The Observer’s annual ‘Sweet 16’ fall sports preview: top athletes, teams to watch

Each fall, The Observer has a ‘Sweet 16’ list of top fall sports athletes and teams.

Kasey Cone, Charlotte Country Day cross country: The Buccaneers’ standout has won the NCISAA 4A state individual cross-country title in her first two high school seasons.

Cone also led the Charlotte Country Day girls’ cross country team to its first ever team state title last year.

Cone finished strong, running a personal-best 18:01.38 at the Garmin Running Lane Cross Country Championships’ in Huntsville, Alabama.

This season, Cone will looking to three-peat individually, while also helping the Buccaneers’ defend their state title on a team returning six of its top 10 runners.

Cuthbertson girls’ cross country team: The Cavaliers’ girls’ cross country team will try to win their fifth straight state championship this fall.

Cuthbertson is loaded with talent, returning five runners who finished in the top 17 at the state championship meet last season.

The Cavaliers’ quintet includes seniors Alyssa Preisano (Wake Forest commit, 17:42.34 personal-best) and Lily Nasta (18:02 personal-best) along with juniors Charlotte Bell (18:32 personal-best), Stella Kermes (17:49.25 personal-best) and Justine Preisano (18:36.70 personal-best).

Mary Bonner Dalton, Myers Park cross-country: The Mustangs’ junior continued to prove she is among the best distance runners in the nation, running a personal-best 17:02.88 to win the 5,000-meter run (5K) at the Adidas’ Track Nationals’ in Virginia Beach in March.

Dalton’s time was the fifth fastest run in state history in the 5K.

Dalton, already a two-time all-state cross country performer, won the 4A state indoor title in the 3,200-meter run last winter.

Ewan Gath, Providence soccer: The Panthers’ senior center midfielder had a breakout junior season, scoring five goals and dishing out seven assists to earn Southwestern 4A conference and Region nine player of the year honors last year.

Gath also helped Providence (18-2-2) to the 4A state quarterfinal.

Providence soccer coach Nicholas Sosa, who played professional soccer, called Gath “maybe the best high school soccer player I’ve even seen.”

Sambetu Franchesco, Garinger cross-country: The Wildcats’ junior has proven she is one of top distance runners in the Southwestern 4A conference, finishing fourth in the league championships’ race in each of her first two high school seasons.

Franchesco, a two-time state qualifier, also finished 12th and 18th at the 4A West Regional championships in freshman and sophomore seasons.

Franchesco, who ran a personal-best 19:58.27 as a freshman, looks to be even faster in her junior season.

Sophia Harris, Charlotte Christian girls’ tennis: The Knights’ No. 1 singles’ player was a perfect 12-0 in her freshman season to earn all-state and CISAA conference player of the year honors.

This year, the four-star recruit and top 10 2025 N.C. recruit, will lead a Charlotte Christian team (9-5 last year) that advanced to the state quarterfinals a season ago.

Valentina Lira, Concord Academy soccer: The Eagles’ three-time all-state pick is coming off a dream season, when he scored 29 goals and had 19 assists while leading Concord Academy (18-6) to its first boys’ soccer state title (NCISAA 3A) in school history.

Lira, a Division I recruit who also plays for the Charlotte Soccer Academy’s ECNL National Academy team, was recognized as one of the top players in the “MLS Next Program,” according to Concord Academy coach Scott Wagner.

Gilberto Lorenzana, Jr., North Mecklenburg soccer/football: The Vikings’ senior plays multiple roles for North Mecklenburg as he scored three goals and had five assists as the center back last season.

This season, Lorenzana, Jr. will serve as the Vikings’ goalkeeper,

Lorenzana, Jr. is a three-year starter on both the North Mecklenburg soccer and football teams, where he serves as the Vikings’ kicker.

Lorenzana Jr. has 10 touchbacks and three field goals in his North Mecklenburg football career, including one-game winning field goal.

Lorenzana Jr. has football scholarship offers from Allen, Livingstone, Gardner-Webb and Winston-Salem State, according to North Mecklenburg soccer coach Adam Roach.

Marvin Ridge girls’ tennis team: The Mavericks’ will be swinging to defend their perfect 23-0 season that culminated with the 4A state championship last year.

Marvin Ridge coach Julie von Olden will rely on senior Merritt Wilson (No. 4 singles’ last year), junior Jeslyn Pratiknjo (No. 3 singles) and sophomore Celina Chen (No. 6 singles), as they look to repeat.

Gus Mendieta, Carmel Christian soccer: The Cougars’ all-state center back and team’s most valuable player returns to lead a senior-laden team.

The Cougars (15-2-1 last year) finished as NCISAA 4A state runner-up, losing a 1-0 heartbreaker to Rabun Gap Nacoochee in three overtimes to end last season.

Mendieta is a college soccer recruit, most recently being look at by Georgetown University according to Carmel Christian soccer coach, Jeff Dresser.

Lucy Osherow, Providence Day field hockey: The Chargers’ senior midfielder/forward scored 11 goals and had a school-record 17 assists to lead Providence Day (18-4) to a NCISAA state runner-up finish last season.

Osherow, an Ohio State University commit and a three-time all-state selection, was also a second-team All-American, according to the National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association.

Devin Reinhardt, Charlotte Latin soccer: The Hawks’ senior scored 11 goals and had 14 assists as the all-state forward led the CISAA conference in total points and assists last season.

Reinhardt earned CISAA conference and Mid-Atlantic Region player of the year on a Charlotte Latin team (14-7) that advanced to the second round of the NCISAA 4A state playoffs.

Reinhardt is being recruited by Amherst, Boston College, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Denison, Harvard, New York University, Princeton and Yale, according to Charlotte Latin coach Kyle Searles.

Reinhart looks to carry to momentum from a strong summer, where he his Charlotte Soccer Academy U18/U19 team made the ECNL Nationals in San Diego.

Landon Roemer, Providence Day cross-country: The Chargers’ top runner had a breakout sophomore season, finishing fifth at the NCISAA 4A state cross country championships in a personal-best 16:15.50.

Roemer got even better as the season went along finishing fourth in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs at the NCISAA 4A state outdoor championships last spring.

Longtime, Providence Day coach Ben Hovis expects Roemer to be even faster as a junior after what he called “a massive improvement,” in the last year.

Elizabeth Rudisill, Myers Park girls’ golf: The Mustangs’ standout had a memorable freshman season, finishing as 4A state runner-up, 4A West Regional runner-up and SoMeck 4A conference runner-up.

This year, Rudisill will look to finish one spot better in the biggest events.

Rudisill, ranked No. 8 in the state in junior play by the Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA), is coming off a strong summer, where she most recently won the Beth Daniel Tournament in Charleston, SC, shooting 7 under par.

Faith Valentine, Lake Norman girls’ tennis: The Wildcats’ sophomore enjoyed a strong freshman season, going 9-3 in singles’ and 7-2 in doubles’ play, earning Greater Metro 4A conference player of the year. She also earned all-state doubles’ honors with teammate Ryann Benningfield.

Valentine will lead a Lake Norman team (11-3) that also looks to repeat at conference champions.

Arielle Walker, Davidson Day volleyball: The Patriots’ junior outside hitter returns to lead a Davidson Day squad (20-5) that was NCISAA 2A state runner-up last season.

Walker will look to be even more productive than her sophomore season, when she posted 303 kills, 212 digs, 44 aces and 16 blocks.

Walker is being recruited by the Charlotte 49ers and a few other smaller Division I schools also recruiting her, according to Davidson Day volleyball coach Catherine Glass.

This story was originally published August 15, 2022 at 6:30 AM.