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There was history made on several levels for the Orange men’s swimming team at the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary on Friday night. Orange’s 400 freestyle relay team of Luke Roman, Alex Andre, Ayden Twiddy and Noah Jones became the first men’s relay team in school history to win a state championship. In the final race of the night, Orange edged Lake Norman Charter to take the 400 freestyle state championship with a time of 3:18.18. It was the final race together for the Orange men’s seniors. Over the past four years, Roman, Twiddy, Andre, Jones and Nick Baczara have led Orange to four consecutive Central Conference championships. This year, Orange won the Central Regional men’s team championship for the first time ever. On Friday night, they finished 3rd in the state championships, their best-ever showing. Roman became the first male swimmer in school history to earn Most Outstanding Swimmer honors in the State Championships. Roman won the 200 yard freestyle state championship. For the second year in a row, Roman won the 500 yard freestyle state title. And for the second year in a row, Andre finished 2nd in the 500 yard freestyle. It was a fitting end for a group that has revolutionized swimming at Orange High School and whose name will forever decorate the school record books.

Orange’s Roman, Andre, Jones, Twiddy & Nick Baczara discuss swimming relay state title

There was history made on several levels for the Orange men’s swimming team at the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary on Friday night. Orange’s 400 freestyle relay team of Luke Roman, Alex Andre, Ayden Twiddy and Noah Jones became the first men’s relay team in school history to win a state championship.

CARY–Following five individual conference and three regional championships, Cedar Ridge senior Sophia Stinnett ended her high school career at the 3A State Championships.

Stinnett, who captured the 500 yard Central Regional championship at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on February 1, finished seventh in swimming’s longest individual event at the Triangle Aquatic Center on Friday night. Stinnett, who qualified for the state championships in all four of her seasons at Cedar Ridge, finished fourth in the 100 yard backstroke. In her final race with the Red Wolves, Stinnett finished at 1:00.81. Last year, Stinnett took the bronze medal in the backstroke.

Cedar Ridge, the Central Conference champions, finished 7th in the team standings with 98 points. Orange came in 8th with 97.5 points.

Orange, which finished 2nd in the 3A State Championships last year behind the leadership of Katie Belle Sikes, had junior Piper White pick up her first individual medal. White finished third in the 50 yard freestyle at 53.94 seconds. Lily Hermans of Concord, who won the gold medal in the 100 yard freestyle, also took the state championship in the 50 free at 51.97 seconds.

White finished 4th in the 100 yard freestyle at 53.94 seconds. Hermans finished at 51.97 seconds, while Ila Turner of South Point finished second.

Stinnett’s final race as a Red Wolf ended a period of her life that started when she started swimming at the Orange County SportsPlex when she was six years old.

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Stinnett said after her Senior Day meet, which also happened to be the Central Conference championships. “I’m really excited for what the future holds. Cedar Ridge had never won the conference championship the four years that I had been here. So to win in my senior year, it means a lot to me and a lot to my friends.”

Stinnett has committed to swim at Le Moyne College in DeWitt, New York, where she is no stranger.

“I have a lot of family in New York,” Stinnett said. “I’ve always wanted to go to college up in New York. I really like the atmosphere at Le Moyne. It’s right next to Syracuse University, which is nice. I like to say it’s a home away from home for me.”

Stinnett would have had a chance to win more than three regional championships, but her freshman season ended abruptly due to a COVID outbreak. Thus, their trip to regionals and the state championships were cancelled.

“It’s been a crazy four years, especially my freshman year,” Stinnett said. “I’m just really grateful for the memories. I’m thankful for what Coach Amanda (Jones) has taught me.”

Stinnett’s club team is the Hillsborough Aquatic Club.

Stinnett’s fellow senior co-Captain, Quinn McCrimmon, finished fifth in the state championships in the 100 yard butterfly. McCrimmon, who finished 2nd in the butterfly at regionals, took the conference championship last month in Hillsborough.

“I’m really excited but I’m really sad to go,” McCrimmon said following the medal ceremony that ended the evening. “I haven’t processed it so the feelings aren’t happening yet. I’ve had the opportunity to swim with so many amazing teammates. To see them also get their final awards for high school and get the opportunity to shine has been amazing.”

