Orange Track and Field

Well, Monday nights are free again.

Now that Better Call Saul is done, we can finally officially turn the page to the fall sports season, which has started with abundance across Hillsborough.

To steal a line from Gus Fring in Breaking Bad (you may not want to YouTube this scene if you’re squeamish): well, get back to work.

And what’s changed? In regards to volleyball, not much.

Cedar Ridge had an early stumble in its season-opener against J.H. Rose. Since then, they’ve won over three teams that have each won a state championship with the last five years, each of the matches outside of Hillsborough.

One thing that has changed is the depth of the Central Carolina Conference. In 2021, it was the deepest league in 3A volleyball. Since Cedar Ridge claimed the state championship, Northwood lost all but two players from a squad that went to the Round of 16 in the 3A State Playoffs last year. Person lost nine players from the 2021 squad, which reached the final of the Central Carolina Conference tournament.

It appears that Orange will be the main obstacle to keep Cedar Ridge from winning a third straight conference championship.

It seems that best way to start off a new academic year is by going back to the future and bring back a popular column. Each Monday, we’ll honor the top seven performers from the previous week from Cedar Ridge and Orange High. That’s why it’s called the Magnificent 7.

Unfortunately, we missed the opening week, so we’ll have two columns of the Magnificent 7 to bring you this week. In this one, we’ll focus on the opening week, a time when the Orange men’s soccer team played the first game of the 2021-2022 academic year against Riverside on an unseasonably cool night at Linny Wrenn Stadium in Durham.

1. Gabriel Schmid-Jr. Orange High School. Started the season by winning the Early Bird Challenge Cross Country Championships at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Schmid, who finished 2nd in the 3,200 meters in the 3A State Track & Field Championships in May, won the first invitational race in his career. He beat out 177 other runners to take the title.
2. Roman Morrell-Sr. Cedar Ridge High School Finished second at the Early Bird Challenge behind Schmid. Morrell followed that up by winning the Ronald Horton Cross Country Challenge at Northwood in Pittsboro this past Saturday. Last season, Morrell finished in the top 30 in the 3A State Cross Country Championships at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.
3. Grace Young-Sr. Cedar Ridge High School: In the opening week of volleyball season, Young had 13 digs and four assists in a win over Apex Friendship. Against J.H. Rose, Young had 17 digs and 14 service receptions. Young is the libero for the Red Wolves who has committed to play at UNC Asheville. She was named the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week for the opening week of the academic year.
4. Sydney Rogers-Sr. Orange High School: Became the first female to score a point for the orange football team when she kicked an extra point against South Granville. She later kicked an 25-year field goal to give Orange its only lead of the game. Rogers is also playing tennis for coach Justin Webb. In the opening week of the year, she won both of her singles matches as Orange defeated Voyager Academy and Southern Alamance.
5. Ella Caltabiano-Soph. Cedar Ridge High School: Caltabiano won both of her matches in Cedar Ridge’s opening victory of the season against Southern Alamance. Caltabiano won her match at #2 singles 6-0, 6-0. She then teamed with Catherine Ballenger to win at #1 doubles 8-1. Last season, Caltabiano started regularly as a freshman and was named a Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week in the second week of the season.
6. Ella Wimsatt-Jr. Orange High School Led Orange in kills in its season-opening victory over Jordan on August 18. Last season, Wimsatt was second on the team with 104 kills to help Orange reach the second round of the 3A State Playoffs. Wimsatt was also second on the team with 151 digs. The Lady Panthers went to East Chapel Hill for a series of matches on August 19-20 and defeated East Chapel Hill and Western Alamance.
7. Madelyn Horn-Sr. Orange High School: Had a crucial win for the Orange women’s soccer team in a victory over Voyager Academy. She was the only player to win two matches for Orange against the Vikings. Two days later, she won a singles match and a doubles match as the Lady Panthers rolled to a win over Southern Alamance.

The first Orange Panther of the Week for the 2022-2023 academic year is junior cross country runner Gabiel Schmid. On Saturday, Schmid won the Early Bird Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Park in Apex. Schmid outran 179 other competitors to win the first invitational race of his career with a time of 16:01.37, a full 40 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. As a sophomore, Schmid was a member of the most successful men’s cross country team in Orange history. In 2021, Orange won the 3A Mideast Regional championship. Last spring, Schmid finished 2nd in the 3,200 meters in the 3A State Track & Field Championships at North Carolina A&T University. This summer, Schmid prepared for the upcoming season by training in the mountain terrain in Brevard. Last season, Schmid won two individual cross country dual meets as a sophomore. Now, with some members of Orange’s championship team graduated, Schmid is set to lead the Panthers to new heights as the 2022 season starts in earnest on September 7. The Panthers will face Cedar Ridge in a dual meet in Hillsborough. 

