The Charlotte Observer high school track season preview: Teams, players to watch
An inside look at high school track and field in The Observer’s coverage area
Girls’ teams to watch
Charlotte Christian: The Knights have an experienced roster back with the trio of seniors — Nina Dominique, Madison Rae Noble and Alesia Sylveraine — back to lead a team that finished third at the NCISAA state outdoor championships last year. Dominique, a James Madison University (JMU) commit, is back to defend her NCISAA Division I state titles in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She also won the 55-meter dash at the 4A indoor state championships earlier this month. Noble won the NCISAA state indoor title in the high jump with a state-best jump at 5-6. This spring, she will try to defend her outdoor in the high jump, while also contending in 100- and 300-meter hurdles. Sylveraine is back to contend in both throws as she defends her NCISAA title in the discus and builds on a third-place finish outdoors in the shot put last season.
Charlotte Country Day: Thirty-seven-year veteran coach Al Pearman has guided the Charlotte Country Day girls to the past two NCISAA Division I state championships. This year, the Buccaneers chase a three-peat with seniors Jada Erwin and Lindsey Kerrins leading the way. Erwin, the 300-meter state indoor champion, was state runner-up outdoors in the 100 and 400 and finished third at the state meet in the 200. Kerrins looks to contend for a state title in the 800 (third-place last year), and will also lead the 4 X 200, 4 X 400 and 4 X 800-relays, which all won state titles last year.
Mallard Creek: The Mavericks were Queen City Athletic conference and 4A West Regional runners-up last outdoor season, before finishing fourth at 4A state championships. This year, coach Antoine Sanders believes they can battle for the top spot in the state. Mallard Creek senior Ashlynn Wimberly, an Appalachian State University commit, won the state indoor title in the high jump and finished third in the long jump. This outdoor season, Wimberly is a state contender in both events. Junior Laila Ramadan finished 10th in 200 at the 4A state championships last year and looks to build on that and help both 4 X 100 and 4 X 200-meter relays excel. Freshman Bella-Marie Black, an AAU national champion in the 100-meter dash last summer, should also have an immediate impact.
North Lincoln: The Knights have been one of the state’s most consistent programs in track and cross country. North Lincoln has won five straight state titles in cross country and is coming off a 3A state indoor runner-up finish and hope to keep the momentum going into the spring. Junior Olivia Ferraro, the defending 1600-meter state outdoor champ, will look to repeat and won state indoor titles in both 1,000 and 1,600-meter runs earlier this month. Meanwhile, senior Bella Green, a Charlotte 49ers commit, will also look to contend at states in 800 and 1,600, while classmate Blythe Jaworsky, the 3A state indoor champion in the pole vault, looks to win it all outdoors. She was 3A state runner-up last season.
Boys’ teams to watch
Charlotte Christian: Coach Ralph Jones and the Knights look to build on their momentum from their first NCISAA state indoor title in school history earlier this month. Knights’ senior Evan Boykin, a University of Kentucky commit, will look to defend four different NCISAA Division I state titles in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes as well as the 4 X 100-meter relay. Junior Jamal Rule, who won the 500-meter dash indoor state title earlier this month, will also be amongst the state’s best sprinters. Freshman Joey Wynn is a versatile athlete who could have an immediate impact in the hurdles, the 400-meter dash, long jump and triple jump.
Hickory Grove: Coach Andrew Stover believes his Hickory Grove team is in position to compete for the NCISAA Division state title after finishing third last season. Lions’ senior Anthony Hawkins is a two-time Division II state champion in the discus and shot put. Senior Gavin Malloy looks to contend for state bragging rights in the 800 and 1,600, while helping the 4 X 400-meter relay to a third consecutive state title.