McCrimmon, who started swimming when she was ten years old, hopes to attend N.C. State and plans to continue swimming at the club level. She also finished 11th in the 200 yard individual medley.

McCrimmon, Stinnett, Margaret Payton and Natalie Kunz finished 6th in the 200 yard medley relay, which was the opening event of the final session.

Orange’s 200 yard medley relay team of White, Zoe Jones, Ainsley Rasinske and Addison Moore finished in 8th place at 1:58.82. Lake Norman Charter, who won the overall team championship, also captured the 200 medley relay.

In the 200 yard freestyle relay, McCrimmon, Stinnett, Payton and Hala Zafar finished 9th overall at 1:46.30. Orange’s team of Jones, Rasinske, White and freshman Reilly Jermyn came in 11th (1:47.90).

In the 400 yard freestyle relay, Orange’s team of Moore, Jermyn, Rasinske and Claudia Seagrove finished 15th at 4:10.19.

Jones, a senior, came in 14th in the 200 yard IM.

Payton, a sophomore, finished 11th in the 200 yard freestyle at 2:05.56. She also finished 16th in the 100 yard breaststroke.

Moore, another Orange freshman, finished 11th in the 100 yard backstroke.

Senior night was going to be emotional enough for Orange men’s basketball.

There will be eight seniors honored, including starters Xandrell Pennix, Freddy Sneed and Michael Clark, all of whom have been varsity players since they were freshmen.

Now, there will be more on the line. A share of the Central Conference regular season championship.

On Friday, Orange will host Eastern Alamance in Hillsborough. If Orange wins, they will finish 10-2 and claim at least a portion of the league title for the second straight year.

It will be a rematch of the Central Conference opener back on December 13 in Mebane, where the Eagles surprised the Panthers with a 1-3-1 zone in the second half. Orange shot just 33% from the field in a 66-60 loss. The Eagles ended a six-game losing streak to the Panthers behind freshman Mason Murphy scoring 24 points. Senior guard Ja’vier Tinnin finished with 15 points.

By the time Friday rolls around, it will have been nearly two months to the day after their initial meeting and both teams have added new dimensions. Orange center Jalen Crayton, who went scoreless in Mebane, has become more assertive offensively and have only improved with his finishing ability and free throw shooting.

Eastern Alamance has sophomore Hunter Eichmann, whose father Sean played at Orange in the mid-1990s and whose grandfather was a trigonometry and geometry teacher at Orange, as well as being the biggest Philadelphia Flyers fan in school history. Eichman played sparingly against Orange in the previous meeting, but has become a constant contributor for the Eagles. He is averaging 12 points per game and scored 22 points in a win at Person on January 14.

Following a difficult loss to Person on February 4, Orange bounced back to rout Southern Alamance 84-47 on Friday night in Hillsborough. It was Orange’s fifth wire-to-wire win in its last six games.

Crayton scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, his first career double-double. Junior guard Kai Wade paced all scorers with 19 points and eight rebounds.

With the win, Orange improved to 17-6, officially surpassing its win total from last year when they finished 16-12.

Kamaal Smith added a career-high 13 points as Orange improved to 9-2 in league play. Orange is tied with Eastern Alamance and Person for first place in the loss column in the Central Conference.

Orange’s fullcourt pressure hampered the Patriots throughout the night. The Panthers forced 22 steals and created 31 turnovers in all. They limited Southern Alamance (4-18, 1-9) to 27% shooting from the field.

Orange started the game on a 9-0 run. Pennix, who finished with six points to put his career total at 972 points, swished a 3-pointer to force a Southern Alamance timeout. Freddy Sneed forced consecutive steals, both of which led to field goals. Sneed found Crayton for a lay-in to put the Panthers ahead 13-2. Smith ended the first quarter with a 3-pointer off a feed from Sneed.

Jasiah Allen led Southern Alamance with 13 points.

Orange had a three-game winning streak come to an end against Person on February 4. The Rockets, who blew a 19-point lead to Orange in a 67-65 Panther win in Roxboro on January 9, got 18 points from senior Lance Clarke.