The bad news for the Orange men’s cross country team is some of the runners from the most successful team in squad history graduated two months ago.

The good news is junior Gabriel Schmid is ready to inherit the throne that teammate Spenser Hampton left behind.

On Saturday morning, Schmid ran through rainy conditions at WakeMed Park in Apex to win the Early Bird Challenge, which featured 178 runners from eleven teams. Cedar Ridge’s Roman Morrell, who qualified for the 3A State Championships last year, finished second.

Schmid outpaced the pack on a time of 16:01.37. Morrell came in second at 16:41.82.

Schmid, a junior who finished fourth in the Mideast Regional last October at Northwood High School in Pittsboro, won the first invitational race in his high school career. Last September, he finished eleventh out of a group of 238 runners in the Friday Night Lights Festival at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.

In 2021, Schmid won two dual meets. He finished third in the Central Carolina Conference Championships, which Orange captured as a team. Schmid’s then-freshman teammate, Abezu Delvecchia, earned the conference championship.

Last October, for the first time ever, the Orange men’s cross country team won the 3A Mideast Regional Championship. Hampton led the Panther charge with a second-place individual finish, with Schmid not far behind. Alden Cathey, who would go on to play for Orange’s conference championship lacrosse team, came in 14th. Ethan Horton, who just moved in at American University in Washington, D.C, crossed the finish line 19th. Senior Nick Pell, the Homecoming King who also played football last fall, finished 23rd.

Schmid’s first place finish at the Early Bird Championship followed a stellar track & field season last spring. Schmid, whose mother ran cross country at Brigham Young University, finished second in the 3,200 meters at the 3A State Championships at the Irwin Belk Track inside North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro last May. Schmid earned the silver medal with a time of 9:35.89. Forestview’s Austin Brotemarkle claimed the state title.

It was the second year in a row that an Orange High runner finished second in the 3,200 meters in the state championship. in 2021, Hampton earned the silver medal.

In addition, Schmid teamed with Hampton, Ethan Horton and Nick Pell to finish eighth in the state in the 4×800 meter relay.

To prepare for his junior season, Schmid trained at the Pisgah National Forest in Brevard, where drills included running three-miles uphill at an elevation of 1,500 feet.

“That was super fun,” Schmid said.

He also journeyed to West Virginia for a ragnar race, where each member of a team of eight must run three different routes: one is three miles, another is four-and-a-half miles and the final is six miles. The longer a person runs, the more the elevation increases.

Each race is spaced out with six hours in between. Schmid, who ran the race with Hampton, ran at 7 PM, 1AM and 6 AM.

“It was very tough,” Schmid said.

In October, the Mideast Regionals will be held at WakeMed Park, which Schmid admits wasn’t easy to compete in after rain had fallen last weekend.

“WakeMed is almost like the best course in the U.S., aside from Running Lane,” Schmid said, referring to a course in Huntsville, AL that hosts a national championship every December. “It’s an awesome course and running it alone feels weird.”

It was also a strong start to the season for Morrell, who finished 11th in the regional championships. Morrell, a senior, also had a solid track & field season for the Red Wolves in the spring.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is rising junior Kassi Scarantino. Last fall during her sophomore season, Scarantino finished in the top ten at the Central Carolina Women’s Cross Country Championships at Northwood High School in Pittsboro. Scarantino went on to finish in the top 30 of the 3A Mideast Regional championships among 106 runners. In addition to cross country, Scarantino was part of the Orange women’s soccer team’s run to the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs this spring. Scarantino was a midfielder for the Lady Panthers. She played for Orange in a 5-3 win over Harnett Central, which was the Lady Panthers’ first playoff win since 2017. It was a long night for Orange, who had to travel to Lillington for the game, then endured two lightning delays. Later that week, Orange traveled to Cape Fear and defeated the Colts 5-2 in the second round of the state playoffs. It was the first time ever that Orange reached in 3rd round of the state playoffs in the 34-year history of the program. Scarantino is preparing to start another cross country season this September. Last fall was among the most successful cross country season’s in Orange history. The men’s team won its first regional championship, in addition to Scarantino’s top ten CCC finish. 

