Nominees for Charlotte Observer girls spring sports all-star team announced
It’s June. Usually, around this time, the Observer would begin to name its all-star teams for spring sports.
Only this year, COVID-19 basically took them away.
Most area athletes played five or fewer games, and all of their practice, all of their preparation, all of their hopes, were taken away. We feel the pain of these student-athletes and wanted to do something to honor them.
So we are still going to name all-star teams -- with a twist.
We won’t name them by sport. So no baseball and softball and soccer all-stars. But we are going to release the entire list of boys and girls candidates that were sent in by the area schools. We normally don’t do this, but we wanted as many athletes as possible to have their accomplishments honored.
Since we didn’t have stats or accomplishments or all-conference teams to go by, we asked schools to nominate players who were stars in the classroom and stars in their communities. Some of the stories we got back were simply inspiring.
From here, the Observer’s high school sports staff will pick 10 boys and 10 girls to comprise the team and those athletes will be featured in print and online Sunday, June 14.
That same day, we are going to let you, the readers, pick the spring sports boys and girls athletes of the year. You will get to vote on a poll that will also be released on the 14th. The vote will run through Friday, June 19.
Here are the girls nominees (click here for the boys).
BUTLER
SYDNEY HARRIS
Sophomore
Girls lacrosse
Notable: Defensive starter this spring had one ground ball in two games. Harris has a current 3.2 GPA and volunteered with the Durham Rescue Mission, Jack and Jill of America, which is premier organization for African American Children, Lacrosse and Girl Scout. She is also in Butler’s HOSA Club.
AVERY RABON
Senior
Softball
Notable: Co-captain had an .800 batting average, .882 on-base percentage and a 1,000 fielding percentage in Butler’s 4-0 season. She has a 4.32 GPA and is co-captain of Butler’s Dream Team, that fights against drug abuse and promotes drug awareness. She’s a National Honor Society and Club Leader for Butler’s Teens for Christ and she’s a member of the student-led and founded Retirement Buddy Club. In April, she helped cater a meal and spent distanced time with residents at One7 Ministires, a refugee and immigrant ministry that provides food, shelter and jobs for families new to the U.S. who are in need of assistance.
Further, Avery helped keep the fires going at home, as Covid19 hit her family-her mom. Here is the family’s story from an Atrium Health Blog. https://atriumhealth.org/dailydose/2020/04/17/this-can-happen-to-me-too-a-healthy-mothers-covid19-recovery-story
CENTRAL CABARRUS
BRANTLEIGH PARROTT
Sophomore
Softball
Notable: in five games this season, Parrott was 5-0 with 59 strikeouts, and 0.06 ERA while batting .550 with a .722 slugging percentage. Parrott is a 3.8 student, who does volunteer work at her church. She led the 2019 to the N.C. Western regional championship.
LACIE COUBAL
Sophomore
Softball
Notable: In five games, she had 11 stolen bases, a .450 batting average and a .650 slugging percentage. She has a 3.9 GPA.
CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC
MORGAN FIJALKOWSKI
Junior
Track and field
Notable: Currently ranked No. 1 in the state for the 300 hurdles and finished sixth in the state finals last season. Finished third in the Southeastern Youth Indoor championship 60-meter indoor finals. Fijalkowski has a 3.98 GPA and is her school’s National Honor Society and the National Latin Honor Society. She was an athlete representative on a start-up committee for a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization, Heart of the Clawstle Inc. Its purpose is to empower young athletes through the positive mental and physical benefits of competitive cheer by offering scholarships to athletes in need of financial assistance in North Carolina. She also did a blanket/sleeping bag collection for Watchman of the streets (a group that develops relationships with “tent communities” both to offer help for physical needs, and spiritual support)
CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY
CLARKSON GRAHAM
Senior
Track
Notable: Clarkson Graham is the vice president of the Country Day RunningWorks Club, a group that uses sport to support and empower individuals and families to break cycles of abuse, abandonment, neglect, poverty, and homelessness. She has volunteered upwards of 150 hours for that organization through her high school years. After a stellar senior indoor season this winter that included qualifying for the New Balance Indoor Nationals Championship Elite division in the 4X800 relay, she started the spring season with a 2:24 800 meter leg on the distance medley relay, a 58.4 in the open 400 meters, and a personal best 26.5 in the 200 meters. She will be joining the Women’s Track & Field team at Wake Forest University in the fall.
