2025 Inductees

The Apex Cougar Club is excited to announce this year’s Apex High School/Apex Consolidated 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees:

Kristen Harris Cain

Class of 2011

Kristen Harris Cain graduated from Apex High School in 2011. Kris was highly valued by her coaches and teammates, which was exhibited through her appointment by her coaches as a three-year varsity captain. During her senior year as a student-athlete at Apex, Kris led the Cougars throughout the historic 2010-11 volleyball season that secured the first volleyball NCSHAA 4A State Championship for the Cougars, where she earned the 2010 NCHSAA 4A State Championship MVP and the Tri-9 Conference Player of the Year awards. She helped secure the perfect season, going 27-0 on the season and only losing 7 total sets, with the Cougars being ranked 13th nationally according to MaxPreps, setting the bar for what can be accomplished in high school sports in North Carolina. 

As a testament to her performance throughout her senior season, Kris was awarded the high honor of being named the 2010-11 Gatorade North Carolina Volleyball Player of the Year. 

In her sophomore season, she led the Cougars to secure the Tri-8 Conference Championship (25-3, 14-1), including a 21-match winning streak during the season. In 2008, Kris helped the Cougars progress to the semi-finals of the state playoffs where the Cougars were ultimately defeated by the would-be state champions. Kris amassed 337 kills during the season and was recognized as the Apex Volleyball Offensive MVP, in addition to being named to the 1st Team All-Conference, the Chapel Hill Invitational All-Tournament team, and recognized by the Raleigh Sports Club as Student-Athlete of the Week for outstanding performance in the classroom as well as volleyball. 

During her junior season, Kris continued to dominate on the court by leading the team in kills and blocks, 213 (.419 kill percentage) and 107, respectively, recording a season high 18 kills in one match against Panther Creek. She helped the Cougars become back-to-back Tri-9 Conference Champions (20-4, 16-0) despite the team not having any seniors, and earned back-to-back spots on the 1st Team All-Conference list, as well as being named the Apex Volleyball Offensive MVP for a second year in a row. During their 2009 season, the Cougars were ranked #15 in the nation according to the ESPN Rise rankings. 

In Kris’s final season as a Cougar, she commanded the court and led the team to its most successful season in its history. In addition to winning the 2010 State Championship, the Cougars made a historic run with a three-peat back-to-back-to-back Tri-9 Conference Championship title, where Kris was named Tri-9 4A Conference Player of the Year. Kris finished her senior season with 340 kills (.465 kill percentage) and 67 blocks, including a high school career high 23 kills in the match against J. H. Rose in the semi-finals, and was awarded as the Apex Volleyball Offensive MVP for the third straight  year and honored with the Coaches Award for athletic achievement. Kris also had multiple external recognitions, including being named MaxPreps Volleyball Player of the Week for Week 10 of the high school volleyball season, being named as one of the Top 150 High School All-Americans nationally on PrepVolleyball.com, and recognized as the Raleigh News & Observer Female Athlete of the Year. The Cougars also moved up in national rankings to #14 in the ESPN Rise national poll along with a final ranking at #13 according to MaxPreps, after being ranked as high as #8 on MaxPreps at one point during the 2010 season.

In addition to playing as a three-year varsity volleyball athlete, Kris was a varsity basketball athlete her freshman year, where she was a starter for the Cougars and led the team in rebounding. Kris made the Clayton Holiday Invitational All-Tournament team after the Cougars won the Invitational. That season, the team finished second in the Tri-8 Conference, and afterwards Kris decided to solely focus on her volleyball career in order to further develop and follow her deep passion for the game.

After graduating from Apex High School, Kris went on to play volleyball at Elon University on a full athletic scholarship, where she majored in Finance with minors in Accounting and Computer Science, along with being a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. During her career at Elon, she amassed numerous awards including SoCon Defensive Player of the Week, SoCon Freshman of the Week, SoCon Offensive Player of the Week, SoCon All-Freshman Team, named back-to-back to the NCCSIA All-State second team, earned a spot on multiple invitational all-tournament teams, and earned an invitational MVP award. She finished her career playing for the Phoenix with totals of 740 kills, 51 aces, and 319 blocks after bouncing back from a season-ending knee injury early in her junior year. 

Following her playing career, Kris dedicated part of her time to the travel volleyball club she played for throughout high school to coach and share her passion for the game, before deciding to move back to Apex to focus on growing her family with husband, Grant, and now one-year-old son, Levi. 

Wayne “Silk” Canady

Class of 1976

Wayne Canady was an excellent student-athlete in both basketball and track. He attended Apex Consolidated through the eighth grade and transitioned to Apex High School in 1972 and graduated in 1976. He quickly became known as an outstanding basketball player and person. A testament to Wayne’s legacy is how many people in the Apex basketball community to this day still speak reverently about him. He was known as a silky-smooth basketball player during his time at Apex and many who know him still refer to him as Wayne “Silk” Canady. He is a true Apex legend in basketball and many in our town fondly recall emulating their shot to look like his. 

