With the conclusion of the Fall 2022 season, Cary Academy Athletics can proudly report that its seven Varsity teams produced Conference Champions, All-State Athletes, and lasting memories.
Starting on the pitch, Varsity Boys Soccer put together an impressive season, concluding with their deepest playoff run in recent school history. The team fell to heavily favored #3 seed Wesleyan Christian in the quarter finals- but not before a thrilling win over higher seeded Charlotte Latin in double overtime on a “Golden Goal,” (the first goal scored in sudden-death extra time) by Eric Ye (’24), assisted by Ibrahim Elbeck (’23). The Chargers proudly had three 2nd Team All-Conference players, (Chris Kelly (’24), Eric Ye (’24), Ryan Newnam (’23), two 1st Team All-Conference players (Ibrahim Elbeck (’23), Kainoa Kaliebe (’23)), and one All-State player, Elbeck (’23), who broke the school record for goals in a season with 22.
Shifting gears, Varsity Girls Golf finished off their season with a strong performance in the NCISAA State Meet, coming in 4th place- the best team finish to date for the program. In the NCISAA Individual Rankings, Aviva Wang (’26) placed 15th overall, Angelika Wang (’24) came in two spots after her at 17th, and EJ Jo (’23) placed 21st out of 90. Along with her ranking, Aviva Wang (’26) made the All-Conference team.
Travelling back to the Stadium Field, Varsity Field Hockey ended their season with some hardware, earning the honors of being Conference Champions- a feat that they have now accomplished in back-to-back seasons. The team proudly had two All-State representatives, Alessia Cicuto (’24) and Tanya Sachdev (’24). When asked what stood out about this season, Caroline Parker (’23) highlighted how unified, driven, and supportive the team was. “It made each win so much more exciting seeing all the hard work of every single person to get that win, and the fact that we could celebrate together afterwards and enjoy it after all that effort. Everyone worked for each other, as a team, and was unstoppable when we were all connected to one another.”
Back in the gym, Varsity Volleyball started their season off with a bang by winning the bronze division in the Charlotte Tournament in August and ended their season with a bye in the first round of the State Tournament before hosting the second round. The team sent two representatives to the All-Conference team, Sydney Ross (’23) and Addie Canady (’25). Looking back on the season, Mia Nesbeth (’23) remembers fondly the tearful hugs after the last match, citing the lasting friendships that went well beyond the painted lines of the court as her favorite souvenir from her time with the Varsity Volleyball program.
Moving over to the Tennis Courts, members of the Varsity Girls Tennis team highlighted two particularly memorable matches. The first was a dominant Senior Night performance, with the team’s seven seniors enjoying both a tribute to their times with the program and a resounding 9-0 victory. The second was when the team played spoiler on rival school Saint Mary’s Senior Night. All-State team member Nousha Tehrani (’23) warmly recalls how the team came together, came prepared, and came armed with a vengeance after losing to Saint Mary’s at Cary Academy earlier in the season.
And finally concluding on the running paths winding around campus, Varsity Cross Country completed yet another remarkable season with the Girls team finishing second in their conference and the Boys team finishing first. The Boys team went on to finish as State Runners-Up at the NCISAA meet. Kavi Gibson (’26) landed on the front page of NC Runners, with the 3rd fastest time in NC ever for a freshman, (just two seconds behind CA alum, Thomas Graham). Each team had four All-Conference runners, and combined, the two teams had four All-State Runners: Elise Boyse (’23), Kavi Gibson (’26), Arran Swift (’23) and Thomas George (’24). Gibson also took home the honors for Conference Runner of the Year. When asked about his time in the Varsity XC program, Will Capps (’23) thoughtfully shared his favorite memories of sprinting through early-morning practices, laughing during Coach Hall’s sermons, and especially, finding an amazing community that supports him both on and off the cross-country course.
Congratulations to our fall teams, athletes, and everyone who contributed to their successes!