Mallard Creek: The Mavericks have won the last two 4A state championships, including the 2024 outdoor title and the 2025 indoor state crown, earlier this month. Mallard Creek has the speed to be a legitimate contender again this spring. Seniors Nassor Ashenafi and Christian Dixon (55-meter dash, indoor state champion) are amongst the fastest in the state and will contend in 100- and 200-meter dashes, while leading the two-time defending 4A state champion 4 X 200-meter relay and a 4 X 100-meter relay that was state runner-up last spring. Juniors Nyan Brown (55-meter hurdles, indoor state champion, third at 4A states in 300-meter hurdles outdoors) and Mason Kelley (fourth-place in 400-meter at 4A outdoors states in 2024) will also contribute individually and to the relays.
Metrolina Christian: The Warriors have won 10 straight Metrolina Athletic conference titles, and are coming off their best NCISAA state indoor championship finish ever (third-place). This season, coach Brett Honeycutt team will feature junior Matthew Burch, the defending NCISAA Division I state champion in both the shot put (two-time state champion) and discus. His main competition will likely come from teammate, senior Ben Gibbs. The Warriors also boast two middle to long distance state contenders in junior Josh Koos and senior Jude Rutherford, a Presbyterian University commit.
Girls’ athletes to watch
Nakira Adams, Statesville: The Greyhounds’ senior one of the fastest returning sprinters in NCHSAA 3A, taking seventh-place in the 100-meter dash at the 3A state outdoor championships last year.
Natalie Brown, Weddington: The Warriors’ senior, a University of Mississippi commit, won the 4A state indoor title in the shot put. This season, Brown looks to contend in both throws outdoors after finishing third at the 4A state meet in the discus and fourth at the same meet in the shot put last year.
Kasey Dingman, Lake Norman: The Wildcats’ junior finished fourth in the 1,600-meter run both indoors (2025) and outdoors (2024) this past season. Dingman also looks to build on a 1,000-meter state runner-up indoors finish earlier this month.
Olivia Ferraro, North Lincoln: The Knights’ junior is coming off a 3A state indoor meet, where she won the 1,000 and 1,600-meter state title, while finishing third in the 3200-meters. Ferraro will try to defend her 3A state outdoor title in the 1,600-meter this season.
Emalynn Goddard, Providence Day: The Chargers’ senior finished third at the NCISAA Division I outdoor state championships in both the long jump and triple jump last season.
Caitlin Kasten, Covenant Day: The Lions’ sophomore won the 4A state cross country title in the fall, while adding a 1,600-meter state crown and a 3,200-meter state runner-up indoors this winter.
Alyssa Ligon, Cox Mill: The Chargers’ sophomore was Cabarrus County and Greater Metro 4A conference runner-up in the 400-meter dash as a freshman.
Maya Love, Independence: The Patriots’ senior, a University of South Carolina commit, added three more state championships this winter, winning the 55-meter dash, 300 and 4 X 200-meter relay at the 4A state indoor meet. Love now looks to pull off a similar feat outdoor, where she is back to defend her 4A state titles in the 200 and 400-meter dashes, while also building on a 100-meter dash 4A state runner-up finish last spring.
Colby McCollum, Cuthbertson: The Cavaliers’ freshman was third in the 1,600-meter run at the 4A indoor state championships and fourth in the 3,200-meters. She was fifth at the cross country state championships.
Annie Miller, Metrolina Christian: The Warriors’ senior, a Furman University signee, is a two-time NCISAA Division I state champion in the 800. Miller, the 1,000-meter indoor state champion this month, has eight state titles overall (indoor/outdoor) and holds 18 school records.
Shaniya Shirley, Hough: The Huskies’ senior, a Western Carolina University commit, looks to contend in the 100- and 200-meter dashes after sixth and fifth-place finishes, respectively, at the 4A West Regional last outdoor season.
Lila Smith, South Mecklenburg: The Sabres’ junior finished 10th at the 4A state championship as a sophomore.
Elise Wrenholt, Cannon School: The Cougars’ junior is coming off a NCISAA state indoor runner-up finish in the 1,000 and 1,600-meter runs. This season, Wrenholt again looks to contend in the 800-meter run. She was fifth outdoors at states last year. And she was fourth in the 1,600.
