for Davidson. She started with Athletes Unlimited AUX, then journeyed to Dublin, Ireland to play for the United States in the qualifying rounds of the Women’s Softball World Cup. The United States won all four of its games in order to qualify for the World Cup Finals, which will be held in Italy next June. In Ireland, Davidson served mostly as a reserve. She served as a pinch-hitter in America’s 1-0 win over Australia on July 13. On July 12, the Americans won 15-0 over Botswana. Davidson backed up catcher Sahvanna Jaquish, entered the game as a pinch-hitter, drew a walk and scored a run off a single by Hannah Flippen. Davidson also played in the American’s 5-0 win over Chinese Taipei. The U.S. won all four games and didn’t surrender a run in the entire tournament. Over the weekend, Davidson started her second season with Athletes Unlimited. In the opening week, Davidson was drafted by Team McCleney. In the opening game that started on Friday, Davidson hit a grand slam. The game was suspended by rain but resumed on Monday at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, IL. Team McCleney won 8-3. Davidson was selected as the 3rd MVP which earned her 20 additional points. On Saturday, Team Mulipola defeated Team McCleney 3-1. Davidson went 0-for-3 with a walk. On Sunday, Team McCleney edged Team Rhodes 4-3 in a thrilling game. Davidson went 1-for-3 with a walk. At the end of the first week, Davidson is 10th in the Athletes Unlimited points standings with 314. On Monday night, Davidson was selected to play on Team Sierra Romero for this weekend’s three-game series.

Bryse Wilson: On Monday night, Wilson closed out the Milwaukee Brewers 5-3 loss to the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Wilson threw a scoreless ninth inning, striking out one and walking one. As of Monday night, the Brewers are one-and-a-half games behind the Cincinnati Reds for first place in the National League Central. Wilson has pitched 35 games this season. He is 3-0 with three saves and a 3.38 earned run average. Last month, Wilson had four straight appearances without giving up a run, starting with a 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs on July 6 at Miller Park. On July 21, Wilson faced his former team, the Atlanta Braves. He threw three scoreless innings, striking out five, but the Braves went on to win 6-4.

Joey McMullin: On Sunday, McMullin announced he would play the remaining two years of his college basketball eligibility at Division III Methodist University in Fayetteville. For the past two years, McMullin has played at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, which were among the most successful in the 15-year history of the program. Last year, the Flyers finished 30-4, which included an 18-game winning streak, and won the Region 10 regular season and tournament championships. Sandhills was ranked #1 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III polls nine times during the season. McMullin was the second-leading scorer on the team with 14 points per game. He also averaged 3.8 rebounds per game.

Aidan McAllister: Following the conclusion of baseball season in June, McAllister announced he was entering his name in the transfer portal after one season at Hofstra University. A former All-Central Carolina Conference performer at Cedar Ridge, McAllister didn’t play in a game for the Pride during his only season in Nassau County, New York.

The most complete season from an Orange runner in over 25 years is now complete.

At least it is to many outside observers. For junior Gabriel Schmid, there’s still unfinished business for his senior season.

For now, Schmid has become the first Orange High runner to win at state title at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A State Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 25 years.

On Friday afternoon, Schmid finished first in the 3,200 meters, capturing the state title with a time of 9:14.94 at the Irwin Belk Track and North Carolina A&T University. He beat runner-up Eli Julian of East Rowan to the finish line by just over five seconds. Julian came in at 9:20.39. Harper Clark of West Johnston finished third at 9:34.07.

Schmid becomes the first runner to win a state championship in outdoor track and field for Orange since 1998. Bradsher Wilkins was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the 1998 state championships after he captured two state championships in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

That’s precisely why Schmid feels like Friday was triumphant and incomplete all at once. Schmid finished second in the 1,600 meters, which is basically one mile, behind Clark of West Johnston. Schmid led for most of the race until the final mile. He crossed the finish line at 4:20.05, just behind Clark’s time of 4:18.36.

Schmid’s time in the 3,200 meters was 20 seconds faster than his race last year in the state championships.

Winning the 3,200 meters has been elusive for Orange runners over the last few years. Last year, Schmid finished second in the 3,200 meters, coming up behind Austin Brotemarkle of Forestview. In 2021, Spencer Hampton led most of the way in the 3,200 meters before he was passed on the final lap by Walter Williams’ Ryan Motondo, who finished three seconds ahead of Hampton.

“I think Spenser was here today,” Schmid said afterwards.

In November, Schmid won the 3A Cross Country individual state championship at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville. Last week, Schmid won the Mideast Regional championship in the 3,200 meters at Franklinton High School.

On Friday, Schmid had to deal with the elements. A torrential storm left behind plenty of water for athletes in all competitions to deal with. The rain had just stopped by the time Schmid started to run the 1,600 meter final.