ERIN MCCOLLUM
Senior
Softball
Notable: Erin McCollum, a senior utility player, is one of the top-ranked students in Country Day’s senior class and has earned Head of School’s List, National Honor Society, and Cum Laude recognition for her academic prowess. Outside of the classroom, she is heavily involved in a number of activities, including Model United Nations, Mock Trial, EuroChallenge, and the Mind and Heart and Aquilifers clubs. Outside of school, she is involved in Girl Scouts and won that organization’s Gold Award earlier this year. In the Bucs’ single outing on the field this season, a 12-8 comeback win over Central Academy of Technology & Arts, she went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. She will be attending Wake Forest University in the Fall.
CHARLOTTE LATIN
GRACIE COLOMBO
Senior
Girls lacrosse
Notable: University of Tampa commit had 10 goals, four assists in three games. She has a 3.5 GPA and was head of her school’s All School Service Project – Lesson Food Insecurity in CLT/Meck area. She also volunteers at the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte and Loaves and Fishes
COX MILL HIGH SCHOOL
MADDI GRIFFITH
Junior
Softball third baseman
Notable: In 7 games this spring, Griffith batted 11-for-25 (.440), trying to No. 1 on the team. She had a .444 on-base percentage along with seven singles, two doubles, a triple and a clutch home run in conference play against JM Robinson in the team’s last game. She had five RBIs and scored four runs. In the field, she had 18 assists and six put outs. Maddi had 5 RBIs and scored 4 Runs for the Chargers this season. In the field, she made 18 assists and 6 putouts with some awesome snags at 3rd base to save runs from scoring. Griffith has a 4.22 GPAs and has received all As in high school. She takes AP physic, pre-calculus honors, English 3 honors and CCP American history. For the past two seasons, she’s been been an assistant coach at Harris Road Middle and is part of the Young Life, Beta and Engineering Clubs at school. She also does a monthly service project monthly throughout the school year.
DAVIDSON DAY
MARY ALEXANDER
Junior
Girls Soccer
Notable: Davidson College commit had two goals in two games. In 2019, she had 20 goals and four assists and has 99 career goals and 34 assists. She has played varsity since seventh grade. Alexander has a 3.95 weighted GPA and is a member of the Key Club and volunteers during opportunities with them, including at Shirley’s Angels and at the City of Statesville wrapping Christmas presents at for the local homeless shelter.
DELANEY BROWN
Sophomore
Lacrosse
Notable: 4-year starter has been on varsity since 7th grade. Was a 2020 team captain. In one regular-season game, she had seven goals, passed 100 for her career, and had four ground balls and seven draw controls. Last season, she had 66 goals and 18 assists. Brown has a 4.33 weighted GPA and is on on the Headmaster’s List. Last fall, she traveled to PA, MD, NJ and VA with her club team, the QueenCity Stars while also being chosen to play with Carolina United whose goal is to pull the best players from Raleigh and Charlotte to compete against the best in the North. She’s a member of the Community Service Club and Baking Club
FOREST HILLS
ASHLYN PORTER
Senior
Softball
Notable: Played just one game in the season due to COVID-19. Three-sport athlete was a four-year starter in softball. Porter has a 4.2 GPA and will play at Mount Olive University next season. Outside of school, Porter volunteers participated in several student service clubs and organizations.
