This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior soccer striker Kyla Mehl. Over the last four years, Kyla has been a woman of all seasons for Orange athletics. In the fall, she played tennis. In the winter, she suited up for the basketball team. In the spring, she has played soccer. Through it all, she has won a state playoff game in each sport. In tennis, Mehl was a starter for the first Orange team to reach the round of 16 in the state playoffs last fall. She was also part of the first women’s tennis team in team history to host a state playoff match in 2024, when Orange defeated Northern Nash 5-2. Last fall, Mehl won her singles match when Orange defeated Southern Nash 5-1 in the opening round of the 5A State Playoffs. She earned the clinching point for Orange when they defeated Hunt in Wilson 5-1, earning Orange’s first-ever second round state playoff win. Last winter, Mehl scored 15 points as Orange defeated J.F. Webb 76-36 in Oxford. This spring, Mehl helped the Orange soccer team host a game in the state playoffs. She played varsity soccer for four years as started when Orange hosted a state playoff game last year, a victory over Southern Nash. Mehl finished her storied athletic career at Orange last Monday in soccer. When she graduates in June, Kyla plans to attend UNC-Chapel Hill and aims to work with Special Olympics outside the classroom.
