Phillip Berger: The season of the Elizabethton River Riders of the Appalachian League ended on August 7 with a 4-2 loss to the Danville Otterbots at Northeast Community Credit Union Park. Berger ended the year 4-1 with a 3.68 ERA, including the first two wins in the history of the franchise. Despite being a middle reliever, Berger led Elizabethton in wins. In 22 innings, Berger had 19 strikeouts and nine walks. The last game that Berger pitched for the River Riders was on July 16 in a 13-10 loss to Pulaski at Calfee Park in Pulaski, VA. In two innings, Berger surrendered two runs off three hits. On July 10 against Johnson City, Berger threw three innings and surrendered two hits and one run with three walks. The Doughboys defeated the River Riders 6-5. The River Riders finished in second place in the Appalachian League’s West Division with a 26-22 record, six-and-a-half games behind the Greenville Flyboys, who captured the league championship with a 9-8 win over the Pulaski River Turtles in Greenville, TN. Berger will start his junior season at Division III William Peace University in Raleigh next week.

Joey Berini: The Asheboro Copperheads of the Coastal Plain League ended its season on July 30 with a 18-9 loss to the High Point-Thomasville HiToms at Finch Field in Thomasville. In 20 games, Berini hit .290 for the Copperheads with 20 hits and eleven RBIs. In a 9-7 win over the Forest City Owls on July 29, Berini went 2-for-4 and scored Asheboro’s final run off an error. Berini also had a single in the second inning and scored off a double by Will Stewart. On July 24 against the Holly Springs Salamanders, Berini went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Asheboro finished the second half of the season 12-10, five games behind the West Division champion, the Savannah Bananas. Savannah swept both halves of the West Division and captured the Pettit Cup with a 13-3 win over the Morehead City Marlins in game three of the best-of-three Coastal Plain League Championship Series.

Bryse Wilson: On Saturday, Wilson started his third game with the Pittsburgh Pirates. At PNC Park, Wilson got a no-decision in the opening game of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers. Over four innings, Wilson surrendered four runs on seven hits. Kolten Wong and Tyrone Taylor homered off Wilson. After Wilson left the game, the Pirates exploded for eight runs over the course of the fifth and sixth innings to win 14-4. In Wilson’s second start with Pittsburgh, Cincinnati edged the Pirates 3-2 at the Great American Ball Park. In six innings, Wilson struck out seven with one walk. He gave up six hits and three runs. Wilson is 0-2 with a 4.80 ERA.

Payton Wilson: Entering his redshirt sophomore season at N.C. State, Wilson was named to the Butkus Award watch list. The Butkus Award goes to the nation’s top linebacker. Last season, Wilson was named first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. He ranked fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in overall tackles and 13th in tackles per game. Wilson was named ACC Linebacker of the Week three times. Semifinalists for the Butkus Award will be named November 1, with finalists named on November 22. N.C. State starts its season against South Florida on September 2 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. The Wolfpack will then journey to Mississippi State on September 11.

Trey Grizzle: Grizzle, who graduated from Orange in June, committed to Averett University, where he will play defensive end. Last season, Grizzle played defense and tight end. He has announced plans to major in biology. Averett is a Division III school out of Danville, VA.

The Orange County School Board has voted not to issue mandatory vaccinations for athletes, band members and other participants in extracurricular activities for the upcoming academic year.

Instead, there will be twice-a-week testing for non-vaccinated students and staff. It was among several measures implemented during an emergency meeting, which was scheduled on Friday.

The final vote came after discussion, where several board members expressed reservations issuing a mandate before it received approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

“I wouldn’t want to unnecessarily create ill will in our community,” said board member Carrie Doyle. “I would rather not mandate it for students.”

Under Agenda item B6, “all students, coaches and employees who directly support athletics, cheerleading, club sports, chorus, marching band, or theater who are eligible for a vaccine must be vaccinated in order to remain eligible to participate effective September 7, 2021 (at least first dose).”

School Board Chairwoman Hillary McKenzie said she didn’t feel comfortable voting for a vaccine mandate under an emergency use authorization.

“Once its approved fully by the FDA, I am comfortable supporting the (superintendent’s) recommendation,” McKenzie said. “But right now, I would prefer to wait for that.”