During Wayne’s sophomore year at Apex High School, he was promoted to the varsity team. He was later selected to the All-Conference team for both his junior and senior seasons. Further solidifying his standing as one of Apex High School’s greats, Wayne was selected as an “All-Metro” player by the Raleigh Times and he was also named the “Wake County 2A Basketball Player of the Year” in 1976.

Wayne’s high school basketball coach, Morris Andrews, said of Wayne, “He did everything we asked of him in practice, and he never complained. He was a very humble person and player and never did anything for glory. We could always count on Wayne to make a needed basket, no matter the situation, and he continues to be one of my favorite players of all-time.”

After graduating from Apex High School, Wayne attended UNC Asheville for several years and played basketball. During the 1976-1977 season, he received the “6th Man Award,” given to the player who most valuable player who comes off the bench to contribute to the team. 

Apex Hall of Famer and former Georgia Tech standout, Anthony Byrd, considers Wayne the greatest player of all-time at Apex high school and says, “ Wayne Canady is the best basketball player to ever come out of Apex High School. I had the privilege of watching him play and even tried to model my own game after his. His induction into the Apex High School Hall of fame is a well-deserved honor for someone who has made such a lasting impact. Wayne is more than just a great athlete, he is a great person, a loyal friend, and a true mentor and as we all know…he is the GOAT.” Another teammate, David Hooks says of Silk Canady, “He probably had the smoothest jump shot of anyone with whom I played and he deserved his nickname ‘Silk.’ Coach Andrews could draw up a play and we could count on him to score. He was a great rebounder and a terror on defense. On top of that, he was a great teammate.”

After college, Wayne returned home and played in various basketball leagues around Apex and the entire triangle area. However,, in time, Wayne’s desire to travel the world beckoned him and he earned his Commercial Driver’s License and became a truck driver where he lived in Columbus, Ohio; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite Wayne’s travels, Apex has a special place in his heart, and he will always consider Apex as his home.

Larry “Super” Cross

Class of 1978

Larry Cross, Apex High School Class of 1978, was a quiet, but highly capable athlete who joins his backfield teammate, Terron Teandor in the Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Larry’s prowess on the gridiron earned him the nickname, “Super” because he raked in more awards than a person could count:  “All-Metro,” “Wake County 2A Player of the Year,” “First- team All-Conference” and he was named the team’s “Best Offensive Player” to name a few. As one newspaper article described Larry as saying, “The real story of the Apex ground game could be a 4.6-second sprinter named Larry Cross, who covered almost as much real estate as a freshman jayvee as the Red Cross.” Not bad for a young man who didn’t start playing football until 8th grade due to his passion for baseball. 

A well-rounded athlete, Larry played basketball for three seasons at Apex and he also played baseball where he won the team’s “Best Hitter” award as a sophomore and where he later became an all-conference player and the baseball team MVP as well.

After Apex, Larry went to play football as a scholarship athlete at Indiana State University and he played there until a concussion ended his career.  After that, Larry joined the Army, serving in Germany.  While in Germany, he became famous for his cooking. 

Looking back, Larry’s High School Coach, Bruce Worley, had this to say about Larry: “Larry was one of the best athletes I had high ever coached at Apex High School. Larry was an outstanding athlete and a real privilege to coach him and his brother. Larry was someone who always gave 100% and always outworked everyone in practice. As a running back, he was just about impossible to tackle one on one. Not only was he a powerful runner, but he was very quick and very fast. Larry was one of those players that you could always count on no matter what the situation was or how difficult it was. Likewise, he could do anything and play anywhere on the baseball field as well.”  

Friends and family would say Larry hasn’t changed much from the humble, loyal, and capable person he was back at Apex High School.  Even with all his accolades, Larry considers his best legacy is his family:  his wife of 42 years, Terry Talbert Cross, and their four children, all college graduates with careers and families of their own and his cooking is still famous among his now seven grandchildren.

Scott Ferguson

Scott Ferguson arrived at Apex High School in January, 1994. From the start of his career at Apex, Scott has shown an affinity for putting the students and athletes first in all he has done. He has endeared himself to the Apex community through his hard work, his ability to lift others up, and his genuine joy in any Apex success. Nobody has more pride in working in the Apex community than Scott. He has put in countless hours of work behind the scenes to give our athletes the facilities and the opportunities he feels they deserve.

