Photo by Jacques Morin
A year after she posted four hat trick for the Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team, Kate Finnegan has earned her first one for 2026.
On Wednesday, Finnegan scored three goals as the Red Wolves defeated Bartlett Yancey 11-2 in Yanceyville. Finnegan also assisted on three goals as eight different players scored for Cedar Ridge, which improved to 2-2.
Through four games, Finnegan has six goals. That includes two goals in the season-opening win over Northwood.
Alex Tong, Gracie Whitaker, Alex Engel, Ava Smith, Nora Kelly, Hayli Headrick and Charlotte Darab also added goals for the Red Wolves. Cedar Ridge fired 27 shots against the Buccaneers.
Senior goalkeeper Ellamarie Perel made two saves.
Cedar Ridge will travel to Orange for its Big 7 Conference opener on Monday night.
Softball: Cedar Ridge 11, River Mill Academy 1, 5 innings: Mia Best hit her third home run of the season and earned the victory in the circle as Cedar Ridge cruised to a victory on Wednesday.
Cedar Ridge rolled to four runs in the first inning. Madeline Galindo-Woodring started things with a little league home run in the first inning. Galindo-Woodring singled to left field and rounded the bases following a series of Jaguars series. Best delivered a triple that landed off the right field fence and scored off a double by Arianna McGraw.
Galindo-Woodring went 4-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored.
Senior Laci Sykes went 2-for-2 with a double. Sykes also drove in McGraw with a sacrifice fly in the second.
Qiaura Rogers went 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Senior Victoria Matthews entered the game in the fourth inning and delivered an RBI single to score Sykes.
Freshman Lorelei Lowry finished the game throwing the last two innings in the circle.
In the fifth, Galindo-Woodring led off with a triple to left field. Raegan Remaly ended the game with a line drive to right field for the Red Wolves first run-rule victory of the season.
Outdoor Track & Field:
Cedar Ridge freshman Michelle Pringley finished 1st in the shot put in an outdoor track and field meet at Eastern Alamance High School on Wednesday. Pringley, who competed in indoor track and field and basketball this winter, finished first among 16 competitors with a throw of 35-feet, 4-inches.
With four teams competing, the Orange women finished first with 112 points. Cedar Ridge finished second with 54 points while J.F. Webb had 46. South Granville tallied 17.
Red Wolf senior Rebecca Fullwood finished first in the 400 meters at 1:03.64 in a race where the Red Wolves took the top three spots. Following Fullwood, sophomore Emery Auffret came in second (1:10.86). Alexandra Gallina came in third at 1:11.97.
In the men’s meet, Cedar Ridge senior Isaiah Craig won the discuss toss. Craig, who was a starter for the Cedar Ridge wrestling team that won the Big 7 Conference championship this winter, had his top throw go 106 feet.
Cedar Ridge senior Ender Buchanan, who won the 3A State Pole Vault championship in 2025, finished first in the pole vault at 12-feet, 6-inches. Orange senior Owen Grant finished second at 12-feet.
Orange junior Grant Schmid won two events. In the 1,600 meters, Schmid finished at 4:40.67, beating out teammate Lucas Van Mater. Panther freshman Jack Candell came in third (5:01.92).
In the 3,200 meters, Schmid finished first at 10:19.40, beating out Van Mater by .29 seconds. Cedar Ridge senior John Ngunjiri finished third at 11:05.84.
Orange senior Gabe Yen won two hurdles events. In the 110 hurdles, Yen registered a time of 16.51 seconds. Craig finished second at 17.05 seconds.
In the 300 hurdles, Yen came in first at 42.73 seconds. Craig was the runner-up at 43.12 seconds.
In the 800 meters, Orange senior Dallas Johnson paced the pack at 2:10.73. The Panthers placed the top six runners in the event. Crandall finished second while Cayden Ruggles finished third at 2:34.32. Freshman Cameron Rios came in fourth at 2:38.10.
