Girls’ Tennis

Individual

Numerous local athletes finished the year with trophies at the NCHSAA girls’ tennis individual state championships this past weekend.

In the 2A doubles tournament, it would’ve been Research Triangle either way. Senior Victoria Zhou and junior Alexis Zhao claimed their third consecutive 2A doubles state title with a 6-3, 6-1 win over their senior teammates Eliza Basch and Katherine Southern. Zhou an Zhao became the fourth pair to win exactly three girls’ state titles.

NCSSM-Durham senior Emily Tang and her junior teammate Hrida Ajith took home the 3A doubles title over Carolina Endsjo and Sophie Stanford of Pine Lake Prep by scores of 6-2, 7-6 (8-6 tiebreaker), 6-3. Tang won her second doubles championship as she won alongside Cora Wymbs last year.

Carrboro sophomores Beatrice Unwin and Claire O’Brien defeated Samantha Blitstein and Shayna Blitstein of Lake Norman Charter 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) for the 4A doubles title.

NCSSM-Durham senior Regan Vandiver finished as the 3A singles runner up, falling to Mallory Aull of Pine Lake Prep.

Dual Team

1A: Chatham Charter took down Chatham Central 9-0 and Bear Grass Charter 5-1 to advance to its second dual team state championship in school history. The Knights last reached the final match in 2021. They’ll play the winner of NCSSM-Morganton and North Stokes Friday.

2A: Research Triangle, the defending champions, beat East Carteret 9-0 to advance to the state semifinals against Holmes. Eno River fell to Bishop McGuinness 6-0 in the quarterfinal.

3A: NCSSM-Durham defeated North Moore 6-0 to advance to tomorrow’s fourth round matchup against Ayden-Grifton.

4A: Carrboro dominated North Johnston 9-0, setting up a date with East Duplin in tomorrow’s fourth round.

5A: Orange upset Aycock 5-3, and Seaforth also upset Western Alamance 6-0 in the third round. The Big Seven Conference foes will face off in the fourth round tomorrow at Orange.

6A: East Chapel Hill beat Northern Nash 5-0 to advance to tomorrow’s fourth round matchup against Felton Grove.


Boys’ soccer

Chapel Hill dominated Hillside 9-0 early in the week and clinched the Tobacco Road Conference title with a 9-0 win over Northern Durham.

East Chapel Hill defeated Riverside 5-0 to knock the Pirates out of conference title contention.

Seaforth kept itself in the Big Seven Conference title race with wins over J.F. Webb (5-2) and South Granville (6-2). However, Carrboro remained in the driver’s seat with a 2-2 double overtime draw with Cedar Ridge. The Jaguars trailed 2-0 at halftime and scored two goals to tie the game in the second half.

Jordan-Matthews and Northwood continued their battle for control of the Four Rivers 3A/4A conference with a 1-1 draw. Northwood then strengthened its hold over the top spot with a 3-0 win over North Moore, and the Jets kept themselves in fight with a 3-2 win against Southwestern Randolph.

Before a non-conference win over Carrboro, NCSSM-Durham defeated Roxboro Community (3-0) and Voyager Academy (2-0) to stay in the race for the Diamond Nine Conference title with Franklin Academy.

Woods Charter but a bow on the Central Tar Heel 1A conference title with dominant wins over River Mill (9-0) and Central Carolina Academy (3-0). The Wolves are conference champions for the first time since 2021.


Top performances

Eliot Werley (Chapel Hill; hat trick and an assist in 9-0 win over Hillside)
Josue Sepulveda Nazario (Chapel Hill; two goals in 9-0 win over Northern Durham)
Henry Powlas (Riverside; two goals in 4-1 win over Southern Durham)
Cameron Gillmore (Cedar Ridge; 12 saves and one goal allowed in 3-1 win over Durham School of the Arts)
Richard De Jesus (Research Triangle; seven saves and clean sheet in 2-0 win over East Wake Academy)
David Brito (Excelsior Classical Academy; four goals in 9-3 win over Eno River Academy)
Nathan Gomez (Excelsior Classical Academy; two goals in 9-3 win over Eno River Academy)


Girls’ flag football

Southern Durham took down Riverside for the second time this season with a 7-6 overtime win.