“The track was just flooded with water,” Schmid said. “There were puddles everywhere.”

Schmid’s cross country championship was in November. His first state track and field championship was in May. Yet both races were run in warmer climates, something that Schmid actually preferred.

“I was heat training over the past two weeks,” Schmid said. “I was running in the hottest part of the day. In a way, I was prepared for the heat. But at the same time, I hadn’t run in the rain, which no one really likes to do. So I don’t think anyone was really prepared for that. I was prepared for the worst and I think I prepared the best I could.”

Last year, Schmid only qualified for one event in the state championships. Looking to become an elite runner, he spent the summer in grueling training throughout the southeast. He attended the Brevard Summer Distance training camp where he ran through the craggy terrain in a mountainous region. He also ventured to West Virginia for a Ragnar relay race.

“That 3.200 race last year was very much a strategy race,” Schmid said. “It is very much who is the tougher runner based on who can survive in that heat. So looking to this year, I qualified for two events. I placed second in the mile. I won the 3,200 meters by six seconds. I feel like I’ve come very far.”

From the very first week of the high school sports season last summer, Schmid has established dominance. At the Early Bird Cross Country Challenge on August 20 at WakeMed Soccer Complex in Cary, Schmid finished first among 178 competitors. He went on to win the Central Carolina Conference championship and the Mideast Regional Championship before earning the state title in Kernersville.

Schmid is just the third Orange High runner in school history to win an outdoor state track & field state championship. In addition to Wilkins, Alvis Whitted won the 100 and 200 meter dash in the 1993 state championships. Following a run in the U.S. Olympic Trails and a successful career at N.C. State, Whitted went on to a nine-year career in the NFL. He is the only Orange Panther to play in a Super Bowl. Whitted suited up for the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Whitted recently became the wide receivers coach for the Utah Utes after a lengthy stint at the University of Wisconsin.

Yet Schmid is still aiming for more. He wants to break the 3A State Record for the 3,200 meters, which is 9:11, a record that has stood since 2010.

“There’s higher expectations,” Schmid said. “But to put it into words and to put it into the track is a whole other thing.”

That’s why he’s headed to California to run in another event next week. For Schmid, there truly is no finish line.

Also in the state outdoor championships, Ja’Ki McDaniels of Orange finished 13th in the long jump at 19-feet, 4.25 inches. Orange senior Isaiah Seymour came in 14th in the triple jump at 39-feet, 1.50 inches.

In women’s track and field, Orange junior Grace Pell finished ninth in the high jump with a leap of four-feet, ten-inches. Iyauna Justice finished 13th in the shot put at 31-feet, eight inches.

Cedar Ridge sophomore Naomi Dyreng, who won three regional championships at Franklinton High, came in seventh in the 1,600 meters at 5:24.62. Cedar Ridge sophomore Abigail Klaitman came in 13th in the same race, crossing the finish line at 5;52.63.

Dyreng also ran in the 3,200 meters. She finished eighth at 11:48.81. Klaitman finished 13th in the 3,200 at 12:24.81.

Cedar Ridge junior Typhany Cheek finished 14th in the long jump with a leap of 15-feet.

It has been 25 years since the Orange men’s outdoor track and field team had a runner win a state championship.

This Friday, Gabriel Schmid will look to end that drought. If this academic year is any indication, the smart money may be on him.

On Friday, Schmid continued an incredibly impressive year by winning two regional titles at the 3A Mideast Track and Field Championships at Franklinton High School.

Schmid cruised to victory in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9:11.10. He finished a full 37 seconds ahead of Corbin Weeks of Union Pines. Logan Trotten-Lancaster of Union Pines came in third at 9:56.77. Last year, Schmid finished second in the regionals behind his own teammate, Spencer Hampton of Orange.

Schmid also won the regional championship in the 1,600 meters at 4:23.96. Northwood’s Noah Nileson came in second at 4:28.71.

In addition, Orange sophomore Ja’Ki McDaniels earned a spot to the 3A State Championships this Friday at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. McDaniels came in third in the long jump at 21-feet, 6.5 inches. Kaleb Lucas of the Durham School of the Arts finished first at 22-feet, nine inches. Trenton Wiley of Eastern Alamance finished second at 21-feet, 11.5-inches.

McDaniels almost qualified for the state championships in the triple jump. His best leap of 40-feet-4,25 inches was good enough for fifth place. A.J. Allen of Southern Nash got fourth place, and the final state championship spot, at 40-feet-7.5 inches.

Isaiah Seymour, a senior who started the past two seasons for the Orange men’s basketball team, qualified for the state championships in the triple jump. Seymour finished third in the triple jump at 40-feet, ten-inches. He also came in eleventh in the long jump. Donovan Estes of Franklinton finished first at 44-feet-,6.25-inches.