Superintendent Dr. Monique Felder, who supported the measure, opened the meeting and explained why she introduced it.

“I cannot and will not make any recommendation other than what our medical and health care professionals stated,” Felder said. “They stated the absolute safest way to return to in-person learning and extracurricular activities.”

In the hours leading up to the meeting, there were protesters outside the Orange County Courthouse who angrily denounced a vaccine mandate. They lined South Churton Street with signs reading “My body, my choice” and “Freedom, not Voice.” Since the emergency meeting was announced on Friday, it was a hot-button topic on social media and at Orange High’s football scrimmage against Riverside.

The school system has already mandated face coverings for all students and staff members.

After Felder’s opening statement, Dr. Danny Benjamin of Duke University School of Medicine and Dr. David Weber, Professor Pediatrics from the UNC School of Medicine, explained their positions supporting vaccines.

“We can’t use our secondary mitigation strategy, which is masks, in some sports,” Weber said. “So we need to use vaccines as the best mitigation strategy. Obviously, you can use social distancing in many contact sports. I think mandating vaccination for participation is the best way for protecting both the student, protecting their families and other staff members in the school system.”

The board did approve a list of other measures, which included:

–B1: All OCS employees shall be tested for COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status following procedures established by the NC Department of Health and Human Services contracted vendor.  Exceptions would apply for employees who have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 within the previous 90 days.

–B2: All OCS employees shall report vaccination status to the school district Human Capital (Resources) Department. 

–B3: All unvaccinated OCS employees must be available for weekly COVID-19 testing from the contracted state vendor.  

–B5: Unless informed otherwise, in the event of a school closure for students, all employees shall be expected to report to their assigned location or take approved leave.   (This provision does not apply to contracted employees or substitutes unless directed to report based on needs of the school or district.)   

The school board meeting coincided with the opening day of the fall sports season.

On the other side of the state, two football games were postponed because of COVID-19 precautions. Morganton Freedom High’s game against Crest in Sheby was postponed because of COVID concerns. Last spring, Freedom was forced to cancel a game against North Caldwell because of the coronavirus.

Also, Brevard’s game at Pisgah was called off. The Hendersonville Times-News reports the Brevard Health Department currently has the Blue Devils’ program on pause, leaving them unable to practice.

The Orange football team outscored Riverside two touchdowns to nothing in its only scrimmage last week. It was the unofficial varsity debut of quarterback Wynston Brown, who led Orange to the Big 8 Conference junior varsity championship last season with a thrilling victory over Northwood. In his only series of the game, Brown threw to tight end Brendon Worsham. It has been a short summer for Worsham, who finished 2nd in the Mideast Regional wrestling championships at 182 pounds and reached the state tournament. Orange’s run-oriented offense will face a major test in its season-opener on Friday against South Granville, which runs triple option. The two teams last played in 2019 with quarterback Kanhwan Bobbitt starting as a freshman. The Vikings averaged 30 points per game last season under head coach Mike Hobgood, a former UNC offensive line,an under Mack Brown in the 1990s. You can hear the game on HillsboroughSports.com on Friday night at 6:25.

The Orange County School Board has scheduled a specially called meeting for Monday that could greatly impact high school sports in Hillsborough for the upcoming academic year.

The board, meeting virtually, will discuss whether to mandate that students, coaches and cheerleaders be vaccinated in order to remain eligible to participate for this season.

It doesn’t just impact athletes and cheerleaders.

In an email sent to parents of Orange County School students on Friday afternoon, Agenda item B6 reads “All students, coaches and employees who directly support athletics, cheerleading, club sports, chorus, marching band, or theater who are eligible for a vaccine must be vaccinated in order to remain eligible to participate effective September 7, 2021 (at least first dose).”

The agenda cites data from the ABC Science Collaborative, coordinated by the Duke School of Medicine and the Duke Clinical Research Institute, that shows COVID transmission is higher for extracurricular activities than standard classroom activities. Studies also show that 50-75% of COVID school transmission occurs during athletics.