Orange led the majority of the game against Person in Hillsborough, building a 31-22 advantage with 5:53 remaining in the third quarter after Sneed scored on a lay-in. Clarke, who was held to three points in the first half, erupted for eleven points in the third quarter. Clarke hit back-to-back three-pointers to put the Rockets ahead 37-36 with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter. It was Person’s first lead since it was 8-7 late in the first quarter.

Person’s Tae Winstead scored on a stickback bucket with 1:51 remaining in the game. Clarke drained two free throws with nine seconds remaining to give Person the game-winning points.

CARY–It was a chance to do something unprecedented in Orange High history.

It was also their last chance.

As the Orange men’s 4×400 freestyle relay team walked to the blocks amid a parade of swimmers amid fireworks and the sound of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” blaring over the speakers, this was more than just the last race of the 3A State Championships on Friday night.

This was the end of the golden era of Orange men’s swimming.

Yet the Panthers had never won a state championship in a relay event.

As Noah Jones completed the third leg of the race, he trailed Lake Norman Charter’s Jack Rodgers by .53 seconds. Luke Roman, in the final two laps of his career, would determine if his teammates would become the first of their kind.

Squared up against Neil Hart, Roman put the Panthers back in the lead roughly 25 yards after diving from the blocks. Roman completed his first lap at 22.45 seconds, putting Orange ahead by .47 seconds. Roman’s second lap would turn a narrow Orange victory into a comfortable one, but dramatic nonetheless. He touched the wall for the final time at 3:18.18, beating Lake Norman Charter’s time of 3:20.69.

With that, Alexander Andre, Ayden Twiddy, Noah Jones and Luke Roman would be the first state championship relay team in Orange men’s swimming history.

It was the perfect end for Roman as he laid claim to being the greatest male swimmer in Orange men’s history. He claimed the 500 yard and 200 yard freestyle state championships on Friday night, ending his career with three individual and one relay state championships.

Roman was named the Most Outstanding Male Swimmer of the 3A State Championships, the first Panther ever to earn the honor.

“I don’t even know if I can explain how I felt,” Roman said about his final 100 yards as a Panther. “It was a full circle moment. It was so exciting. All I wanted to do was win so badly for my teammates, for my parents, for my loved ones, my coaches. That last 100 yards was electric.”

It also marked the end of the golden era of Orange swimming. Roman, Andre, Twiddy, Jones and Nick Baczara are five seniors who joined the program during the pandemic.  Together, they won four Central Conference championships and the first 3A Central Regional title in program history.

Andre, who finished third in the 200 yard individual medley, put Orange ahead in the relay race with an opening lap of 50.46 seconds.

“This is a special championship because we’re all seniors,” Andre said. “They have been my dogs since my freshman year. It was really special to win our last race together.”

While Katie Belle Sikes won Most Outstanding Female Swimmer last year to culminate a career that included five individual state championships, she went into last February knowing her college career would take her to waters at the University of Georgia.

In Roman’s case, there was a sense of finality.

Several colleges have inquired about Roman’s availability, but first and foremost on his mind is medical school.

“I feel like I went through that wall when I touched it,” Roman said. “It was really special this being my last state championship. On our senior day, we talked and poured my heart out to them. I told my teammates and coaches how special they’ve been to me. I couldn’t do anything without them.”

In regards to organized swimming, the relay race may have been the last lap of his life.

After beating out Carrboro to win the Central Regional championship last week, the Panthers finished 3rd as a team in the state championships. Lake Norman Charter captured the state championship with 256.5 points. Carrboro edged Orange for State runner-up with 170 points, compared to the Panthers with 164.

In his first individual race of the night, Roman won the 200 yard freestyle state championship. Starting with an opening lap of 23.67 seconds, Roman held off Rider Warner of East Lincoln at 1:41.55. Warner finished 2nd at 1:42.20.

For the second year in a row, Roman and Andre finished 1-2 in the 500 yard freestyle. Roman repeated as 500 state champion, leading every lap and closing at 4:40.20. Andre earned the silver medal at 4:44.45. Grey DeWalt of Carrboro took the bronze in 4:46.99.

Roman won the 500 state championship last year. He won the 500 regional championship twice and the conference title four times.

