Top Charlotte-area teams, athletes to watch across fall high school sports
Autumn is a lot more than football season for Charlotte-area high school athletes.
Nine area teams won state championships last fall in boys’ soccer, volleyball, girls’ tennis, girls’ golf, cross-country and field hockey, and several others finished as state runners-up.
And it looks like more of the same this season.
Cuthbertson is aiming for its sixth straight girls’ cross-country state championship, and the Cavaliers have most of their top runners back from a year ago.
Weddington is a popular preseason pick to capture the 4A state soccer title, and Christ the King will be aiming for its third straight 1A championship.
There are also a number of standout athletes hoping to grab individual state titles, such as Cuthbertson’s Stella Kermes, who won the 4A individual girls’ cross-country crown last fall; Myers Park’s Elizabeth Rudisill (golf), Teagan Reilly (tennis) and Mary Bonner Dalton (cross-country); and Ardrey Kell’s Raghan Gopalakrishnan (boys’ cross-country).
Other area defending team champions are: Charlotte Latin (4A private schools’ girls’ cross-country); North Lincoln (3A girls’ cross-country); Gaston Day (2A private schools’ soccer); Charlotte Country Day (4A private schools’ girls’ tennis); North Iredell (3A volleyball); Providence Day (private schools’ field hockey); and Myers Park (public schools’ field hockey).
Here are The Observer’s Sweet 16 preschool fall sports selections, along with our picks for the top teams in fall sports (other than football).
Fall Sports Sweet 16
1. Cuthbertson girls’ cross-country.
Mark Vilardo has taken over coaching this stellar program, which is led by senior Stella Kermes (4A individual champ, Gatorade Player of the Year, Virginia commit). Seniors Charlotte Bell and Justine Preisano (N.C. State commit) ran fifth and sixth in the state meet. The Cavaliers are ranked No. 1 in the Southeast. “And we’re very excited to see some rising sophomores step up this year for the boys and girls,” Vilardo said.
2. Weddington boys’ soccer.
The Warriors lost the 4A title match to Cardinal Gibbons last fall but have several stellar seniors returning, led by Eli Petko (24 goals, seven assists in 2023). Also back are Jack Battenfield, a leader during the playoffs, and goalkeeper Alfredo Catalan-Escobar. Coach Powell Williams said two other returnees, Tucker Kern and Carter McClain, will play key roles. He said Kern “is a huge weapon for us.”
3. Elizabeth Rudisill, Myers Park golf.
Rudisill was 2022 Observer Player of the Year after shooting a state-record 10-under in winning the 4A state tournament last fall. She led the Mustangs to a second-place team finish.
4. Providence Day boys’ cross-country.
The Chargers have senior Zach Makemson and juniors Max Hoody and Ethan Tucker returning. Each finished in the top 25 at the state meet last fall.
5. Teagan Reilly, Myers Park girls’ tennis.
Reilly went 29-2 as a freshman and reached the 4A state semifinals. The Mustangs’ coach, Ed Flynn, has a 144-7 record in the past eight years.
6. Maria Nix, Cannon School volleyball.
A junior outside hitter, Nix had 360 kills, 128 digs, 54 aces and 22 blocks last season.
7. Christ the King boys’ soccer.
Winning a third straight title won’t be easy, as the Crusaders lost most of their top scorers from last season. But first-year head coach Nick Cappadora said an experienced group of juniors and seniors, anchored by goalkeeper Nick O’Bryant, will be tough to dethrone.
8. North Iredell volleyball.
First, the bad news. Most Valuable Player Emma Norris has graduated. Now, the good. The Raiders had three freshmen and four sophomores playing regularly on last year’s 3A championship team, and head coach Dave Markland’s record is 73-3 over the past three seasons.
9. Charlotte Country Day girls’ tennis.
Junior Anna Torstrick was 16-4 at No. 1 singles in leading the Buccaneers to the state title last year, and she leads the effort to repeat.
10. Marvin Ridge volleyball.
Seniors Josie Zettlemoyer and Cadie Crawford were No. 1 and 2 in kills for a team that went 23-6 a year ago against N.C. competition. The Charlotte area is loaded with strong volleyball teams, though, with Hough, Nation Ford, Cannon School, Clover and others knocking on the door.
11. Dylan Swinehart, Charlotte Country Day boys’ soccer.
A senior forward, Swinehart had 21 goals and 13 assists for a 4A private school state runner-up team.
12. Mary Bonner Dalton, Myers Park girls’ cross-country.
Dalton has been a state contender since her freshman year, and this will be her final campaign. A Notre Dame commit, she was 4A state runner-up last fall.
13. Charlie Meadoweal, Palisades volleyball.
The Pumas went 18-6 as a first-year program in 2022, and Meadoweal led the way. She was SoMeck 4A Player of the Year, with 251 kills, 241 assists, 195 digs and 72 aces.
14. Kelsey Sciacca, Charlotte Latin girls’ golf.
Sciacca won the CISAA title last fall as a freshman. She finished ninth last month in the Carolina Junior Girls’ PGA Championship and has two junior tournament titles this year.
15. Emilee Ibsen and Avery Shaffer, Gaston Day girls’ tennis.
As freshmen, they went 17-0 in doubles last season and helped their team finish second in the state.
16. Myers Park field hockey.
Junior Kemp Walters (28 goals last fall) leads a Mustang team that will battle with Providence Day for honors as the Charlotte area’s best team. The two teams meet Aug. 25 at Providence Day and Oct. 12 at Myers Park.
Area’s top teams
BOYS’ SOCCER
1. Weddington (4A); 2. Christ the King (1A); 3. Forestview (3A); 4. Lake Norman (4A); 5. Charlotte Country Day (NCISAA 4A); 6. East Lincoln (3A); 7. Concord (3A); 8. Ardrey Kell (4A); 9. Providence (4A); 10. Carmel Christian (NCISAA 4A).
VOLLEYBALL
1. Marvin Ridge; 2. Ardrey Kell; 3. Nation Ford; 4. North Iredell; 5. Cannon School; 6. Clover; 7. Hough; 8. Kings Mountain; 9. Providence; 10. Covenant Day.
BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
1. Marvin Ridge; 2. Providence Day; 3. Ardrey Kell; 4. Cuthbertson; 5. South Mecklenburg.
GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
1. Cuthbertson; 2. Marvin Ridge; 3. North Lincoln; 4. Myers Park; 5. Lake Norman
GIRLS’ TENNIS
1. Myers Park; 2. Marvin Ridge; 3. Charlotte Country Day; 4. Gaston Day; 5. East Lincoln
GOLF
1. Myers Park; 2. Marvin Ridge; 3. Providence Day; 4. Charlotte Latin; 5. Charlotte Catholic
FIELD HOCKEY
1. Myers Park; 2. Providence Day; 3. Charlotte Latin; 4. Covenant Day; 5. Charlotte Catholic
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