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior runner Ethan Horton. This season, Horton joined Spenser Hampton, Nick Pell and Gabriel Schmid in setting the school-record in the 4×800 relay for the Orange men’s track & field team. Horton, Pell, Hampton and Schmid qualified for the 3A State Championships on May 20 at North Carolina A&T State University. Together, the relay team won the Central Carolina Conference championship at Eastern Alamance High School on April 27. Horton was part of one of the greatest season in Orange High men’s track & field ever. The Panthers finished 2nd in the Mideast Regionals at Franklinton High School on May 13. Horton, Pell, Hampton and Schmid finished 2nd in the region, behind only the team from Northwood. Horton was also part of Orange’s men’s cross country team, which won its first regional championship last October. At the Central Carolina Conference championships at Northwood High School in Pittsboro, Horton finished 10th overall among 44 runners as the Panthers also captured the conference title. As Horton prepares to graduate from Orange High on Friday night at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, he has plenty of lofty expectations ahead. He will head to American University in Washington, D.C. to start his fall semester this August. Horton plans a feature in public service and possibly a future in politics. 

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team finally got its season going over the weekend. The Red Hawks swept doubleheaders on consecutive days against the Montreat junior varsity and Pitt Community College. Andrews picked up where she left off last season. Against Montreat on February 16, she went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two doubles. The Red Hawks won the opener 6-3. In the nightcap, CVCC won 12-0 in five innings. Andrews, who started at third base, went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

On Saturday, the Red Hawks swept a doubleheader from Pitt Community College. In the opener, which CVCC won 2-1, Andrews went 2-for-3 with an RBI double. In the second game, Andrews went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI as the Red Hawks prevailed 9-4. Andrews came away from the first eight games of the season as the leading hitter on the team with a .615 batting average.

Jaden Hurdle: The Patrick & Henry Community College softball team had back-to-back doubleheaders over the weekend. On Saturday, Georgia Military College swept the Patriots on scores of 6-1 and 6-3 in Milledgeville, GA. In the opening game, Hurdle went 0-for-3. She started as pitcher and went six innings with one strikeouts. She surrendered six runs (three earned) off six hits. In the nightcap, Hurdle went 1-for-3.

The following day, Gordon State College swept the Patriots in Barnesville, GA. Hurdle homered in the opening game against the Highlanders, who won 12-7. In the second game, Hurdle went 3-for-4 an RBI. Hurdle also finished the game in the circle throwing the last four innings. She struck out seven.

Braden Homsey: For the second time this year, Homsey won an individual tournament for the Division III Ferrum Wrestling team. Homsey captured the 197-pound championship at the Southeast Wrestling Conference championship on February 5 in Danville, VA. Homsey dominated Averett’s William Baldwin in the championship match, winning via technical fall 21-4. In the opening round, Homsey defeated Cache Holmes of Southern Virginia via pinfall in 2:11. Homsey had a major decision over Max Steele of Greensboro College 15-4 in the semifinals. On Friday, Ferrum won a senior day dual match over Shenandoah 34-10 at Swartz Gym in Ferrum, VA. Homsey pinned Troy Gibson in 2:15. The Panthers are 6-6.

Jamar Davis: Davis finished in first place in the high jump for the N.C. State men’s indoor track & field team in the Virginia Tech Challenge in Blacksburg, VA on Friday. Davis won the long jump with a leap of 7.55 meters, beating eleven other athletes. It was the end of the regular season for the Wolfpack. The Atlantic Coast Conference championships are set to start Thursday in Blacksburg, VA. Davis has qualified for the long jump.

Connor Crabtree: The Richmond men’s basketball team fell to VCU 77-57 in Richmond, VA on Friday night. Crabtree came off the bench to play two minutes.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team opened its season against Birmingham Southern at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Thursday. Birmingham Southern defeated the Falcons 14-7. Jaylin Jones scored a goal for Pfeiffer. He also has two ground balls and created two turnovers. Pfeiffer will travel to Lees-McRae on Wednesday.

Phillip Berger: Berger was the opening day starter for the Division III William Peace baseball team. Brevard defeated the Pacers 7-3 on February 5 at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. Berger had a no decision after he threw two innings. He surrendered one run off one hit with three walks and a strikeout. On Saturday, Berger threw four innings as the Pacers defeated Mitchell College 7-5 at Durham Athletic Park. Berger struck out six in another no decision. He gave up three runs off six hits. William Peace is 2-3 after taking the weekend series from the Mariners.