GASTON CHRISTIAN
MIA HOLMES
Senior
Softball
Notable: 2019 MAC conference player of the year played just four games in 2020. She led the team with a .779 batting average with one Hr and 26 strikeouts in 11 innings. Holmes is a 3.9 student in the school’s National Honor Society and has signed with UNC Charlotte. She was a volunteer photographer at Tim Tebow’s A Night To Shine
EMMA PLUNKETT
Senior
Girls Soccer
Notable: Leading goal scorer in the shortened season; 4.36 GPA, BETA Club, National Honor Society
GASTON DAY
CAMERON HARRIS
Senior
Soccer
Notable: All-Conference 2019; this season, she only allowed four goals in three games, and posted one shutout. The final play of her career was blocking a penalty kick to defeat the defending 2A state champion. Harris has a 4.49 GPA and will attend UNC-Chapel Hill. She’s a Junior Marshall, ranked top four in her class. She won the Silver Medal on the national Spanish exam, and won a 2020 Scholastic Art and Writing Award Silver Key in poetry. Harris has done international mission trips in Fiji and Costa Rica and volunteered at Catherine’s House, a local women’s and children’s shelter, since 2013.
HICKORY RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
GRACIE PARKER
Sophomore
Softball pitcher/infielder
Notable: In four games this season, Parker hit .688 with three homers, 16 RBIs and a slugging percentage of 1.563. As a pitcher in three games, she was 1-0 with a 2.23 ERA. She had 13 strikeouts win 15 winnings. Active in her church, Parker carries a 4.3 GPA.
EMMA WAKEMAN
Senior
Girls soccer goalie
Notable: record of 3-0-1 with 4 shutouts and 0 goals allowed this season. She was an East-West all-star selection and signed with Charlotte. Wakeman carries a 4.25 GPA and is an active member with her church mission group and vacation bible school. She’s also a member of YCI, the Beta club and the National Honor Society
HOUGH
MEGHAN MCHUGH
Senior
Girls Soccer
Notable: three goals and two assists in two games. Had nine goals, 15 assists as a junior. Will play at Purdue next season.
LILLY WALTERS
Sophomore
Track
Notable: Ran a 2:22 800 and a 5:13 1,600. Walters has a 4.3 GPA and is in the National Honor Society. She participated in face painting at Huntersville Elementary and helped teach art to teachers there during a half day
JM ROBINSON
MADI KIRKMAN
Senior
Girls Soccer
Notable: four-year varsity player was team captain this season. She’s a member of the Beta club and National Honor Society. She plans to attend UNC Chapel Hill to major in Journalism. Her fondest memory was scoring a corner against Cox Mill. Her advice to underclassmen is to always work hard, stay positive, and enjoy every moment. She would like to thank her parents, sister, and coaches for their support.
MEREDITH KIRKMAN
Senior
Girls Soccer
Notable: Four-year varsity player was team captain this season. She was a member of both Beta Club and National Honor Society. She plans to attend UNC Wilmington to study Elementary Education with a minor of Special Education. Her fondest memory is goofing off at practice and enjoying the competitive environment with her teammates. Her advice to underclassman is to ignore the people who bring you down and work hard to make yourself proud.
LAKE NORMAN
CARLEY CHRISTOPHER
Senior
Softball
Notable: Four-year starter at third base and two-time all-conference pick in the I-MECK 4A. She will attend Caldwell Community College next season. In 2020, Christopher hit .417 in three games with five RBIs.
AMY MEISTER
Senior
Softball
Notabe: four-year starter will attend Emory & Henry next season and continue her career. In three games this season, Meister hit .667 with 10 RBIs and two home runs. In four years as a starter at first base, she had five errors. They were all in her freshman year.
LAKE NORMAN CHARTER
AYDEN YATES
Senior
Girls soccer
Notable: Virginia Tech recruit had six goals, two assists in four games. She has a 3.75 GPA and was nominated as a top 6 senior by teachers at her school. Yates volunteers in community outreach with Elevation Church.
