Sadie Cecil: Amidst the snow and winter weather, Cecil had a memorable start to her college career on Friday. Cecil drove in Division II Mars Hill’s first run of the season with a double in a 8-0 win over Lynn University in six innings at Tyger River Park in Duncan, SC on Friday. Cecil knocked in Sydney Hodges with a double in the second inning. Cecil also knocked in a run on a infield groundout in the sixth. She added a two-out single in the third. Later in the day, Clark Atlanta outlasted Mars Hill 10-9 in nine innings. Cecil, starting at third base, went 1-for-4 and scored a run in the fifth. The Lions were supposed to play USC Beaufort, but it was canceled due to snow.
Rhiley Crabtree: Last week in our season preview, we omitted Crabtree’s name. Crabtree, a former Orange 1st baseman and basketball player, is now a freshman at Division II Mt. Olive. The Trojans started its season in the Embry Riddle Invitational in Dayton Beach, FL over the weekend. Pitt State defeated Mt. Olive 8-0. Ferris States defeated the Trojans 9-7. On Saturday, Columbus State defeated the Trojans 3-2. Pitt State knocked off Mt. Olive 9-3. A doubleheader on Sunday scheduled against Ferris State and Embry-Riddle was canceled due to the winter weather
Katie Belle Sikes: For the second week in a row, Sikes won an individual race for the #16 Georgia Bulldogs women’s swimming team. Sikes won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.49 seconds on Saturday against Division III Emory University at Gabrieslen Natatorium in a snowy Athens, GA. Georgia defeated Emory, which is #2 in the Division III Rankings, 190-106. Sikes also swam the anchor leg in the 200 yard medley relay, which Georgia won with a time of 1:37.45. Sikes closed with a time of 21.96 seconds as the Lady Dawgs won on its Senior Day. Sikes also finished second in the 100 yard backstroke at 54.30 seconds, just behind teammate Kennedi Dobson (52.57). On Friday, Georgia will travel to Auburn before the SEC Championships
Braden Crawford: The Division II Ferrum wrestling team won the Builder Invitational in Newport News, VA on January 17 at Apprentice Athletic Center. Crawford finished fifth in the 141-pound tournament, one of two Ferrum wrestlers competing in the division. In the opening consolation round, Crawford pinned Jose Zavala of Davis & Elkins in 2:00. Crawford earned a 5-0 win over Michael Schick of Clemson and reached the consolation semifinals with a pinfall victory over Blayson Jordan of West Virginia Tech in 3:55. In the fifth place match, Crawford pinned Adrian Fox of Randolph in 1:32. On January 11, Ferrum defeated Garrett College 28-16 in McHenry, MD. Crawford pinned Keon Gavin in 5:50. This weekend, Ferrum defeated Allen College 39-6 in Columbia, SC. The Panthers are 6-7 overall, 2-6 in Conference Carolinas.
Ryan Moss: A 2024 Orange graduate, Moss is now in his second season playing basketball at Waynesburg University, a Division III school in Pennsylvania. Moss has played in five games. The Yellow Jackets are 6-13 overall, 2-8 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Moss was a regular rotation player for Orange’s 2024 Central Conference regular season and tournament championship team.
Evelyn George: The Division III Guilford College women’s basketball team bounced back to win both of its games last week. The Quakers defeated Shenandoah 80-75 in overtime on Friday at Ragan-Brown Field House in Greensboro. George played eleven minutes and grabbed two rebounds. On Wednesday, Guilford defeated Hollins University 55-45 at Main Gymnasium in Roanoke,VA. George grabbed four rebounds in 12 minutes. Guilford is 16-3 overall, 7-3 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. They travel to the University of Lynchburg on Wednesday.
Ryan Honeycutt: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne baseball team was supposed to start its season with a four-game series against the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown this weekend at Durham Field in Hickory. All four games were canceled due to the snow. Honeycutt, a former Orange catcher and first baseman, redshirted in his freshman season with the Bears. Lenoir-Rhyne is scheduled to face Bluefield State in West Virginia on Wednesday.
Garrett Sawyer: A former centerfielder and pitcher for Orange, Sawyer will start his career for Division II Ferrum College this Friday. The Panthers will face Concord University in a doubleheader at Athens, WV on Saturday with another game on tap for Sunday.