Will Walker: Pitt Community College defeated the Barton junior varsity squad 8-7 last Wednesday. Walker started at first base for Pitt and went 1-for-4 with a double. The Bulldogs are 5-1.

Jamar Davis: One of the most versatile performers in Orange High history has made his return to the N.C. State Track & Field team. Jamar Davis returned at the Virginia Tech Invite in Blacksburg, VA on January 14. Davis competed in the triple jump, where he had a leap of 15.21 meters, the 18th-best mark in the NCAA this year. In the long jump, Davis finished 3rd at 7.67 meters, the fifth-best mark in the country and the eighth best in N.C. State history. Davis is a 2018 Orange High graduate. In his final meet at Orange, he was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the 3A State Championships at North Carolina A&T University. In his senior year, Davis won the 3A State Championship in the long jump and the triple jump. In addition, Davis was the leading scorer on the men’s soccer team in 2017, arguably the best team in school history. Davis helped Orange win over White Oak in Jacksonville in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. Also, Davis wrestled for three years and compiled a record of 73-28 with 40 pinfall victories. In his sophomore year, Davis was in the final individual match against Northwood with the Chargers leading 36-34. Davis defeated Northwood’s Luke Orbich 19-4 for a technical fall, and Orange won the dual match 39-36. The Panthers went on to win the Big 8 Conference Championship. Davis missed last season, but qualified for the ACC Championship in 2019 in indoor and outdoor track and field in the triple jump.

Marvin Jones: The North Carolina Central men’s indoor track and field team started its season last month. Jones, a former Cedar Ridge All-Big 8 Conference performer, finished second in the men’s high jump at the Winston-Salem College Kickoff at the JDL Fast Track on December 5. Jones’ best jump was 2.11 meters. It was the first event for Central’s indoor team in 644 days. On Sunday, the Eagles returned to action in the JDL Flat is Fast Invitational, also in Winston-Salem. Jones won the event with a leap of 2.08 meters, the best among 22 other competitors, including schools like South Carolina-Upstate, Davidson, UNC Pembroke and Mars Hill.

Connor Crabtree: The Richmond Spiders men’s basketball team defeated La Salle 64-56 at Tom Goal Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday. Crabtree came off the bench to play two minutes. It was Richmond coach Chris Mooney’s 300th win. On January 18, the Spiders defeated Fordham 83-70 at Rose Hill Gym in Bronx, NY. Crabtree scored three points, scoring his only basket off a 3-pointer. He played eight minutes. The Spiders are 12-7 overall, 3-3 in the Atlantic 10. They travel to Rhode Island on Tuesday

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team is back in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III poll, ranked #15. Not only that, but the Flyers have won five in a row after beating Lenoir Community College 94-78 in Pinehurst on Saturday. McMullin played 16 minutes and scored four points in the victory over the Lacers. He shot 2-of-6 from the field. McMullin also grabbed four rebounds and recorded an assist. Sandhills is 15-6 overall, 4-0 in Region X. The Flyers will face Central Carolina Community College in Sanford on Wednesday.

Braden Homsey: On Friday, the Division III Ferrum College wrestling team lost to Averett 35-3 at the Grant Center in Danville, VA. Homsey was the only Panther to win his match on the day. Competing at 197-pounds, Homsey defeated Averett’s William Baldwin 16-1, earning a technical fall. Ferrum is 5-5 in dual matches this season. Next weekend, they will compete in the Pete Wilson Invitational in Wheaton, IL.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior swimmer Melissa Campbell. During Orange’s first meet of the year at the Orange County Sportsplex, Campbell qualified for the 3A Mideast Regionals in four separate events. Competing against Cedar Ridge and Eastern Alamance, Campbell finished first in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 1:07.26. Campbell also finished first in the 200 yard freestyle at 2:17.48. She teamed with Katie Belle Sikes, Sandra McCouch and Ellie Wileman to qualify in the regionals for the 200 yard medley relay and the 400 yard freestyle relay. On Thursday night, Campbell and the rest of the Orange seniors were honored at the Orange County Sportsplex during senior night with a meet against Cedar Ridge, Walter Williams and Northwood. On senior night, Campbell teamed with McCouch, Sikes and Wileman to finish first in the 200 yard freestyle relay. Campbell has been going to the Orange County Sportsplex since she was six, when she started swimming. In addition to competing for Orange, she swims for the Hillsborough Aquatic Club. As a sophomore, Campbell qualified for the 3A State Championships at the Cary Aquatic Center. She hopes to reach that prestigious stage once again next month.