Boys’ athletes to watch
Kyle Barney and David Rivlin, Marvin Ridge: The Mavericks’ senior duo, both Charlotte 49ers’ commits, look contend for state titles again. Barney won the 1,000 meters indoors and is among the top 1,600-meter runners in the state outdoors. Rivlin will be a state title contender in the 3,200.
Hunter Bates, Weddington: The Warriors’ junior had a breakout sophomore season, winning the 1,000-meter indoor state title, while finishing third in the 800-meter run at the 4A outdoor state championships.
Treylen Bost and Antonio Wilson, Lincolnton: The Wolves’ senior duo returns to lead the 4 X 100-meter relay which was a state qualifier last season.
Colin Dickey and Drew Johnson, Hough: The Huskies’ sprinters look to help Hough defend its 4 X 400-meter 4A state championship. Dickey, a senior, and Johnson, a junior, are also standouts in the 400 and 800-meter distances respectively.
Eric Heal, Mooresville: The Appalachian State University commit was third in the state in the 110-meter hurdles and fourth in the 300-meters hurdles last outdoor season.
Heal, a standout running back on Mooresville’s football team, is versatile, winning the 2024 Iredell County championships in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles as well as the triple jump and pole vault.
London Miles, Hopewell: The Titans’ senior won the 4A state title in the triple jump (49-4), which was the nation’s fifth-best indoors this year.
Blake Nicholson, Christ the King: The Crusaders’ senior looks to repeat at 1A state champion in the 3,200-meter run.
Kylan Polk, Forest Hills: The Yellow Jackets’ sophomore posted the fastest times in the 100-meter dash (11.06, eighth-place) and 200 (23.09, ninth-place) at the 2A Midwest Regionals last year.
Aiden Ray, Providence Day: Ray is looking to defend his Division I state championships in the 110 and 300-meter hurdles as well as the triple jump. He was state runner-up in the long jump.
Kobey Riley and Matthew Sluder, Charlotte Country Day: Riley, a senior, is emerging as one of the top sprinters in the state. He was fifth at states in the 400-meter last season. Sluder, the 2025 indoor state high jump champion, also looks to defend his state title in the high jump outdoors.
Jehahj Sherrill, Statesville: The Greyhounds’ senior, the reigning Western Foothills’ Athletic conference runner of the year, was fourth in the 3A West Regionals in the 200-meter dash, while taking fifth-place in the 100-meter dash at the same meet last season.
Duncan Smith, Charlotte Catholic: The Cougars’ junior looks to build on a fifth-place finish in the 3,200-meter run at the 4A West Regional last season.
Aaron Ward, Cannon School: The Cougars’ senior was sixth in the discus at the NCISAA Division I state championships last season.
Kaleb Wilson, Cox Mill: The Chargers’ junior was the Cabarrus County champion in both the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs, while earning Greater Metro 4A conference runner-up the same two runs.
Girls’ notes
Growing Up: The West Mecklenburg girls’ track team has one of youngest teams in the state with no seniors on the roster, but coach Derrick Wilmore expects his team to excel with freshman Azshia Lang and sophomore Ja’Nylah Neal leading the team.
Running Strong: Charlotte Catholic senior Kailey Richard is back to lead the Cougars where she can run anything from the 400-meter dash to the 3,200-meters. Richard, who also plays guard on the Charlotte Catholic girls’ basketball team, made nine three-pointers in a game against Providence this season.
Boys’ notes
Major Improvement: South Mecklenburg junior Quinn Rucker made a huge jump in the 110-meter hurdles last year as sophomore, going from a season-opening 17.37 to a personal-best 15.38 in the 4A West Regional preliminary race.
No. 1 run: Marvin Ridge senior Kyle Barney ran the best 1,000-meter run time in state history (2:27.16) at the Virginia Showcase earlier this indoor season.