Orange’s 200 yard medley relay team of Roman, Andre, Baczara and Jones finished 4th at 1:40.76. Forestview captured the state championship at 1:39.91.

Twiddy finished 9th in the state in the 100 yard freestyle. Twiddy also won the consolation race in the 200 freestyle at 1:51.66. Cedar Ridge senior Philip Cauwels came in 11th in the 200 free at 1:52.94.

Jones finished 16th in the 50 yard freestyle.

Cedar Ridge freshman J.E. Sandor finished 11th in the 100 yard butterfly at 55.30 seconds. Red Wolf sophomore Christopher Seawell finished 14th in the 100 yard freestyle.

In its final home game of the year, the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team gave a sign of good times ahead.

It led to their biggest win of the season.

Freshman Elliott Wisenfeld drained two 3-pointers as Cedar Ridge closed with a 15-3 run in the final seven minutes of regulation to upset Eastern Alamance 47-35 on Thursday night in Hillsborough. Wisenfeld drained a 21-footer with 5:59 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 32-32. Sophomore Kate Finnegan scored a lay-up off a steal by Hailey McLeod to put the Red Wolves ahead for good.

The Cedar Ridge defense limited Eastern Alamance, who came into the game in second place in the Central Conference, to 3-of-98 shooting from the field in the fourth quarter. Cedar Ridge outscored the Eagles 20-7 in the final eight minutes. The Red Wolves shot 10-of-14 from the free throw line in the final quarter and went 4-of-5 from the field.

Eastern Alamance (11-10) had a two-game winning streak snapped. The Eagles led 28-23 with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter after Marion Scott scored a short jumper off a pass from Aliya Trollinger. Makayla Scott led the Eagles with 13 points. Cedar Ridge closed the quarter with two free throws from Finnegan and a jumper by Ava Smith off a pass from McLeod to close the Eagles lead to 28-27 going into the fourth quarter.

Cedar Ridge forced six Eastern Alamance turnovers in the fourth quarter and held the Eagles scoreless for over six minutes. Freshman Kennedi Fearrington, junior Jamee Watson and sophomore Esther Mwirinzi sank free throws in the fourth quarter to help the Red Wolves pull away. Makayla Scott injected some drama with a 3-pointer to cut the Red Wolves lead to 39-35, but Mwirinzi drained two more free throws, followed by a 3-pointer from Weisenfeld.

Cedar Ridge (7-12 overall, 3-8 in the Central Conference) will take a #6 seed into next week’s Central Conference Tournament. The Red Wolves will finish the regular season against Walter Williams in Burlington on Wednesday night.

The win ensured that Western Alamance would repeat as Central Conference regular season champions.

Orange 56, Southern Alamance 17: Lady Panthers forward Evelyn George completed her 12th double-double of the season and the 24th of her career as Orange easily put away Southern Alamance to remain in contention to finish in 2nd place in the Central Conference.

George registered 16 points, 13 rebounds, six steals and three assists as Orange improved to 14-8 overall, 7-4 in the Central Conference.

Senior forward Shannon Murphy finished with 13 points while sophomore Lily Wilson had a career-high 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.

Sarah Kathryn Manness led Southern Alamance with nine points. The Patriots managed to stay close early as Cayla Shaw and Manness closed the first quarter with consecutive field goals to cut Orange’s lead to 14-12 going into the second quarter.

Wilson opened the second quarter with a three-pointer off a skip pass from George, but the Patriots refused to go away. Madison Holloway and Shaw each scored field goals to reduce the Orange lead to 17-16. George grabbed an offensive rebound and found Wilson for another 3-pointer, which sparked a 20-0 Orange run. Southern Alamance didn’t score in the final 4:18 of the first half.

Orange junior point guard closed out the first half with a 3-pointer off a pass from Wilson to send the Lady Panthers into the locker room with a 33-16 lead.

Orange held Southern Alamance without a field goal in the second half, outscoring the Patriots 26-1. The Lady Panthers led by as much as 56-17 in the fourth quarter.