The email spread like wildfire across local social media circles on Friday afternoon. Many parents spoke out against the proposal. It was also a hot topic among parents, players, fans and coaches during Orange football’s scrimmage against Riverside at Auman Stadium on Friday night.

It appeared that the pandemic, which heavily altered the 2020-2021 high school sports season in North Carolina, was on its last legs in June. Baseball players and track & field athletes were allowed to compete without masks. Just as practice started last week for fall sports in North Carolina, the Delta variant revived COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations nationwide.

On Friday, the number of new, daily COVID-19 cases in North Carolina surpassed 6,000 for the second time in a week. There were 6,628 new COVID-19 cases reported Friday. The percentage of positive tests in North Carolina is at 11.6%. State health leaders say 5% is adequate.

Last week, Orange County mandated masks to be worn inside all buildings, one day after Durham instituted a similar measure. Wake County is expected to follow suit on Monday, despite pushback from several mayors.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Orange County has the highest-percentage of people vaccinated in the state. 79% of the population has had at least one shot, while 76% is fully vaccinated. Neighboring Alamance County, which has three of the teams in the new Central Carolina Conference (which includes Cedar Ridge and Orange), has 50% of the population with one dose, and 46% fully vaccinated.

The Delta variant has also led to the return of safety guidelines that were prominent during the pandemic. Volleyball players from Cedar Ridge and Orange competed with masks on during scrimmages last week. Orange football wore masks, as well, during the Riverside scrimmage. While Cedar Ridge football isn’t fielding a varsity team this year, players and coaches have worn masks during practices since workouts started on August 2 under new head coach Torrean Hinton in preparation for a junior varsity season.

The coronavirus pandemic ended the 2019-2020 high school sports season on March 12, 2020, barely three weeks into the spring season. After a dormant and desolate summer and fall, high school sports resumed last November with volleyball and cross country. But it was a constant stop-and-start period for virtually every sport through the winter and spring, filled with last-minute schedule changes and cancellations. There were separate COVID-19 outbreaks with two local teams, leading to mandatory quarantines.

As the winter died down, football season started in February and was relatively free of interruption for Orange and Cedar Ridge through an abbreviated six-game schedule.

The meeting will take place on the same day the fall sports season starts for volleyball, men’s soccer and women’s tennis across North Carolina. On Monday, the Orange volleyball team will travel to Jordan, while the Orange women’s tennis team hosts Carrboro. The Panthers men’s soccer team faces Chapel Hill, while the Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team travels to Northern Durham.

The virtual school board meeting will begin at 5:30PM on Monday afternoon.

Orange football finally got a chance to scrimmage on Friday night at Auman Stadium in Hillsborough. The Panthers varsity team scrimmaged for 30 plays. Orange’s defense shutout the Pirates, limiting them to three first downs while forcing three turnovers. Senior linebacker Elijah Danley had two interceptions, both on Riverside’s second possession. Senior nose tackle Nate Hecht had three tackles for loss, including one on the second play of the scrimmage. Orange will start the season next week against the triple-option attack of South Granville in Creedmoor. Hecht, Danley, Jackson Wood and Brendon Worsham all return for the Panthers on defense as they hope to start with a victory in the season-opener, something Orange hasn’t had since 2017. Both Hecht and Danley were busy after the spring football season ended. Danley competed as a long jumper and triple jumper in track and field, while Hecht wrestled for Coach Spenser Poteat.

Success brings expectations.

As they enter their third year together on Cedar Ridge’s volleyball team, juniors Cameron Lloyd, Julie Altieri and Cameron Lanier have built more than just a successful program after winning the 2020 Big 8 Championship during an undefeated (if pandemic shortened) regular season.

There’s a quiet, but apparent, confidence surrounding the team that was absent in previous years. Through years of playing middle school and summer travel ball, the players are intricately familiar with each other, their strengths, weaknesses and who to go for the kill when a big point is needed.

It’s clear even during scrimmages like the one held at a sultry Chapel Hill High School on Wednesday night. Cedar Ridge rolled past Middle Creek in two sets, the last ending with a 15-11 Red Wolf victory. That was nothing more than an appetizer to the main meal of seeing Chapel Hill and Cedar Ridge square off once again.

