Photo Credit: Megan Joyner[/caption]On Tuesday, December 9, the indoor track team at Orange High School attended their first track meet of the season at Eastern Alamance High School. The girls team finished second overall, and the boys team finished in tenth place.
Indoor track is, in fact, not indoors. The meets take place outside on the track at Eastern Alamance. This past meet was rainy and 43 degrees
The girls were strong competitors from the start, finishing second in the 4x800 race. They followed up this success with a first place finish in the 4X200 race. The girls had a second place finish at 6:08.51 by Juliana Lester in the 1600-meter event. Melia Weeks placed second in girls high jump with a height of 4-07.00 feet, just two inches shy of the qualifying height. The womens team had a combined total of 55 points, putting them in second place overall.
The boys participated
The 2014-2015 indoor track season for OHS is serving as a training and preparation season for spring track. The Panthers will continue to train and participate
in the indoor track meets in hopes of getting the athletes qualified for the state championships at the end of the season.
Photo Credit: Hannah Phillips. A shot of the 3A Mideast Regional, hosted by Northern Guilford High School.[/caption]The NCHSAA 3A Mideast Regional could have gone better for the Panthers that qualified, as some of the six athletes had remarkable performances, and the others leaving with the desire to have a redo. Two Panther athletes achieved the ultimate goal of the meet: qualification for the NCHSAA 3A State Championship.
Freshman Adalyn Fleming and sophomore Montee Mitchell have qualified in the 800m and the 110m hurdles, respectively. Fleming ran her PR (personal record) by over five seconds, an incredible accomplishment in the 800m. The freshman rising star finished in 2:24.87, taking the bronze medal by finishing third. Fleming missed regional runner-up by less than a second, while also becoming the first freshman to place in the top three in the 800m at this regional since 2003, an unbelievable feat. Adalyn also ran the 1600m, finishing seventh in 5:46.
As for Mitchell, the meet’s Performance of the Day winner, the sophomore was actually entered into the meet due to consideration (the process of selecting additional athletes other than the ones who did not meet the qualification mark). Mitchell, different from the hundreds of athletes, coaches, and spectators watching, had an ambition to not only participate, but to show out and prove that he belonged there. The sophomore was seeded thirteenth out of the fourteen entered athletes. In the prelims of the 110m hurdles, Montee took over a half a second off of is PR, finishing sixth in 16.23. The top eight finishers in the prelims qualify for the finals, meaning Mitchell was only one great race away from state qualification. Later in the day, when it was time for the 110 meter hurdle final, the sophomore was ready. Mitchell took almost another quarter of a second of his PR, finishing in 16.02. In his fourth-place finish in the finals (top four qualify), he officially made the state championship. Mitchell was the only non-senior in the top five, and will be facing his toughest competition at states.
Six other Panther athletes competed at this regional meet. Fleming’s partner-in-crime, fellow freshman Claire Barger, ran the 1600m and the 3200m. Barger just missed state qualification herself, finishing fifth in the 1600m. Her 3200m performance was a minor disappointment, with the freshman running well off her PR. The last student-athlete that rounds out the star freshman milers trio here at Orange is Julianna Lester, who actually ended up running the 1600m, despite her running in a local 5k race earlier in the morning. Lester was the second overall female in the 5k, but it was not her best performance in the 1600m. Lester finished in 6:02, 11 seconds off her PR. It was a pretty solid performance for Lester as a whole on the day.
Two other Orange girls competed, junior Morgan Efland and senior De’ja Johnson. Efland finished fifth in the prelims of the 100m hurdles, and eventually ran a 17.49 en route to a sixth-place regional finish. In what was the last Orange High School athletic competition for Johnson, the senior triple jumped almost a whopping two feet farther than her previous PR, leaping her way to a sixth-place finish at 34’2.5”.
In a very unfortunate sequence of events shortly before this regional championship, the more than likely team MVP, senior Brandon Vanhook, sustained two serious injuries in his knees. His ambition for a regional championship pushed him to participate. Shortly before departing to get to Northern Guilford, the site of regionals, Vanhook’s spikes broke. With the combination of replacement shoes and a somewhat crippling injury, the senior leader could not pull of a miracle. In what was thought to be Orange’s greatest chance for a regional champion, Vanhook in the long jump, was an unfortunate disappointment, but adequate considering the circumstances. The senior jumped just under 20’, almost two feet under his PR, finishing sixth. If Brandon would have jumped his PR, he would have won by over a foot. One great performance emerged from Vanhook, however. He ran his PR in the 100m prelims (11.19), in an eighth-place finish. This, unexpectedly, put Vanhook in the 100m championship. Vanhook ran a 12.01 in the finals in another eighth-place finish.