METROLINA CHRISTIAN
LEAH MABRY
Senior
Notable: Team captain, National Honor Society, multiple team service projects. GPA- 4.5
TAYLOR DIXON
Freshman
Notable: has been incredibly consistent with doing her workouts during this period of uncertainty and has extremely high character. GPA- 4.2
KATE MELTON
Senior
Notable: Team captain, Praise & Worship team, School Media, multiple team service projects. GPA-3.6
MOORESVILLE
MEREDITH JENKINS
Senior
Girls Soccer
Notable: four-year starter was All-MECK as a junior. Jenkins, who has a 4.48 GPA, will attend UNC Chapel Hill. She volunteers as a math tutor at Park View Elementary and runs charity 5Ks.
NORTH IREDELL
HEIDI JENKINS
Sophomore
Track
Notable: Jenkins threw the shot put and discus in her team’s only meet. She was also planning to participate in the 800-meters, 400 and long jump. She has a 3.6 GPA in honors classes. Jenkins is very involved in our church and volunteers with Collide Kids and many other mission projects in our community. She volunteers her time with IC Stars Volleyball Club and NIHS Volleyball team in the summer at youth camps. She volunteers her time with the special needs children at NIHS, Special Olympics and The Joy Prom. She volunteers to help feed the Veterans in our community. Heidi also volunteered her time with FCA to make and hand out goodie bags last month to her Senior classmates that were on the track team. Heidi is very involved in Crosby Scholars as well and volunteers her time with many of their events.
PORTER RIDGE
HAILEY SEYMOUR
Senior
Girls Lacrosse
Notable: Six goals in four games this season. Seymour has a 4.2 GPA. She’s a member of her school’s Student Council and is also a cheerleader. She started a girls lacrosse club at her middle school to introduce younger girls to the sport and help them learn the basics. She also has volunteered at Food For Families, packing meals for families who may not be able to afford them.
PROVIDENCE
ELLA MAINWARING FOSTER
Senior
Track
Notable: Yale University recruit is ranked No. 7 in a class of 459 with a 4.54 GPA. She is a member of Providence’s National Honor Society for Math and French. Ella is also a member of National Society for High School Scholars. School Clubs: Echo Foundation, Junior Board, Model UN, Sources of Strength and Multicultural Club. Community (volunteer): UNICEF. In track she was indoor state champion in the 500 meters the past two seasons and was the 400-meter outdoor champion in 2019
PROVIDENCE DAY
MORGAN HART
Junior
Girls Soccer
Notable: co-captain has 45 goals, 47 assists in 36 games. She was a 2020 Gatorade player of the year nominee. Academically, she’s national magna cum laude, a member of her school’s National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. Hart, who has a 4.3 GPA, a 1,510 SAT and a 34 ACT, is also a national merit commended scholar. She volunteers with Soccer for Success, as a leader of the after-school program to provide soccer instruction to elementary school kids. She’s a member of Camp SOAR, which provides instruction and enthusiasm for sport to athletes and is a Sunday Soap Server, who provides food and conversation for the homeless
SOUTHLAKE CHRISTIAN
ELLA HOWLIN
Senior
Lacrosse
Notable: Two year team captain had 19 goals and seven assists thru three games of 2020; 70 percent shot percentage. Howlin has a 3.5 GPA and is a Palm Beach Atlantic lacrosse signee and member of SLCA’s first Student-Athlete Advisory Council
SOUTH MECKLENBURG
EMILY HILL
Senior
Softball
Notable: Maryville (TN) College recruit hit .421 in five games with two home runs and 13 RBIs. For her career she hit .533. She also also on South’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and helped start the chapter. She is a peer tutor, a faith formation teacher at St. Matthews Church and a softball camp counselor.
KAITLYN LITTLE
Senior
Girls Soccer
Notable: has been a Key contributor since her freshman year and has been the top scorer on the team for the last three seasons. Committed to App State, she’s a two-time team captain.
