This 80-0 ACC-bound tennis star is The Charlotte Observer female athlete of the year
South Mecklenburg tennis player Jenna Thompson is the Charlotte Observer female athlete of the year.
Thompson was one of 10 finalists for the award who were selected from more than 70 nominees.
Thompson won the N.C. High School Athletic Association state championship for the fourth straight time last October. For her career, Thompson was 80-0.
She’s been ranked No. 1 in North Carolina since she was 10 and was ranked No. 18 in the nation during the 2019 season. Thompson, who is 18, will play at Clemson next season.
“I would say I’m pretty happy” about winning this award, Thompson said of being named female athlete of the year. “I will definitely remember all the friends I’ve made on the tennis team and playing for the school, that was definitely very fun, and I enjoyed getting the recognition for South Meck, and just leaving a mark there, pretty much, was what I wanted to do.”
Thompson, 18, made sure that any conversation about the best-ever high school athletes from North Carolina will always include her name.
“I’m relieved,” Thompson said after winning that fourth title in October, “but I played well in the semifinals and final.”
Thompson received a bye in the first round of the state finals, and won her quarterfinal 6-0, 6-0 over Gabriella Cicin of Apex Hill School. In the semifinal, she beat Raleigh Sanderson’s Juliana Craft 6-0, 6-0.
She said the final was closer than the score, but she beat a good friend, Kate Andreini of Cary Green Hope, 6-2, 6-1 in the championship round.
She’ll play her next competitive tennis in January and she’ll leave for Clemson Aug. 19.
“I’m excited for it,” Thompson said Friday. “I’m ready to go. And I know it will be tough.”
COMING SUNDAY: The Observer will announce the winners of the reader’s vote for athlete of the year. At 6 a.m. online and in Sunday’s print editions, you will find out who was “The People’s Choice.”
▪ Here are the other nine finalists, listed by school
BUNKER HILL
ADDIE WRAY, BUNKER HILL, JR., VOLLEYBALL, BASKETBALL, SOFTBALL: Wray started as outside hitter in volleyball and played all six rotations. In basketball, Wray -- who has scored over 1,500 points in three years as a varsity starter -- averaged 21.6 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. She was also a member of the All-District team and was Northwestern Foothills 2A player of the year. Wray was named first-team All Catawba County. In softball, Wray started three out of five games played at shortstop and was leadoff batter. She had a batting average of .625 with one triple. She has five runs scored with two RBI.
CARMEL CHRISTIAN
KELLEY TOPIWALA, SR, GOLF: Three-time NCISAA all-state pick led her team to the 2018 NCISAA state championship and a runner-up finish last fall. Topiwala won the 2019 individual state championship and has signed to play Division I golf at Samford University.
CENTRAL CABARRUS
ANIYAH TATE, SR, BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL, SOFTBALL: Tate is a three-time South Piedmont all-conference pick in basketball, leading her team to three straight regular-season championships as well as NCHSAA Elite 8 and Sweet 16 appearances. She has 1,198 career points, 938 career rebounds and 527 career steals. This season, she averaged 13 points, 9.1 rebounds. In volleyball, she was twice named all-conference. She was second on the team in kills (160), digs (179) and serving percentage (90.6). In softball, she led team to 2019 state championship. She batted .417 with eight RBIs in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season.
CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC
ROSE KENNY, TENNIS, SR: in four seasons, Kenny had a singles record of 93-8 and a doubles record of 63-4. She won three straight N.C. 3A state championships. As a senior, she was 21-0 in singles and 14-0 in doubles and helped lead her team to a state championship. Kenny will play for Villanova.
CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY
SOPHIE SPADA, SR, CROSS COUNTRY, INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD: Spada won the NCISAA 4A state cross country individual championship last fall and led Country Day to a fourth-place team finish. In the indoor season, she had the top-ranked time in the state in 800- and 1,000 meters and the second-ranked time in the mile. She also led the 3,200-meter relay team to a victory in the JDL Fastrack Independent School Invitational. Her junior season in outdoor track included winning NCISAA Division I state championships in the 1,600 and the 3,200 relay. She will run for Alabama next year.
EAST LINCOLN
TAYLOR BARRINEAU, SR., SWIMMING, SOCCER: Barrineau has led the soccer team as captain for past two years and set the single season scoring record with 33 goals. She was Team MVP her junior year. Taylor was all-conference and all-region after her freshman, sophomore and junior years, when she was also named all-state. She has been nominated for both the East vs West NCCA all star game and the NCSCA Clash of the Carolinas. Barrineau has committed to Lees McRae College for next fall on a max offer athletic and academic scholarship. In swimming, Taylor was captain for three years and a two-time All-State swimmer. In 2020, she was named Southfork 2A Conference Swimmer of the Year.
LAKE NORMAN
KAYLA RINALDI, SR, LACROSSE: Rinaldi, a Virginia Tech recruit, was first-team all-conference her first three seasons. She’s been an all-state and All-American pick the past two seasons and is a two-time Brine National team member. Rinaldi had the most assists in North Carolina last season, when she scored the second-most points in the state. She led her team in assists during her freshman, sophomore and junior years. She led the team in goals and ground balls during her sophomore and junior years.
NORTH IREDELL
JONNA STRANGE, CROSS-COUNTRY, TRACK: 2019 cross-country champ is a three-time North Piedmont cross-country runner of the year and a two-time N.C. High School Athletic Association state athlete of the week. Strange won the indoor and outdoor 3,200 meter championships during her career.
UNION ACADEMY
SAVANNA BROOKS, UNION ACADEMY, JR, VOLLEYBALL, BASKETBALL, SOFTBALL: During the 2019 softball season, Brooks hit .786, best in North Carolina, with an on-base percentage of .842, which also led the state. She had 33 hits, eight home runs and 41 RBIs along with 25 stolen bases while recording only one fielding error. In basketball in 2019-20, Brooks averaged 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.7 assists. She was the team’s offensive MVP. In volleyball in 2019, she had 81 kills, 19 blocks, 153 digs and 44 aces with a serving percentage of 91.1. Brooks was named Team MVP for the season and was a PAC-7 All Conference selection. Brooks served as team captain for all three sports.