The last Panther who participated was another underclassman, freshman Joseph Pannachia. Pannachia ran alongside Mitchell in the 110m hurdles, and ran his PR by .7 seconds. Pannachia missed finals qualification by two spots, running a 16.91 in a solid tenth-place finish.
Congratulations to our Panther track team for a very successful regional meet! Adalyn Fleming and Montee Mitchell will advance to the NCHSAA 3A State Championship meet, which will be this Friday, May 16 at NC A&T’s Irwin Belk Track. We wish Fleming and Mitchell best of luck at the highest level of competition in the state!
Photo Credit: Greensboro Daily Photos. Northern Guilford High School's track, site of the 2014 NCHSAA 3A Mideast Regional Championships.[/caption]As previously mentioned in the OHS track conference meet/wrap-up article, the instance of adding more athletes to the regional championships has occurred, sending four more Orange athletes to the 3A Mideast Regional Championships. The complete list of Panther athletes that will be competing are as follows:
* Claire Barger - 1600m & 3200m
* Morgan Efland - 110m Hurdles
* Adalyn Fleming - 800m & 1600m
* De’ja Johnson - Triple Jump
* Julianna Lester - 1600m (Will Not Participate)
* Montee Mitchell - 110m Hurdles
* Joseph Pannachia - 100m Hurdles
* Brandon Vanhook - 100m & Long Jump
The NCHSAA 3A Mideast Regional for track and field will be this Saturday, May 10, at Northern Guilford High School. Congratulations to all of the Panthers who will be representing us at regionals!
A shot of turn one of Cedar Ridge High School's track. Photo Credit: article.wn.com[/caption]April 12, the Orange Panthers track team traveled to in-conference foe Cedar Ridge High School for the 2014 Orange County Championships, this year dubbed the “Orange County Invitational.” At 10 am the meet kicked off, and right off the gun, great performances and personal records were set across the board, including an individual qualifying for the 3A Mideast Regional Championship meet. The Orange boys and girls squads both placed fifth of the five teams participating (Orange, Cedar Ridge, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill). However, despite the rough final rank, there were two boys and two girls that placed in the top three in their respective events, with one of them qualifying for regionals.
Senior De’ja Johnson and freshman Joseph Pannachia “medaled” in their respective events, with Johnson placing third in the long jump and second in the triple jump, and Pannachia taking the bronze in the 110-meter hurdles.
Freshman Adalyn Fleming placed third in the 1600 meter, running her PR (personal record) of 5:39 and officially qualifying her for the regional meet. Another freshman, Claire Barger, finished fourth, and missed officially qualifying for regionals by just one-tenth of a second, running her PR of 5:40. Luckily for Barger and another freshman Julianna Lester, who also has a chance of qualification with a PR performance of 5:54, they still have two more meets to break the 5:40 barrier. Despite another excellent performance from the freshman phenom, a county-renowned sprinter and jumper will take home the Orange County Invitational’s Performance of the Day Award, senior Brandon Vanhook. Vanhook qualified for regionals last meet, running a 11.0 100 meter and long-jumping 21’4”. This time around, at the Orange County Championships, Vanhook was one of two athletes. and the only boy, to place in the top three in all of his events (participating in at least three). Vanhook took home all the medals on Saturday, finishing third in the 200 meter, second in the 100 meter, and being crowned Orange County Champion in the long jump. With Vanhook’s PR jump of 21 feet, 8 inches, he puts himself in the record books as one of the best long-jumpers in school history. The senior’s leap ranks him in the top 35 in the state this outdoor season. A big congratulations goes out to our current qualifiers, Fleming and Vanhook.
Next up on the schedule, Orange has their second and last home meet, senior night this Thursday against JF Webb. Then, the team will travel back to Cedar Ridge for the Conference Championships on April 30.