Seymour’s brother, Issac, qualified for the state indoor track and field championships in February in the high jump. Issac Seymour finished 12th in the high jump in the outdoor regionals on Friday.

Schmid has had one of the greatest years for any runner in Orange High history. He won the 3A State Cross Country championship last November, finishing first at 15:44.28, a full 16 seconds ahead of runner-up Stephen Fernetti of North Lincoln. He became the first state cross country champion for Orange since Bradsher Wilkins in 1998.

Wilkins was also the last Orange runner to win a state championship in outdoor track and field. In 1998, Bradsher was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the State Championships when he won the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

Jamar Davis was the last Orange competitor to win an outdoor state championship. Davis was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the 2018 NCHSAA 3A State Championships when he captured the state championships in the long jump and the triple jump. Davis also competed in the Penn Relays in his senior season. He is currently in his final season at N.C. State, where he recently won the triple jump in the Penn Relays.

Schmid started the year winning the Early Bird Challenge in cross country on August 20. After winning the 3A State Cross Country Championships, he qualified for the Indoor State Championships by finishing 14th at the New Balance Dash for Doobie 3,200 in Pfafftown. In December, Schmid ran in the Nike Cross Country Nationals in Portland, OR.

Orange had other competitors nearly reach the state championships. Aiden Viola came in eighth in the 800 meters at 2:04.84.

Myles Jermyn almost earned a ticket to Greensboro in the 1,600 meters. He finished 5th at 4:30.09. Corbin Weeks of Union Pines finished fourth to take the final spot for the state championships at 4:29.57.

Freshman Lucas Van Mater of Orange came in sixth in the 3,200 meters at 10:00.96. Peter Musser crossed the finish line in 10th at 10:28.87.

Edgar Ibarra, who was the only Cedar Ridge Red Wolf to qualify for regionals, finished 14th in the 3,200 meters at 11:09.33.

In addition to Sampey’s near-miss in the pole vault, Orange freshman Liam Van Schaick finished fifth at 9-feet.

Photo courtesy of GoPack.com. 

Jamar Davis: Five years after Davis participated in the Penn Relays as a senior at Orange High School, he returned as a senior at N.C. State last month. Davis won the gold medal in the long jump. He finished at 7.42 meters. That was ahead of the runner-up, Louis Gordon of Albany, who came in at 7.40 meters. Davis finished fifth in the triple jump with his best leap at 15.49 meters. Clarence Foote-Talley of Ohio State won the championship at 16.71 meters.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team won the USA South Conference championship on Saturday at Lefko Field in Misenheimer. The Falcons, who won the regular season championship, defeated Southern Virginia 12-9. Jones had one ground ball and created one turnover. In the opening round, Pfeiffer blasted Methodist 23-3. Jones started at midfield and had one ground ball. Jones is a graduate student who has played for the Falcons program for five seasons. On Sunday night, the field for the NCAA Division III Tournament was released. Pfeiffer will face Centre College in Danville, KY on Wednesday. Pfeiffer defeated Centre College 14-13 on March 23.

Cy Horner: Horner completed his sophomore season with Methodist in the loss to Pfeiffer. The Monarchs defeated LaGrange College 24-16 in the opening round of the USA South Tournament on Tuesday. Horner scored one goal and one assist on six shots. Against Pfeiffer, Horner had three shots. This season, Horner started 17 games. He scored 15 goals and had 21 assists. Methodist ended the year 7-10 overall, 4-4 in the USA South.

Chase Finley: Division II Shorter College ended its season with a loss to the University of Montevallo 26-8 in the opening round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament in St. Augustine, FL. Finley, a former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper, started and made nine saves. He also surrendered nine goals. Shorter ends the season 3-12.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson continues to come out of the bullpen for the Milwaukee Brewers. On Friday, Wilson threw one inning as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Brewers 6-3 at Oracle Park. Wilson threw a scoreless inning in the seventh with two walks and a strikeout. On April 29, Wilson threw two-thirds-of-an-inning against the Los Angeles Angels. He allowed two runs off two hits. The Brewers won 7-5.

Joey Berini: The East Carolina baseball team completed a weekend sweep of Cincinnati at UC Baseball Stadium. On Friday, the Pirates defeated the Bearcats 9-3. Berini knocked in the final run of the game with a sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning. He finished 0-for-5. On Saturday, the Pirates won 11-3. Berini went 3-for-5 with a run scored. The Pirates won 6-5 in ten innings on Sunday. Berini went 0-for-4. On Tuesday, North Carolina held off East Carolina 2-1. Berini started at shortstop.

Dante DeFranco: The Charlotte 49ers baseball team defeated #7 Coastal Carolina 7-3 at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, SC on May 2. DeFranco went 3-for-5 with an RBI double.