UNION ACADEMY
SAVANNAH BROOKS
Junior
Softball
Savanna Brooks, Junior, Softball
Notable: Brooks hit .786 as a sophomore with eight home runs, 41 RBIS and 25 stolen bases while making one error. She has a 4.32 GPA, and is a member of the NCHSAA Scholar Athlete, National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society and Senior Beta Club. As a junior, Brooks has already met her required community service hours for graduation having a total to date of over 140 hours. Brooks has volunteered with the Union Academy recreational sports program by operating the clock and scoreboard during home games for over 170 participants in the county. She is also an active member and current president for the Junior Civitan organization volunteering her time with various organizations such as the Pregnancy Help Center, Turning Point (an organization for battered women and children), Special Olympics, serving meals at the Union County Community Shelter as well as a participant for the last two years with the United Way Day of Caring. Brooks has continued to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic by serving meals to the homeless through the Union County community shelter on a weekly basis.
KELSEY HAVICAN
Senior
Girls Soccer
Notable: In four games, Havican had four goals. She was the school’s co-female athlete of the year. She’s a two-time soccer state champion with a 4.5 GPA. Havican is an NCHSAA Scholar Athlete, member of her school’s National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, Senior Beta,
A Honor Roll, and Tri-M Music Honors Society. She’s ranked No. 1 in her class unweighted and No. 6 weighted. Havican has more than doubled her required community service hours for graduation having a total during her high school career of nearly 560 hours. She has remained a strong community service volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic by volunteering at Christ the Shepard Ministries watching the children of essential workers during their work hours. This organization serves single parent populations by helping with payments, food, and childcare as needed. Havican also volunteered for her Senior mission trip through her youth group. She spent a week working in a major city right on the front lines working in different soup kitchens and homeless shelters along with working with the homeless population on the street. Kelsey and her co-volunteers would set aside time to simply have conversations and make relationships with those people in need. Kelsey has said that if she could do that trip “forever” she would as it was “life changing hearing their stories and hearing them say that we make their day simply by saying hello and acknowledging them and treating them like they are humans”.
WEDDINGTON
FAITH ADAMS
Senior
Girls Soccer
Notable: In two games, Adams had three assists and a goal. The Wake Forest commit has a 4.6 GPA.
MERYL JOHNSON
Senior
Girls Lacrosse
Notable: In three games, Johnson had five goals, 10 assists. She’s the all-time points leader at Weddington, the NC record holder for all time assists and a US Lacrosse All-American. Johnson has a 3.8 GPA and will play at Michigan next season. She also volunteers coaching elementary school kids every Sunday at Matthews Sports Plex teaching the fundamentals of lacrosse.
WEST CALDWELL
ALYSSA MCMASTERS
Junior
Softball
Notable: In four games, she hit 2.50 and was second on team in runs scored (four), RBIs (three) and doubles (two). She was a starter in basketball and volleyball, where she was named all-conference. McMasters has a 4.40 GPA, tied for first in her class, and was recognized as a co-chief Junior Marshall. During the COVID-19 crisis, she has learned to sew and make face masks with her Grandmother. Did it to spend time with Grandmother while confined to home and also as a service to anyone in need. Masks were not to be sold rather to give to someone in need. She has given quite a few to people and have mailed some to New Jersey to some friends of her grandmother that were needing masks.
WEST STANLY
KAITLYN CLARK
Senior
Softball
Notable: A member of the 2019 state champion West Stanly softball team, Kaitlyn’s senior season was cut short after only three games. Clark served as Editor of the West Stanly yearbook this year in addition to community service activities with her church and as a member of National Honor Society.
KATHERINE POLLARD
Senior
Track
Notable: Posted a top-three finish in the 1,600 meter event in West Stanly’s only spring track meet this year. The National Honor Society member boasts a 4.53 GPA and traveled with the club to a student leadership conference in Chicago this year, while also participating in three sports each year in high school.
This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 6:36 PM.