As an assistant cross-country coach under the tutelage of legendary coach, Roy Cooper, Scott was adept at working with all runners, and he helped grow the team as the sport was increasing in popularity. As a visible and vocal supporter of the Cougar Athletic department, he seamlessly transitioned into the role of  Assistant Athletic Director under Del Phillips. Scott was the right person at the right time when he was selected as the AD in the winter of 2019. He was known for staying positive and being a unifying force in the face of unique obstacles. Scott organized and executed the athletic department’s packing up and moving from the two-year temporary Robert’s Road campus (now Green Level High School) back to the renovated Laura Duncan Road campus during a time when the construction on the athletic facilities on the renovated campus were not completed in time for fall sport practices to begin. Yet, he found a way for all teams to practice. If that wasn’t enough, he also had the unenviable task of being the Athletic Director when the pandemic broke out in the spring of 2020 and was responsible for making sure all the protocols were met so athletes could still meet to play sports even though they were taking classes virtually. During that time, he also insisted on making the outdoor facilities better for the students when they returned by organizing the re-roofing on all outdoor facilities and by working with Deb Leudeke and Pierce Conway on painting green and gold throughout campus. Scott also worked tirelessly with the AD team to create several lasting memories for Coach Kevin Todd who passed away unexpectedly in 2020. Scott brought Apex Athletics into the digital age by establishing the first social media team to start promoting Apex Athletes, he hired many successful coaches, and he was also was a leader in bringing the color green back into the uniform and athletic facility color scheme. After becoming a granddad, Scott Ferguson returned back to the Associate AD role where now works with AD Rob Weidenburner.

As a teacher, Mr. Ferg as most students call him, has been recognized for being thoughtful, compassionate, fair and kind. Scott was honored to be selected by his peers as the 2004 “Apex High School Teacher of the Year” and he has always believed in serving beyond the classroom as evidenced by the many leadership roles he has held such as Student Council Advisor, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Sponsor, Chair of the School Improvement Team, English Department Co-Chair, and creator of the school’s “Free Choice Reading” initiative among others. 

Scott’s service extends beyond the school and he and his wife are active members at Sunrise United Methodist where Scott regularly volunteers for “Warmth for Wake” among other activities. Scott’s wife, Sarah, and their three children (Hannah, Caleb, and Wesley) have been fixtures at Apex High School over the years and his daughter is an Apex graduate and former athlete. You are still likely to see Scott working if you attend Apex sporting events, but “Pops” also now happily spends a lot of time with his granddaughters. Scott gives thanks to the Apex High School and the whole Apex community for bringing him so much joy and purpose.

John Griggs

Dr. John Griggs is one of the most respected and well-liked coaches in the history of Apex High School. Coach Griggs has had a lasting impact on countless students, athletes, and community members through his unwavering dedication to education, athletics, and service. Coach Griggs served at Apex High School from 1977 to 1990, where he taught mathematics and coached multiple sports. Remarkably, in addition to being recognized by his peers and students as an incredible teacher, Coach Griggs was also an outstanding coach of three different sports. Coach Griggs coached the offensive and defensive backs for the Apex football team; He was head varsity boys basketball coach for nine years and was recognized as “Conference Coach of the Year”. His golf teams captured eight consecutive conference championships, and he was named “Conference Coach of the Year” eight times. These accomplishments reflect not just technical skill, but a rare ability to inspire, mentor, and bring out the best in athletes. 

Many former Apex students still recall how strong of a teacher Coach Griggs was as well. At Apex and he was selected as the Apex Jaycee “Outstanding Young Educator” and nominee for Wake County “Teacher of the Year.” After leaving Apex, Dr. Griggs taught in the Mathematics Department and served as Assistant Department Head at NC State University for 33 years, where he was selected as an “NC State Outstanding Teacher” in 2005 and was honored as a “Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor” in 2010. He was selected to be a Park Faculty Scholar for two classes of the distinguished Park Scholarship in 2013 and 2020. He co-authored the three-course calculus textbook currently in use at NC State University. He has also done the official statistics for NC State Women’s and Men’s Basketball for decades. Griggs retired in 2023 and was granted the status of Professor Emeritus.

Dr. Griggs led by example in his personal life as well. A man of deep faith and conviction, he has been actively involved in his church and continues to serve others through frequent mission trips to Cuba with his wife, Traci. His life’s work extends far beyond wins and accolades – it is about character, leadership, and community. Dr. Griggs exemplifies the spirit and legacy of Apex High School Athletics. His influence endures not only in trophies and records, but also in the lives of the students and athletes who carry his lessons forward

Jennifer Burrell Marks

Class of 1996

Jennifer Burrell Marks is fondly remembered for being consistently positive, enthusiastic, energetic, athletic, and genuinely kind to others as she graduated in 1996 as our most decorated cheerleader. Since that time she has continued to foster those character traits evident on our campus and she has become one of the most successful and influential people in the cheer community for our area and in the whole state of North Carolina. Furthermore, she is one of the most well-respected cheer coaches in the nation as evidence by her speaking at the Nebraska State Coaches Conference. It is fitting with all that she has accomplished in cheer, that she is the first athlete inducted into our Hall of Fame specifically for cheer.