The Red Wolves have beaten the Tigers each of the past two seasons, though the Tigers won the 2019 3A State Championship.

Yes, it was a scrimmage between two teams who are no longer in the same league (Chapel Hill has returned to 4A, while Cedar Ridge remains in 3A as a member of the Central Carolina Conference.) But the intensity between two proud programs was crystal clear to anyone with functioning brain cells.

The Red Wolves and the Tigers battled through three sets, which Cedar Ridge winning the first 25-16 and the second 25-17. The third set, which was supposed to be limited to 15 points, wound up in Chapel Hill’s favor 24-22. Not that anyone was supposed to notice, since it was a scrimmage and all, but Cedar Ridge had five match points to complete would would have been a clean sweep, only to have the Tigers offset all of them to eventually salvage the final set.

On a sweltering night where it was still in the high-80s by 9:00PM, players wiped up slick spots on the court after almost every point.

“It’s hard to match game-level competition in your own gym,” said Cedar Ridge’s Fiona Cunningham, the 2020 Big 8 Coach of the Year. “Getting that tonight was undeniably helpful and allowed us to push ourselves a little more than we’ve been able to.”

The fact that a race to 15 turned into a race to 24, (in, you know, a scrimmage) says all you need to know about the competitive nature of this Cedar Ridge team, as well as what they expect from themselves as they embark into a new league.

The Red Wolves lost libero Marlee Rakouskas and setters Layne Foster, Haylee Cothran, ShiLi Quade and Nicol Anderson due to graduation. Essentially, the entire right side of its court.

In her second season, Cunningham has built a nonconfernece schedule that’s as lofty as her team’s hopes for 2021. They open at East Chapel Hill (another school that’s move up to 4A) on Tuesday. After its home opener against Riverside on Thursday in Red Wolves Gymnasium, Cedar Ridge will travel to Greenville to face defending 3A State Champion D.H. Conley on Friday. Last year, the Vikings defeated the Red Wolves 3-1 in the second round of the 3A State Playoffs.

Lloyd, Altieri, and Lanier were All-Big 8 Conference selections last season. For the second year in a row in 2020, Lloyd led the team in kills. She was second on the team with 19 aces and 88 digs.

One thing Cedar Ridge took away from the playoff loss to Conley was the need to develop more finishers. Cunningham hopes to spread the kills in 2021.

“I think we’re a little more balanced than last year,” Cunningham said. “There’s no doubt that Cameron Lloyd is a great outside hitter, but we’ve been working with our setter to get more ball distribution and get more hitters involved.”

A new addition is East Chapel Hill transfer Melissa Benkowitz, who led the Wildcats with 174 digs last season.

“She’s a solid ball control hitter whose really able to get some good swings from the outside that we didn’t have last year,” Cunningham said. “I think we have more confidence in our hitters to distribute the ball. Our setters have to have more confidence in our swingers to take swings.”

Sophomore Addie Reid received a promotion from the junior varsity squad and played extensively on Wednesday.

Cedar Ridge’s opening Central Carolina Conference game will be against Person on August 31 in Hillsborough.

This week’s Retro Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is junior middle hitter Cameron Lanier. In 2020-2021, Lanier was a starter for the Cedar Ridge volleyball team’s Big 8 Conference Championship team. For the week starting November 30, Lanier had 13 kills and three blocks in a 3-1 win over East Chapel Hill in Hillsborough. Lanier had a strong season that helped ascend Cedar Ridge to the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs. She was second on the team with 68 kills and led the squad with 19 total blocks. In the Red Wolves’ 3-0 win over Union Pines in the opening round of the state playoffs, Lanier had seven kills, two aces, five blocks, and two digs. Cedar Ridge will start the season with three games next week. They will open at East Chapel Hill on Tuesday before hosting Riverside in a long-awaited home opener on Thursday. On Friday, the Red Wolves will travel to defending 3A State Champion D.H. Conley, who handed Cedar Ridge its only loss last season in the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs. Cedar Ridge will host Person in its Central Carolina Conference opener on August 31.

Over the past 18 months, the world has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing political unrest, and the unrelenting tensions of both. Despite the political and physical ramifications of all the unrest, it’s brought to light of something that needs to be addressed: Everyone and everything, including sports, are overwhelmed.