Photo Credit: Spencer Husen[/caption]On a cool night last Thursday, the men’s and women’s track and field team at Orange traveled to Chapel Hill High School to take on Chapel Hill and JF Webb in their first meet of the season. The Panthers’ guys team finished second out of the three in-conference foes, while the girls took third.
There were several great performances that arose, including victories in seven events, four girls and three guys. Freshman Joseph Pannachia won the 110 meter hurdles, while sophomore Montee Mitchell took first in the 300 meter hurdles. Another notable win emerged from senior qualifying-hopeful, Brandon Vanhook. Vanhook set his personal best in the long jump at the last winter track meet, jumping over 20 feet for the first time (20’4”), “inching” closer and closer to a regional meet berth.
Now for the girls. Senior De’ja Johnson won the triple jump, continuing her very successful high school career. Also continuing her in-conference dominance, junior Morgan Efland won the 300 meter hurdles, while also finishing runner-up in the 100 meter hurdles. With this victory, the Panthers secured a win in three out of the four hurdles events, boys and girls. Another win arose from senior Nycol Lyons, who won the long jump in 14’1”.
Despite all these great Panther wins, the first Performance of the Night award is going to freshman Adalyn Fleming, who won the 1600m in debatably the toughest conference in the state. Fleming ran a 5:44, her personal best, and also just under five seconds away from qualifying from the regional meet. Fleming also excelled in her freshman cross country campaign, as she was the only person who qualified for the state meet on the boys and girls team combined.
When asked about her individual performance and the performance of the (girls) team collectively on Thursday, Fleming said, “I think I did well, and our team also did pretty well considering we were missing two of our girls.” The girls are also under a new head coach, an experienced runner from South Africa, Hendrik Joubert. When the freshman star was asked about adapting to the new coach, Fleming responded, “[Joubert] works us hard, but I think that everyone is adapting to the new coaching style.” Fleming is also receiving a lot of attention this season, as she is leading the team as just a freshman. When asked about this extra attention she is receiving due to her leadership role, Fleming said, “It makes me have high hopes for the future of the team since we are so young. Most of the freshman girls are committed to running for the next three years.” Fleming is primarily referring to freshmen Claire Barger and Julianna Lester, who were number(s) two and three on the cross country team.
The Panthers will take on Southern Durham and Northern Vance this Thursday at home at 4:30, so come out and support your Panthers in their first home meet of 2014.
Photo Credit: Megan Joyner.[/caption]Update: Currently all try-outs for sports are postponed.
Spring sports are about to start at OHS, as preseason comes to a halt and tryouts begin. Orange High School offers a wide range of spring sport teams, including women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse, track, baseball, softball, men’s tennis, and golf. However, to get ready for the big day, athletes might need to know a few inside secrets about tryouts, what to expect, and what to bring. The following article details each sport and gives some pointers from each coach.
Women’s soccer tryouts will be on Monday, February 17 through Wednesday, February 19. They will be held on the OHS soccer field from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. each day. It is highly recommended by the coach that potential team members attend each day. It is also important that they have valid physical and soccer eligibility forms and that the forms are turned in before showing up to tryouts. If anyone is in need of any of the soccer forms, they should see Coach Hunter in room 407 as soon as possible. To prepare for the upcoming tryouts, it is important that athletes are in physical shape and prepared to work hard. On the day of tryouts, they should meet at the OHS soccer field ready to go by 4:00. Tryouts will be 4:00 to 6:30 each day. In order to be prepared, it is necessary to bring clothes to run in, tennis shoes, cleats, shin guards, and soccer socks. It is alright if athletes don’t have cleats and other soccer apparel. They just need to show up in an outfit that will help them do their best.
The men’s tennis team will be hosting tryouts February 17 through 19 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the OHS tennis courts. It is important to bring tennis shoes, athletic apparel, and a tennis racket. It may be cold, so athletes should dress appropriately for the weather. Coach Webb is looking for players who have a passion for the game and the team. All players are welcome, whether they are just learning or want to improve their game. He said, “Be ready to come out every day ready to work, compete, and have fun.”
Baseball tryouts will be held on Monday, February 17. They will be held on the OHS baseball field from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. In order to be prepared for the event, people interested in trying out should bring baseball pants, sleeves, a sweatshirt, a jacket, and a baseball cap. They should also have the necessary equipment; baseball gloves, bats, helmets, etc. As a special insider tip as to what Coach Dease expects in a player, he said, “You need to be able to play the game very well.”