Riverside bounced back with a 22-0 shutout over Cary and a 25-6 win over Jordan.

Seaforth dominated Durham School of the Arts 40-6. The Hawks followed that with a 19-0 win over Jordan-Matthews.

Northwood also defeated the Jets 13-0. Prior to that win, the Chargers won big over Uwharrie Charter 37-7. Jordan-Matthews also beat Uwharrie Charter 27-0.

Top performances

Alaina Toomer (Northwood; one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown in 13-0 win over Jordan-Matthews)
Camryn Lux (Northwood; two interceptions in 13-0 win over Jordan-Matthews)
Emma Lloyd (Seaforth; two receiving touchdowns in 19-0 win over Jordan-Matthews)
Mihika Thakur (Seaforth; eight flag pulls in 19-0 win over Jordan-Matthews)


Girls’ golf

NCSSM-Durham won the NCHSAA 3A East regional title with a team score of 286 (70 over par).

NCHSAA state championship qualifiers:

1A/2A: Deetya Mummareddy (Research Triangle); Sophie Purcell (Eno River Academy)
3A: Audrey Lee (NCSSM-Durham); Jean Choi (NCSSM-Durham); Laurel Mitchell (NCSSM-Durham); Saanvi Kasera (NCSSM-Durham); Prisha Nagpal (NCSSM-Durham); Anna Barsallo (Northwood); Annagrace Zaremba (Northwood); Molly Eubanks (Northwood); Nora McMahon (Northwood); Daisy Hopler (Northwood)
4A: Emily Clifford (Carrboro); Lucia Parodi (Carrboro); Naomi McLaughlin (Carrboro); Amelia Aylor (Carrboro); Dorothy Walker (Carrboro)
5A: Gianni Burnette (Orange); Madison Edwards (Orange)
6A: Isabella Shen (East Chapel Hill); Megan Henderson (East Chapel Hill)

Top performances
Audrey Lee (NCSSM-Durham; 3A East regional champion at Seven Lakes Golf Club with a score of 81 or nine over par)


Cross Country

Riverside’s boys won the Tobacco Road Conference title with six runners finishing ahead of everyone else. East Chapel Hill won the girls’ conference title.

Carrboro won the Big Seven Conference boys’ title with a convincing score of 29 (71 by Seaforth was the next closest). Orange won the girls’ championship after having two of the top three individual finishers.

Northwood dominated the boys’ and girls’ Four Rivers Conference championships as five Chargers finished ahead of everyone else in the boys’ race.

Voyager Academy won big for the boys’ Diamond Nine Conference title, and the NCSSM-Durham girls took home the girls’ championship.

Chatham Charter won the boys’ Central Tar Heel Conference title by four points. The Knights boasted four runners in the top 10, including the top two finishers.

Boys’ top performances

Manasseh Kimeli (Riverside; Tobacco Road Conference champion with a time of 17 minutes, 45.85 seconds)
Samuel Neil (Seaforth; Big Seven Conference champion with a time of 15:59.64)
Leo Drust (Northwood; Four Rivers Conference champion with a time of 17:59.00)
Torris Price (Chatham Charter; Central Tar Heel 1A Conference champion with a time of 16:24.90)

Girls’ top performances

Sadie Mersereau (Chapel Hill; Tobacco Road Conference champion with a time of 19:28.34)
Reilly Jermyn (Orange; Big Seven Conference champion with a time of 19:01.39)
Harper Triece (Northwood; Four Rivers Conference champion with a time of 21:29.00)
Ahana Satija (NCSSM-Durham; Diamond Nine Conference champion with a time of 20:29.90)