When watching sports, people are normally been a place where they can come together, cheer for their teams collectively, and return to their lives. But when you’re the athlete, what do you do to take care of yourself despite the pressures of performance?

During the Tokyo Olympics, the world of sport focused its attention on American gymnast, Simone Biles. The talented gymnast that blazed through the 2016 Rio Olympics by winning four gold medals (All-around, floor exercise, team competition, vault) and a bronze in the balance beam, withdrew from previous gold medal winning events citing a case of “the twisties”. It’s best described a mental disconnect causing a gymnast to lose situational awareness while performing aerial elements and the ability to safely land on their feet. Biles did recover to claim her second bronze medal in the balance beam.

Other American athletes that have spoken out for Mental Health awareness from their own experiences include former WWE superstar and Hollywood actor, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, tennis champion Serena Williams, and former Olympic judoka & UFC legend Ronda Rousey.

I read countless online comments citing that Simone Biles ‘quit’ on her teammates. I’ll admit, I at first thought she did. But after discovering what “the twisties” were and reading the story of the late Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina, my mind was changed. 

Mukhina, the 1978 world champion in the all-around competition, floor exercise event, and team competition, was set to defend her titles when she broke her leg in training in 1979. While healing, pressure was brought to bear upon the Soviet coaches to speed up Mukhina’s recovery in time for the 1980 Summer Olympics to be held in Moscow. Two weeks before the opening ceremony while training on vault, Mukhina broke her neck while attempting the Thomas Salto – a maneuver that was banned in gymnastics because of this incident. She was projected to win gold in the all-around and team events, along with some individual events, but her injuries resulted in Mukhina becoming a quadriplegic until she passed away in 2006.

Because of her issues and concerns, Simone Biles made the right decision. Medals be damned.

Imagine that Simone Biles suffered a catastrophic injury while in training or competition despite experiencing her mental issues. This could have caused a domino effect of not only Biles, but of her family, coaches, teammates, and other USA Gymnastics or International Olympic Committee officials to suffer emotional, financial, or even legal repercussions because they all could have prevented a tragedy. 

In a previous edition of The Franklin Mint, I brought up the need for student-athletes to insulate themselves by utilizing the COVID-mandated break from sports to reset themselves mentally and physically. But what if the mental issues remain despite returning to the sport?

My answer is simple, continue the break. An athlete will not be at their best until they have resolved their issues. If this break involves therapy, medication, spending time with family and friends, or whatever it is that brings them peace, do it. In the long run, sports will be around when an athlete decides when they want to participate. If you’re a parent, coach, or even a fan that puts pressure upon an athlete to return to play when they’re not ready – shame on you. Their mental health issues are far more important than your desires.

But upon the return to play, I must ask these questions to the student-athlete (in no order):

1. Are you mentally prepared to contribute to the success of the team?

2. Are you able to set aside any conflicts so you can give your absolute best in competition?

3. Are you playing for your personal enjoyment and not sufficing someone else’s pleasure in your participation?

If any of these answers are no or a reluctance to say yes, it’s in your best interest to take more time off. You must have a full commitment to yourself and to your team before returning to play. To rush back into competition after a hiatus can be detrimental to yourself and might even cause a rift in team chemistry.

Thankfully, the world of sport has been an active participant in the fight for mental health awareness. 

All major sports organizations (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, & NCAA) have started mental health resource campaigns to encourage dialogue about mental health issues. In events like the NHL’s Hockey Talks and NBA Mind Health, contacts to mental health counselors are constantly broadcast throughout the games and spotlights are often placed on players through their own battles with mental health issues. 

The North Carolina High School Athletics Association does have information about mental health awareness as given by the Centers for Disease Control with referrals to outside providers. 

In 2019, NHL goaltender Robin Lehner (then of the New York Islanders), became very open with his own struggles with mental illness along with drug and alcohol addiction. With his willingness to seek counseling and enter rehabilitation, Lehner improved his status as an individual and as a player. For his efforts, he was awarded the Bill Masterson Trophy, an award player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

To any student-athlete at Orange or Cedar Ridge who may be experiencing mental health issues, I know your pain so very much. I have dealt with mental trauma since I was five years old. I could tell you so much regarding mental and physical bullying during my school days, the pressure to succeed in the classroom while juggling countless issues within my family and the perils of working the job of a corrections officer. I’ve been on seven different kinds of medication to treat anxiety and depression and have seen at least a dozen counselors. 