Softball tryouts will be February 17 through 19 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m on the softball fields. Coach Denise wants to remind all players to show up with paperwork and physicals filled out. In preparation for the upcoming event, players will need to wear long pants and any other clothing appropriate for the weather. In addition, they will need to bring softball gear such as gloves, bats, catcher’s equipment, helmets, and any other equipment necessary for their best-suited position. Tryouts will include an extensive skills evaluation of fastpitch softball, which includes throwing accuracy and speed, hitting, bunting, base running, sliding, fielding logistics, and overall comprehension of the game.
The lacrosse team will host tryouts February 17 through 19, from 4:15 to 6:30 p.m. Players should meet at the OHS field house prepared and ready to play. They need to bring tennis shoes and any lacrosse gear that they own. If they don’t have all of the gear, there will be some at the tryout for them to use. The most important thing to bring, according to Coach O’Neal, is a “good attitude.” Tryouts will be very competitive and will include skill and fitness evaluations. Coaches will also be looking at prospective positions for each player and will be deciding which one best suits the needs of the team. Coach O’Neil said, “Obviously, we are looking for skilled lacrosse players, but what people may not know is that we are also looking for athletes who may be new to lacrosse, but have a good attitude and want to learn the game.”
Track began for the indoor track participants on Thursday, February 6, and opened to the rest of the athletes on Friday, February 7 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Players should come dressed in appropriate clothes for the weather and bring tennis shoes, spikes, and any other equipment for specific events. Coach Joubert said, “We want athletes to come with an open mind expecting to learn that they are good at something they did not necessarily consider.” Although the team is looking for athletes, they are also in need of computer experts to record results. In the next week, the coaches will hold a meeting for parents and athletes once they find a date that works for the majority of participants.
Golf will start their season on February 12 at 4:00 p.m. with practice at the Occoneechee golf course. It is necessary to bring golf clubs and appropriate clothing. On the following Monday, the team will start to play. If potential team members have any questions or concerns, they should speak to Coach Moser.
Athletes should remember to show up with a valid physical and be prepared for each and every day. Finally, they should relax, have fun, and work hard.
Husen has never met a sports debate that he wouldn’t engage in, and is always willing to defend his Duke Blue Devils. Husen is a die-hard Blue Devils fan who is willing to bet anything on his team, no matter what the odds.
Husen is not only a sports fan, but also a talented athlete. Husen lettered in both cross country and track in his freshman year, and was also co-MVP of the cross country team during his sophomore season. When not writing or running, Husen spends his time playing competitive pick-up basketball in his neighborhood, playing video games, and hanging out with his friends.
After graduating from high school, Husen aspires to attend a college with a good running program, and then pursue a career in technology or as a sports reporter. No matter what field Husen ventures into, his knowledge and passion for sports will always be evident.
Thursday, April 11, the Orange High School track team had a home meet against Chapel Hill High School. This meet was also senior night for all the seniors on the Orange High track team.
While Orange did suffer a defeat at the meet with Chapel Hill, Spencer Husen, a freshman on the Orange track team, says that he thinks the Orange track team still put in a good amount of effort during the meet.
Seniors from the OHS track team, such as Indy Reid-Shaw and Michael Proctor, will graduate and end their high school track career with this season.
“We had a very wide range of seniors, and their abilities are one of a kind,” said Husen. He says that he is confident that all of the seniors had a fun, memorable track career.
March 7, the Orange High School track team competed against the Cardinal Gibbons track team at the OHS track. This meet was the qualifying mark for 3A schools, and a rough blow for OHS as they suffered major losses.
The OHS’ women’s track team was beaten with a final score of 38 to 105. Although this was a severe loss, a personal victory was achieved for OHS senior, Indy Reid-Shaw. While competing in the 3,200 meter run, Reid-Shaw placed first with a soaring time of 12:14 with the closest competitor behind her finishing with a time of 12:35. Achieving this extraordinary time, Reid-Shaw is the only OHS woman who qualifies for regionals so far.
The OHS’ men’s track team was also beaten by Cardinal Gibbons with a final score of 43 to 92. OHS junior Brandon Vanhook was one of the strongest participants on the OHS men’s track team. Vanhook came in the long jump with a distance of 19’ 5”, the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.6, and the 200 meter dash with a time of 24.7.