The Lady Panthers are now guaranteed a home game in the opening round of the Central Conference Tournament. They will face Eastern Alamance on Friday night for senior night. George, Murphy, Marshea Byrd, Chloe Caldwell, Bryce Jones and Rhiley Crabtree will be honored during festivities between games of the doubleheader just before the men’s game.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior Alex Andre. On Friday night, Andre became a member of the first Orange men’s swimming relay team in school history to win a state championship. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, the final race of the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, Andre completed the opening 100 yard in 49.22, putting Orange in the lead and they would eventually take the championship. This season, Andre helped Orange win the Central Conference championship. He captured the 200 yard individual medley conference title for the second year in a row. Last week, Andre captured the 200 IM Regional Championship at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. It greatly helped Orange win the Central Regional championship for the first time in school. history. On Friday night, Andre finished 2nd in the 500 yard freestyle in the state championships. He finished third in the 200 yard individual medley in the state championships, finishing at 1:57.92. Over the past four years, Andre has been an invaluable part of the longest sustained success in Orange men’s swimming history. The daily morning workouts at the Orange County SportsPlex proved to be worth it in the end as Andre helped Orange finish 3rd in the team standings at the state championships. Andre’s name will live on for years to come in the record books.

(Editor’s note: the attached interview was recorded in 2024.)

Orange Panther of the Week: Alex Andre

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior Alex Andre. On Friday night, Andre became a member of the first Orange men’s swimming relay team in school history to win a state championship.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior swimmer Quinn McCrimmon. This winter, McCrimmon helped the Red Wolves win the Central Conference championship. Last month, McCrimmon won the conference title in the 200 yard freestyle in the tightest race of the meet, beating Elizabeth Merlette of Walter Williams by .18 of a second. When she was in elementary school, McCrimmon had no intention of being a swimmer. She had a neighbor recommend swimming to Quinn’s parents to deal with her exuberant personality. McCrimmon continued to develop through middle school and with her travel teams. On Friday night, McCrimmon ended her Cedar Ridge career by finishing 5th in the butterfly at the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. In 2024, McCrimmon claimed the Central Conference championship in the 10o yard butterfly. She also teamed with Sophia Stinnett, Hala Zafar, and Sierra Godfrey to win the 400 yard freestyle relay conference championship. McCrimmon finished 2nd in the 100 butterfly during the Central Regional championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on February 1. McCrimmon’s leadership helped Cedar Ridge to its first conference championship as a 3A school this year. After she graduates in June, McCrimmon hopes to attend N.C. State, where she aims to continue swimming at the club level.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Quinn McCrimmon

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior swimmer Quinn McCrimmon. This winter, McCrimmon helped the Red Wolves win the Central Conference championship. Last month, McCrimmon won the conference title in the 200 yard freestyle in the tightest race of the meet, beating Elizabeth Merlette of Walter Williams by .18 of a second.

Entering the final week of the regular season, the Orange women’s basketball team is trying to finish in second place in the Central Conference. Last Friday, the Lady Panthers defeated Cedar Ridge 35-29. Evelyn George scored eleven points to lead Orange. Shannon Murphy had a crucial 3-pointer as Orange pulled away in the final minutes. Addie Atkins also knocked down a three-pointer as the Lady Panthers swept the season series from the Red Wolves. George was honored before the game against Walter Williams last month for scoring over 1,000 points. Last year, she grabbed her 500th rebound. Recently, she committed to play at Division III Guilford College. Next Friday, George, Murphy, Marshea Byrd, Bryce Jones, and  Rhiley Crabtree will be honored during Orange’s senior night ceremony. Orange is 14-8 after its win over Southern Alamance on Friday night. In that game, George earned her 24th career double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, along with six steals. Murphy added 13 points, including 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range. If Orange can win against Eastern Alamance, it will improve their chances of earning the #2 seed for the Central Conference Tournament. Orange will host the semifinals and championship games in the men’s and women’s tournaments. Western Alamance has claimed the regular season conference championship and will be the #1 seed.

Orange women’s basketball’s Evelyn George, Shannon Murphy & Addie Atkins discuss win vs. Cedar Ridge

Entering the final week of the regular season, the Orange women’s basketball team is trying to finish in second place in the Central Conference. Last Friday, the Lady Panthers defeated Cedar Ridge 35-29. Evelyn George scored eleven points to lead Orange. Shannon Murphy had a crucial 3-pointer as Orange pulled away in the final minutes.