I’ve been there and I will stand with you. You are not alone, and I will help in any way possible. If I can’t, I’m quite certain your teachers, coaches, administrators, parents, pastors, etc. – WILL help you. 

But the only way that a mental health assistance program can truly help, you must admit that you need help and are open to reaching out to someone for that help. The journey of a thousand miles does begin with a single step.

Case in point? On July 31, 2021 – With 17.5 years of combined service, I resigned my commission as a corrections officer because of the above personal issues compiled with an ultra-toxic work environment. If I can leave a toxic environment because it affected my mental health, you can step aside from sports so you can improve your well-being.

To the parents, coaches, administrators, and parents, the conversation of improving the mental health for students and athletes needs to take place. The signs should never be ignored or brushed off as “growing pains” or the student-athlete is “having a bad day”. While this could be true, it could be the unraveling of stress in their young lives. There’s no telling what they’re going through and to ignore it will keep building the pressure until they suffer a mental breakdown or God forbid, engage in self-injurious behavior to including suicide. The time to act is NOW.

As a society, if we continue to kick the can of mental health awareness down the road of life, then the road of life will be lined with the souls we failed to reach. 

Our Retro Orange Panther of the Week takes us back to February 7. Freshman Katie Belle Sikes had a memorable year at Orange in more ways than one. She won two regional championships in swimming. At the Greensboro Aquatic Center, Belle won the regional titles in the 50 yard freestyle and the 100 yard freestyle. A week later at the 3A State Championships in Raleigh, Belle finished 2nd in the 50 yard freestyle. She came in 3rd in the 100 yard freestyle. Belle also finished 5th in the regional championships in the 200 yard medley relay with Riley White, Brooke Walker and Melissa Campbell. After the winter ended, Belle continued to practice with her club team at the Orange County Sportsplex. Like many other swimmers across the country, Belle spent the past two weeks watching the Summer Olympics in Tokyo closely, and dreaming of reaching that level someday. For now, Belle is preparing for her sophomore year at Orange and preparing for next November when the next swim season begins. This year, Belle will compete in a more traditional setting instead of the pandemic conditions of 2021, where she largely raced against the clock.

It may surprise some that the success of the UNC women’s soccer program is comprised almost as much by Calvin & Hobbes as it was by Mia Hamm and Crystal Dunn.

During her four years with the Tar Heels, 2017 Orange High graduate Natalie Chandler joined her teammates in memorizing quotes and reading books assigned by head coach Anson Dorrance. Her favorite came from a Calvin & Hobbes strip.

“Live your life in a never-ending ascension.”

From the time she moved with her family to Hillsborough from Bedford, New Hampshire, Chandler has had a relentless drive to explore and achieve. Last spring, she ended her UNC soccer career with a third straight trip to the Final Four. She had a 4.0 grade point average every semester. At Orange, Chandler led the most successful teams in the 33-year history of the program.

The Big 8 Conference Player of the Year in 2017, Chandler spearheaded Orange to consecutive appearances in the second round of the 3A State Playoffs in her junior and senior seasons. She was named All-State and All-Region. As a sophomore, Chandler was part of the only team in Orange history to sweep a regular season series from Chapel Hill in 2015.

She was even a state champion gymnast.

Chandler graduated from Orange as the valedictorian, then stepped off the stage at the Smith Center and walked onto the UNC women’s soccer team. It was a natural transition. Her sister, Madison, graduated from UNC in 2017 and recently completed her Ph.D at Michigan State. Chandler’s father, Brian, played baseball at UNC and embarked on a brief minor league career that took him to the San Jose Bees of the old California League.

So how did she accomplish all of that in such a short amount of time without approaching sleep as the enemy?

It started with a good foundation. Her mother, Sandra, and her father didn’t pressure her to learn. Instead, they created an environment conducive for learning.