Just a few months into her sophomore year at Orange, Katie Belle Sikes has already accomplished more than any swimmer in school history.

This weekend, Sikes added to her impressive resume by competing at the Winter Junior Championships East at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, adjacent to the Greensboro Coliseum.

The four-day event started on Wednesday with a 200 medley relay and an 800 freestyle relay. It brought together swim teams and competitors from states from as far away as Nebraska, Michigan, Kentucky and New Jersey.

In the 50 yard freestyle, which is Sikes’ top event, the qualifying standard for the Winter Junior Championships is 23.29 seconds. Sikes has beaten that mark several times in various competitions, most recently for Orange High in its season-opening event at the Orange County Sportsplex competing against Cedar Ridge and Eastern Alamance on November 24. Sikes finished first in that meet at 22.84.

On Saturday, Sikes represented the Hillsborough Aquatic Club, her travel team that keeps her training at the Sportsplex year-round. In the 50-yard freestyle, Sikes finished 23rd overall in her first appearance in the event. Sikes had a time of 23.24 seconds in the final. Anna Moesch of New Jersey finished 1st overall at 22.52 seconds. In her preliminary race, Sikes finished 24th with a time of 23.26 seconds.

The Winter Junior Championships are a highly anticipated annual event that bring the elite of youth swimming together. The East Regional was held at the Greensboro Aquatics Center, while the West Regional took place in Austin, Texas.

In her freshman year, Sikes won the 3A Central Regional Championship in the 50-yard freestyle at 23.31 seconds. In the 3A State Championships, Sikes finished second behind Charlotte Catholic senior Olivia Rhodes, who touched the wall at 22.99 seconds. Sikes came in at 23.26 seconds.

Sikes will return to Greensboro this winter. In the season-opening meet last month, Sikes qualified for four regional events. In addition to the 50-yard freestyle, she qualified for the 100-yard freestyle, the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard medley relay with Orange teammates Melissa Campbell, Sandra McCouch and Ellie Wiseman.

Another Orange competitor who has been on the verge of a state championship had an impressive start to his senior season. Stans Zitko finished first at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Dive Invitational at Koury Natatorium on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus on Wednesday afternoon.

After six dives, Zitko finished with 238.95 points. Jack Adler of East Chapel Hill finished second at 195.55 points. Competitors from Chapel Hill and Northern Durham High School were also in the event.

Competing on a 1-meter board, Zitko put distance between himself and his opponents immediately with a forward one-and-a-half somersault. With a 1.7 degree of difficulty, Zitko earned a 38.25 score on the opening dive, eight points higher than Adler. Zitko also earned an 81.15 score on a forward one-and-a-half somersault.

Zitko is no stranger to competing at Koury Natatorium in Chapel Hill. In 2019, Zitko finished 3rd in the 3A State Championships at the North Carolina High School Diving Championships at UNC. In February 2019, he became the first diver in Orange High history to win a Central Regional Championship when he compiled 372.70 points. In his freshman year, he won the Big 8 Conference Championship.

While his swimming colleagues train at the Sportsplex, Zitko works out at Duke University. He has qualified for the 3A State Championships in all three of his years at Orange. His goal this season is to win a state championship and earn a diving scholarship to a major university.

The Orange men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will continue its season in 2022 at the Orange County SportsPlex.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is sophomore cross country runner Gabriel Schmid. This fall was the most successful season in Orange men’s cross country history. The Panthers won the Central Carolina Conference championship. They also captured the Mideast Regional Championship, just the second regional title in team history. Schmid played a big role in the Panthers’ success. He placed third in the Central Carolina Conference championship meet with a time of 16:44.28, which helped the Panthers finished with 28 points and earn the championship. In the Mideast Regionals, which included a field of 130 runners, Schmid finished 4th. He crossed the finish line at 16:44.31. Orange came in 3rd in the 3A State Championships. Schmid, in a field of 175 runners, finished 12th. Since cross country season ended, Schmid has gone right back to work with many of his teammates. Now, they’re preparing for the indoor track & field season, which will start in January. In addition to running, Schmid sings in the Orange chorus.