Phillip Berger: The Division III William Peace University baseball team has reached the USA South Baseball championship game in Rocky Mount. On Sunday, the Pacers defeated Brevard College 15-14 in Fayetteville in the USA South Baseball Tournament. On Friday, Brevard defeated William Peace 5-2. Berger threw nine innings in a no decision. He struck out a career-high 14 batters. He allowed two runs off seven hits and zero walks. The Pacers will face North Carolina Wesleyan in Rocky Mount on Friday. The winner advances to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Davis Horton: The season of the Rockingham Community College baseball team ended over the weekend in the Region X Tournament. Surry Community College defeated the Eagles 8-7 on Friday. Horton started as catcher and went 0-for-5. Caldwell Tech defeated Rockingham 9-1 on Friday. Horton started at first base. On Thursday, Rockingham defeated Virginia Peninsula Community College 13-3. Horton finished 1-for-4. This season, Horton hit .262 with one home run. He was second on the team with 24 RBIs.

Cooper Porter: The season of Pensacola State ended in the National Junior College Athletic Association South Atlantic District Baseball Championships. Miami Dade College defeated the Pirates 6-0 on Sunday. Porter, a sophomore, played eleven games this season. He hit .154 with one RBI. Porter didn’t play in a game after February 18.

Outdoor Track and Field: After winning the 3A State Cross Country championship in November, Orange’s Gabriel Schmid is looking to return to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Track and Field Championships.

Last week during the Raleigh Relays at Paul Deer Track at N.C. State University, Schmid qualified for the Mideast Regionals in the 3,200 meters, an event that he finished 2nd in last year during the state championships. Schmid finished 2nd in the relays at 9:06.93. That was the top time among competitors from North Carolina among 20 runners. Jake Liebert of Wando, South Carolina finished first.

Since winning the state championship, Schmid has competed all over the country. Earlier this month, he finished seventh overall in the Nike Indoor Nationals at the Armory in New York City. Running in the 2-mile championship, Schmid finished seventh overall at 9:09.46, which broke the school record. Schmid placed second in his heat.

Schmid finished 2nd in the 3,200 meters in the 2022 Eastern Regional Championships at Franklinton High School last May. He finished behind his teammate, Spenser Hampton, who graduated a month later.

In addition, two members of the Orange women’s track and field team qualified for the regional championships. It happened during Orange’s twi-meet against Person and Walter Williams at Auman Stadium on March 23. Junior Grace Pell won the high jump clearing 5-feet-two inches. Her teammate, Kathryn Scully, cleared 5-feet and tied for second. The NCHSAA minimum regional qualifying standards are 5-feet.

Scully also finished first in the triple jump at 31-feet, 8.5 inches.

Men’s Tennis: Orange 5, Cedar Ridge 4

On March 13, Orange held off Cedar Ridge at Panther Tennis Courts. The deciding match came at #3 doubles, where Brendon Kassler and Quincy Stanley won 8-5.

Cedar Ridge won the opening three singles matches. Josh Mayhew, who has reached the 3A State Singles Championship match for the past two years, won the #1 singles match 6-0, 6-0. Cedar Ridge’s Lev Bearman earned the victory at #2 singles 6-1, 6-2. The Red Wolves’ Walker Richards-Baker defeated Nathan Pavalonis 7-5, 5-7, (10-7).

Orange’s Brendon Kassler took another three-set match at #5 singles, winning 3-6, 6-0, 10-3. Panthers senior Cameron Foster prevailed at #4 6-2, 6-1. Stanley, a freshman, gained a split of the six singles matches with a 7-6 (7-1), 7-5.

Mayhew teamed with Leonidas Finley to win at #1 doubles 8-3. Orange evened the match at #2 doubles where Porter Pelphrey and Cameron Foster won 8-4.

Cedar Ridge 5, Walter Williams 3: On March 22, Cedar Ridge won its third overall match of the season in Hillsborough. Mayhew defeated Ty Lagana 6-0, 6-0 as the Red Wolves won four of the six singles matches. Richards-Baker, Colin Fulcher and Landon Richards also earned singles wins. Fulcher captured over Luke Williams 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).

Mayhew teamed with Bowen Wood to clinch the dual match win at #1 doubles with a 8-2 victory over Lagana and Andrew Brasington.

Orange 6, J.F. Webb 3: Orange swept all six of its singles matches to defeat the Warriors in a nonconfernece match on March 15. Porter Pelphrey, a sophomore, won at #1 singles 6-2, 7-5 over Ace Currin. Senior Joseph Clark defeated Aidan Bowen 6-2, 6-2. Sophomore Cameron Foster won over Josh Tomas 6-0, 6-0. Ryan Jouannet captured his match at #4 6-0, 6-0. Tristian Plummer won at #5 while Murilo Lopez won at #6. The Panthers are 5-4 on the season.