Jennifer cheered for three years at Apex after being on the swim team her freshman year. During her time as a cheerleader at Apex, she was a two-time team captain and she was also selected as the team MVP. Incredibly, she was also selected as a two-time All-American as well.

After graduating from Apex, Jennifer spent a year at James Madison before transferring to to NC State. While at NC State she continued to flourish in cheer as she was selected as a two-time team captain and a two-time team MVP. Also at NC State she became only one of the few Apex graduates to win a collegiate national championship as the NC State Wolfpack Cheer Team won the 2001 National Championship. 

Along with working a full-time job at Wake Med Hospital for several decades, Jenn has also stayed involved with the sport. As the head coach at Cardinal Gibbons she has been recognized at the NC Coach of the Year (twice) as well as the NFHS National Coach of the Year. On top of that she has won 25 NC State Championships and three “Cheersport National Championships.” While also still serving in her previous roles, she has recently added a new role having been named as the Cheerleading Coach at NC State who are consistently one of the top cheer teams in the United States. 

Jennifer’s coaching philosophy is centered around love, respect, and discipline and she also applies this philosophy outside of cheerleading as well. Jennifer has also consistently volunteered to help others through programs such as the St. Francis Stewardship Committee, “Feed the Need,” “Helping Hands Mission,” and the Oxford Children’s Home. 

Jennifer is married to Taylor Marks and they have five children (Ava, Sophia, Bryce, Chloe and Jack). Continuing her mother’s legacy, Ava, Jennifer’s oldest child, will be cheering at NC State this fall. Jennifer is very proud to be an Apex graduate, and she continues to stay in touch with many of her classmates. She is a remarkable athlete, coach, parent, and person who continues to make Apex proud.

Terron Teander

Class of 1978

 Terron Teander and his family moved to Cary in the summer of 1976, just before summer football practice was to start for his junior year. He had already been in contact with the coaches at Cary High School because that’s where he thought he would be going, but redistricting that summer changed his part of Cary to be part of the Apex High community. So, without any introductions, and not knowing anybody on the team or staff, Terron knew he had to work extra hard to earn his place on a team of players who had all pretty much grown up and played sports together since Little League. His first friend was another Cary transplant, a long haired, skinny, somewhat brash fellow junior named Ron True. Then the quarterback, Tommy Yeargan, started offering both Caryites rides to practice. Unfortunately, both of these first friends are no longer with us. 

For two seasons, Terron and fellow 2025 HOF inductee Larry Cross lined up side by side in the Apex backfield. Terron was proud of blocking 2 or 3 guys to clear the way for Larry to run during his junior campaign, but his senior year, Apex had a new coaching staff which included another 2025 inductee, offensive coordinator John Griggs, who tweaked the veer scheme, allowing both Cross and Teander to flash their skills. Apex’s move up to the Triangle 3A Conference that year meant better competition, but also better stats for Terron. He rushed for 11 touchdowns and 952 total yards, earning second team All-Conference honors, and was named the team MVP. The highlight of his senior year was an away game against arch rival Fuquay in which he had TD runs of 58 and 96 yards in a 21 – 0 shutout in which he and Cross accounted for all of the team’s scoring and 308 of the team’s total 311 yards of offense. Everywhere he played, people would know when Terron was running for a touchdown, because his father Jeneal would breakout into the William Tell Overture on his trumpet as Terron scrambled down the field. 

In the spring of his senior year, Terron was named All-Conference as the opening leg of the conference champion 880 Relay team. He also competed in the triple jump, the 100 yd dash, and the mile relay. His fondest memory of the track season was at an invitational meet in Greenville where he triple jumped against Buck Williams and Dominique Wilkins of basketball fame. Terron joked about it, saying ‘They had thighs up to my head!”.  

After graduating from Apex in 1978, Terron walked onto the Duke football team where he played strong safety for the Blue Devils. He was on the team for 5 years and lettered for 3, earning a full scholarship for those last 3 years. Highlights of his playing career included beating Tennessee in front of 91,000 fans and All-American Willie Gault being his primary responsibility, holding him to zero catches that game. Terron credits the bone crushing tackle he put on Gault on the opening kickoff with dazing him for the rest of the game. Other highlights included a blocked field goal against Wake Forest that helped to win the game, a critical tackle in the backfield against South Carolina that put them out of field goal range and led to a win, and several tackles of Kelvin Bryant that were part of a huge career ending win against UNC. 

Terron’s fondest sports memories are of the years he coached his children, Darby and Cole, in youth sports…t-ball, little league, softball, youth football. And of the lifelong friendships he has with several of his Apex football teammates. Every time they get together the conversation eventually turns to high school football. Go Cougars!