“Madison enjoyed reading and we would go to museums together,” Natalie said. “I have a perfectionist gene in me. The pressure I put on myself wasn’t coming from outside forces. It was me wanting to do the best I could do.”

Her father, a business developer, moved his family from New England to Hillsborough because he loved the area from his college years.

Through the mists of time, Chandler will forever be linked to a group of athletes that will be remembered as Orange’s golden age. In her class was Mia Davidson, the all-time leading home run hitter in North Carolina softball history who led Orange to the 2017 3A State Softball Championship. Davidson has set school records at Mississippi State.

The underclassmen at that time included Bryse Wilson, now a pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates; Jamar Davis, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference track and field jumper with N.C. State; Connor Crabtree, possibly the best men’s basketball player in school history; and Payton Wilson, currently an All-ACC linebacker with N.C. State.

Chandler carved out her own legacy. She started her sophomore season by beating Chapel Hill in penalty kicks. The following month, the Lady Panthers edged Chapel Hill 3-2 on the road. Chandler assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Rachel Shinnick.

“I played travel in Chapel Hill, so I knew most of their players,” Chandler said. “That definitely felt good. I was very proud of that team because Orange hasn’t had a great history in women’s soccer. That team got along so well.”

The 2015 Orange team was the most successful squad in school history with a record of 15-4-2. Chandler scored a goal in Orange 4-0 win over Cleveland in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs in Hillsborough.

Somehow in the midst of soccer and finishing at the top of her class, Chandler also found time to became a state champion gymnast. Training at Bull City Gymnastics, she excelled in the floor exercise.

“I had a lot of energy as a kid,” Chandler said. “My mother put me in gymnastics when I was a child. I always had fun doing it. It’s a challenging sport but I always had a blast. I love soccer, but gymnastics may be my favorite sport to watch.”

Her favorite part of gymnastics was the vault. Part of the reason why?

“Because it feels like you’re flying.”

Which largely sums up Chandler’s approach of ascending and never standing still.

On a fifth grade field trip to Washington, D.C., Chandler saw Dorothy’s ruby red slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” at the Smithsonian Museum. Though she remains unfamiliar with the classic film, Chandler seems to fit the tone of its title song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

In 2015, Chandler went to India as a Goals for Girls ambassador. She ventured into the heart of India in Nagpur before spending a week in a very crowded New Delhi.

“Driving in the middle of the day was insane,” Chandler said. “There were no traffic lights and people were blaring their horns everywhere. There were people everywhere, riding their mopeds. Just walking in the middle of the road. Cars driving right at you. They have their own rhythm, but it’s very different from what it is here.”

Last week, Chandler embarked on another journey–St. Andrews, Scotland. She will play with the university’s soccer team while taking a one-year Master’s program in Sustainable Development. Heather O’Reilly, a Tar Heel assistant coach who led UNC to two national championships before a 16-year professional career, connected Chandler with the program.

“I’ve always wanted to study abroad,” said Chandler, who will play in BUCS 1A, the top college league in Scotland. “I’ve love studying different cultures.”

Chandler walked on to UNC’s program, where they won two ACC Championships and three regional titles. In 2019, they reached the national championship game, losing to Stanford 5-4 in penalties at Avaya Stadium in San Diego. The team not only practiced and played together, but often read books together.

They ranged from “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, chronicling his imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps during World War II to “When No One was Watching” by Carli Lloyd, a member of the United States’ 2015 World Cup championship team.

“Coach Dorrance wants you to be a good soccer player,” Chandler said. “But he wants you to be a good person above all else. That stuck with me. There’s always room to get better and room to grow. That’s an exciting way to think about life.”

A Public Health major, Chandler envisions a career in environmental sustainability. Last month, when Orange County received a Code Orange ozone alert from the wildfires along the west coast, it left Chandler concerned. But not surprised.

“It sound hokey, but I want to leave the world in a better place than I found it,” Chandler said. “I want to help save the world from climate change. In the past year, there have been lots of natural disasters with wildfires in Australia and California. We’ve had the most extreme weather in various part of the world. It’s real and it’s happening. I get some backlash for that. I think it’s natural to make it less important than it actually is because you don’t want to think about it.”