With the Big 7 Conference championship meet on the horizon, the Cedar Ridge men’s cross country team delivered a solid performance during one of the biggest meets in North Carolina.
The Red Wolves men’s team won the Red Race at the Great American Cross Country Festival at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary last Saturday. The Red Wolves were paced by senior John Ngunjiri, who finished fifth overall amid a field of 435 other competitors, closing with a time of 16:34.10.
Competing against 50 other teams stretching from five states and the District of Columbia, the Red Wolves finished with 141 points, narrowly inching out Audrey Kell, who registered 143 points. Colonial Forge, based out of Stafford, VA, finished third with 173 points.
Cedar Ridge senior Ryan Matthews finished ten to help the Red Wolves win the team championship, coming in at 16:46.10. Red Wolf junior Landin Tillet came in 29th at 17:10.50.
Other top Cedar Ridge finishers included Henry Alexander (31st at 17:13.20), Michael O’Melia (72nd, 17:52.20), freshman Reece Finnegan, who is also playing men’s soccer this fall (152nd at 18:43.70), junior Callum Hinson (168th, 18:48.60), Alexander Paterno (248th, 19:50.80), Xavi Castrejon (356th at 21:29.50).
The Cedar Ridge women’s team finished sixth in the Red Race with 235 points among 38 teams. Orange finished 14th with 400 points. Cedar Ridge sophomore Ila Diaz came in eighth, the highest local finisher, at 19:54.00. Another Red Wolf sophomore Isabella Taylor-Hall came in 16th among 335 runners with a time of 20:20.70. Orange sophomore Ava Bishop finished 18th at 20:24.20. The Lady Panthers’ Amatha Reddy finished 34th at 20:53.20.
Cedar Ridge junior Kate Finnegan finished 65th overall (21.36.10), while Gracie Whitaker finished 74th (21:43.40). Elaine Sobus (110th at 22:25), Ann Williams (133rd at 22:43.60), Ayla Henry (152nd at 23:04.10), Cecelia McDonald (224th at 24:21.80) and Lily Mallia (231st at 24:29.70) also competed in the women’s Red Race for Cedar Ridge.
Orange’s Kinsey Ross, Magnolia Bolduc, Jilliana Lesso also competed in the women’s Red Race.
Teams were arranged in various races based on the times they had registered so far this season.
The Orange men’s team qualified for the top event, the Race of Champions. Senior Myles Jermyn, the leading runner on the Panthers 3A State Championship team from last autumn, accomplished a new personal best with a time of 15:18,00, finishing 14th overall in a field of 380 runners. Jermyn, the son of Duke cross country coach Kevin Jermyn, helped Orange finished 29th in the team standings among a field of 40 schools. Orange sophomore Grant Schmid finished 130th at 16:16.50
Senior Lucas Van Mater finished 92nd overall at 16:02.30, the next highest Orange finisher.
Orange freshman Jack Crandell came in 328th at 17:49.40. Panther Dallas Johnson, who is a co-Captain for the men’s soccer team, finished 367th at 18:45.40.
In the women’s Race of Champions, Orange sophomore Reilly Jermyn entered the race individually and finished 44th overall out of 362 runners. Jermyn, Myles younger sister, clocked in at 18:14.10.
Including the junior varsity men’s and women’s races a Blue race, and various middle school competitions, over 1,500 runners were included in this year’s Race of Champions.
Orange and Cedar Ridge’s men’s and women’s teams will prepare for the Big 7 Championships at Forest Hills Park in Durham, which will be hosted by Durham School of the Arts on Wednesday afternoon. The Orange men’s team won four consecutive Central Conference championship.
Cedar Ridge won the 2024 Central Conference women’s cross country championship last October.
Under the new eight classification format by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, Orange and Cedar Ridge’s men’s and women’s cross county teams will compete in the Central Regional for the 5A Classification at the Ivey Redmond Sports Complex on October 25. The orange men’s cross country team have won three of the last four Mideast Regional championships in the 3A ranks.
In 2024, the Cedar Ridge women’s team won the 2024 Mideast Regional championship at Owens Rec Park in Louisburg.
