Charlotte-area girls track preview: Top players, teams to watch this season

Today, the Observer begins a look at spring sports athletes and teams in the region. Previews will continue throughout the week. We begin with girls track

Observer Girls’ Track Teams to Watch

Cuthbertson: The Cavaliers, who have won five straight indoor state championships, won their first 3A outdoor state title last spring. This season, they move up to tougher competition in the 4A class. Still, Cuthbertson is one of the deepest teams in the state, regardless of classifications, led by seniors Gabi Lassiter and Ava Studney, juniors Lily Nasta and Alyssa Preisano and sophomores Charlotte Bell, Stella Kermes and Justine Preisano, which should give the team a great chance to repeat as state champions, even moving up a class.

Myers Park: The Mustangs tied for fourth at the 2021 4A state outdoor championships last season. This year, sophomore Mary Bonner Dalton, junior Meredyth Barr and senior Emily Jones return to make another run at a state title.

Providence Day: The Chargers are loaded with talent again led by senior Falon Spearman (100 and 300-meter hurdles) and sophomore,Carly Arrington (1600 and 3200-meter runs), who will be running for Providence Day’s ninth straight NCISAA state and CISAA conference championships in a row.

Weddington: The reigning 3A state runner-up has plenty of talent back, including seniors Kendall Ford (3A outdoor runner-up in pole vault) and Emma Jones (third in 3A outdoor states in both 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs) and junior Madison Maraja (fourth in the 3A outdoor states in the 400-meter dash).

Observer Girls’ Track Athletes to Watch

Mary Bonner Dalton, Myers Park: The Mustangs’ sophomore won the 4A state outdoor title in the 3200-meter run as a freshman, and just keeps getting better.

First, she won the freshman mile at the Outdoor Nationals, earning All-American status.

Next, Bonner Dalton won another state championship indoors in the 3,200-meter run, while finishing as 4A state runner-up in the 1600-meter run at the same meet.

This spring, Bonner Dalton looks to keep running into the Myers Park and state record books as she contends in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs as well while leading the Mustangs’ distance relay teams.

Akala Garrett, Harding: The Rams’ junior is among the fastest hurdlers and sprinters in the nation.

This winter, she won the two more 4A state titles -- in the 55-meter hurdles and the 500-meter dash indoors.

This spring, Garrett, a major Division I recruit, looks to add to her championship resume as the defending 4A state champion in the 100 and 300-meter hurdles.

Tyler Glover, Ardrey Kell: The Knights’ sophomore was 10th at the state championships in the shot put outdoors as a freshman, coming off a fifth-place finish at the 4A indoor state championships earlier this month.

Maddie Huecker, Lake Norman: The University of North Carolina recruit, a senior, ran a state record time of 4:50.30 to win the 4A state title in the 1,600-meter run last year.

Sanu Jallow, West Mecklenburg: The Texas A&M commit showed her versatility last year winning I-Meck 4A conference most outstanding runner after she won league championships in the 100, 200, 400 and 800-meter runs.

She also won the 4A state outdoor title in the 800-meter run, setting a new state record (2:07).

T’Sheylah Moore, Olympic: The Trojans’ junior had a breakout sophomore season, finishing fourth at the 4A outdoor state meet, while running with the state champion, 1,600-meter relay and state runner-up 3,200-meter relay.

Alyssa Preisano, Cuthbertson: The Cavaliers’ junior is proving she is one of the best distance runners in the state, finishing third in the 800-meter run at the 3A state championships as a sophomore.

Teri Pridgen, Cannon School: The Cougars’ sophomore won a NCISAA Division I state title in the 200-meter dash (24.85, school record) and state runner-up in the 100-meter dash (12.17, school record) as a freshman.

Pridgen, a Division I recruit with interest from Duke, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wake Forest and more according to Cannon track coach Darren Biehler, won two more state championships indoor in the 55 and 300-meter dashes.

Harper Shaw, Charlotte Country Day: The Buccaneers’ senior back returns to defend her NCISAA state title in the 800-meter run for a Charlotte Country Day team that was state runner-up to Providence Day.

Falon Spearman, Providence Day: The Duke University recruit is the two-time defending NCISAA Division I state champion in the 100-meter hurdles (13.54 personal-best) and 300-meter hurdles (41.75 personal best).

Lauren Tolbert, Highland Tech: The Duke University commit is one of the most versatile runners in the state. She won the 1A state outdoor title in the 400-meter dash, 800-meter run, was the 100-meter dash state runner-up and finished third-place in the 200-meter dash.

Tolbert is also just coming off a 1A/2A state indoor title in the 1,000-meter run after finishing third in the 1A state cross country championships last fall.

Aniya Woodruff, Hickory Ridge: The Howard University commit finished seventh in the state in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and is coming off two 4A indoor state championships in the 800- and 1,600-meter relays with Abigail Thomas (Northeastern University commit), and freshmen Nina Dominique and Jaila Woodruff.

Jahaila Wright, Central Cabarrus: The Vikings’ sophomore won the 3A state championship as a freshman with a personal-best 37-11. She is also a cheerleader for the Central Cabarrus’ basketball and football teams.

Charlotte Observer Girls’ Track Notes

Championship Motivation: The Providence Day girls’ track team won their eighth straight NCISAA Division I state championship by 84.5 points over the field.

This spring, Coach Carol Lawrence and the Chargers go for their ninth consecutive title.

Olympic performance: The Trojans’ girls’ track team won the 2021 4A state, outdoor state championship winning only one event, the 1,600-meter relay to win their first state title since 2000.

Three-Sport Star: Metrolina Christian freshman Annie Miller is technically in her first year of high school. But she is already a multi-sport standout for the Warriors as a four-time conference champion in track (800, 1600-meter runs, 4 X 400-meter relay, 4 X 800-meter relay), finished 4th in the NCISAA 4A cross country state championships (2021).

Miller is a key player on the Metrolina Christian girls’ soccer team.

This year, Miller looks to build on an 8th-place finish at the NCISAA Division I outdoor state championships last spring.