Even with the spectacular times, Vanhook did not qualify. However, neither did any of the other male competitors for both OHS and Cardinal Gibbons so far.The boys cumulative score was Gibbons 92 - Orange 43. Two notable performances were the victories by junior Brandon Vanhook in the 100 m, 200 m, and long jump. He ran the 100 m in 11.6 seconds, the 200 m in 24.7 seconds, and jumped 19’5” in the long jump. The other victory by the Panther boys was a tie for first in the pole vault, which was won by a Gibbons jumper and our very own junior, Andrew Williamson, who vaulted 7’8”.
As for the girls, the cumulative score was Gibbons 105 - Orange 38. Three notable victories by our Panther girls was domination in the shotput and discus by state-championship contender Madilyn Gawerecki. Gawerecki threw 28’5” in the shotput, and 91’1” in the discus. Morgan Efland also took home two victories, in the 100 m hurdles and 300 m hurdles. As one of the fastest high school female distance runners in North Carolina, Indy Reid-Shaw dominated the 3200 m (2 mile) by 21 seconds, beating all Gibbons and Orange runners. Her time of 12:14 already solidified her spot in the NC 3A regional competition.
Their next meet is Thursday, March 14 at Cedar Ridge, so come out and support the Panthers as they take on their cross-town rivals.
Starting on February 19, spring track here at OHS kicked off with their first practice. Despite the very cold, rainy weather, our Panthers practiced hard, and started conditioning for their first meet, which is on March 7, at home against Cardinal Gibbons. The Panthers have some major talent this season, and athletes ranging from freshmen to seniors have the potential to break some spring track records.Returning head coach Sarah Roberts, assistant coaches John Brigham and Clifton Davis, as well as new assistant coach Mark Williamson, are leading the team with passion, and are looking forward to post-practice team gatherings at the center of the football field, to get the team fired up for the season.
When asked about his expectations and thoughts for the season, senior SaiQuan Clark said, “There aren't nearly as many people as we've had in the past, and the majority of the people on the team are underclassmen, so we have a young team. Since we have such a young team this season, I'm not expecting us to win the conference championship or anything like that. I think we just need to work on honing the talent that's here.” Clark said he hopes to run the 1600 meters, 800 meters, and 4 x 800 relay this season, and his main individual goal is to run the mile (1600 meters) in under 5 minutes.
As for some of the younger talent on the team, freshman Daniel Mulligan, who finished 5th in the 200 meters, and won the 400 meters in 56 seconds at last year’s middle school OPAC Conference Tournament, said he hopes to run the 400, and maybe the 800 this season. For his individual goals, he said, “In the 400 this year my goal is to get below 54 seconds, and for the 800 my goal is to run it in under 2 minutes and 15 seconds.” Although he did not mention it in the interview, he has tremendous potential of breaking 50.5 seconds in the 400 meters, which is tied for the longest standing OHS track record to date, set by Russell Woods in 1975. When asked about his potential individual impact on the team this season, Mulligan said, “It feels good that I may be able to help the track team this year, and I hope it will be a great season for everyone.”
Senior Indy Reid-Shaw and junior Will Henderson hope to shatter some records this season, as they are both the fastest women’s and men’s cross country runners in OHS history. Reid-Shaw has school records in the 5000 meters and 3200 meters, and is only 2 seconds off the 1600 meter record, and 8 seconds off the 800 meter record.As for Henderson, the junior already has the school record for the 5000 meters, and is only 4 seconds off the 1600 meter record, and 6 seconds off the 800 meter record. These improvements could make them the most decorated male and female running athletes in OHS history. Clearly, Reid-Shaw, Henderson, and Mulligan have the potential to break some records within the next few years, and hopefully they can propel us to a great 2013 season.
The Panther track team may not perform as well as they have in the past, but within the next 2 to 3 years, the team will definitely be contending for a conference championship. As senior leader SaiQuan Clark said earlier, if we hone in on the younger, underclassmen talent, and let the upperclassmen guide them and push them to perform, we might be able to do some great things this season. As mentioned earlier, the Panther’s first meet is on March 7, at home against Cardinal Gibbons, so come out and support your Panther spring track team. You can find the full team schedule by clicking here (look for the green boxes).