Cedar Ridge sophomore Thalia Paterno was an instrumental part of a season that put Red Wolves wrestling in the record books. For starters, the Cedar Ridge women’s program became the first Big 7 Conference champions, going undefeated against league competition. They are the first team to claim a women’s conference wrestling championship locally. Along with the men’s team, Cedar Ridge is tied with Carrboro with four Big 7 Conference championships across all sports at the end of the winter sports season, more than the rest of the league. Paterno led Cedar Ridge with 36 wins this season. For the first time, she qualified for the 5A State Championships at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. Last week at the 5A East Regional championships at Seaforth High School, Paterno was the top-seed in the 107-pound tournament. She finished second. In the opening round, Paterno pinned Sophia Beyer of Havelock in 1:11. In the semifinals, Paterno pinned Sarah Maddalena in 1:52 to reach the finals and clinch a spot in the state championships. At the State Championships, Paterno pinned Cheyanne Hunt of Croatan 9-3 in the consolation round. While Paterno fell shot of placing in the field of eight competitors, Paterno will spend the summer focusing on 2026-2027 season and helping Cedar Ridge to new inroads.
