Meet the All-Observer swimming teams, the top prep athletes in the Charlotte area
A pair of N.C. state champions headline the 2025 All-Observer boys’ and girls’ swim teams.
The teams represent the best players in The Charlotte Observer’s regional coverage area, which includes NCHSAA and NCISAA schools in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union counties.
The teams were selected by The Observer’s high school sports staff.
▪ Charlotte Country Day senior Elle Scott, is girls’ swimmer of the year after a record-breaking performance at the NCISAA Division I state championship meet.
The Buccaneers’ senior won state titles in the 200 individual medley (1:56.60) and the 100 breaststroke (58.93) at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on Feb. 10. Scott also broke a national record, swimming a 58.56 in the 100 breaststroke in the preliminary race at the state championships.
Scott also helped the Bucs’ 200 medley relay (1:41.68) and 400 freestyle relay teams (3:24.32) to state championships.
Finally, Scott set school records in all four events to earn the most valuable player of the state championships after scoring the most points for the second straight season.
▪ Marvin Ridge junior Michael Rice, the NCHSAA 4A state championship MVP, is the boys’ swimmer of the year. Rice won 4A state titles in the 100 free and the 400 free relay. He set a met record in the 100 free.
Rice, an Auburn commit, also was 4A state runner-up in the 50 freestyle and 200 medley relay, helping the Marvin Ridge boys’ team to a third-place finish at the 4A state championships.
▪ Lake Norman Charter’s Stewart Isaacs is boys’ coach of the year, after leading the Knights to the first 3A state championship in school history. Lake Norman Charter won the team title without producing any individual state champions.
Lake Norman Charter got a 3A state runner-up finish from the 400 free relay (Alex Stinson, Carter Hall, Jack Rodgers, Neil Hart). The Knights also got third-place finishes in the 200 free relay (A. Stinson, Cooper Cavicchia, Channing Scott, J. Rodgers), the 200 free (A. Stinson) and 100 backstroke (N. Hart).
▪ Charlotte Country Day’s Ben Keast and Myers Park’s Ben Sharrer share the girls’ swimming coach of the year award.
Keast led the Buccaneers to the NCISAA Division I state title for the second straight season.
The Charlotte Country Day girls’ team dominated the event winning seven of the 11 events at the state championship meet to win by 71 points.
The Buccaneers’ girls set 15 school records, six state (meet) records and one national record at the state championship meet.
Sharrer, a rookie coach, led the Mustangs to their fourth straight NCHSAA 4A state title.
The Mustangs won with a team effort, edging the runner-up Green Hope of Cary by just 6.5 points.
Myers Park won state titles in the first event (200 medley relay) and last event (400 free relay) to earn the team state championship.
All-Observer girls’ swimming
FIRST TEAM
50 freestyle: Emma Richardson, Myers Park: The Mustangs’ freshman was 4A state runner-up in 23.13.
100 freestyle: Joslyn Bolton, Providence: The Panthers’ junior was 4A state runner-up in 50.25.
200 freestyle: Zetta Grace Bartee, Providence Day: The Chargers’ junior, an Auburn University commit, repeated as NCISAAA Division I state champion in 1:48.82.
500 freestyle: Clarke Neace, Providence Day: The Chargers’ senior, a University of Georgia commit, repeated as the NCISAA Division I state champion, breaking her own state record swimming (4:47.98).
200 individual medley: Elle Scott, Charlotte Country Day: The Buccaneers’ senior, a University of California Berkeley commit, repeated as NCISAA Division I state champion in 1:56.60.
100 backstroke: Alyssa Claborn, Lake Norman: The Wildcats’ senior, a University of Tennessee commit, was 4A state champion in 53.44.
100 butterfly: E. Richardson, Myers Park: The Mustangs’ freshman earned her second 4A state runner-up finish in 52.96.
100 breaststroke: E. Scott, Charlotte Country Day: The Buccaneers’ senior set a national-record (58.56) in the state championship preliminary race, before also winning a NCISAA Division I title in the finals.
Diving: Reagan Lecker, Charlotte Catholic: The Cougars’ sophomore won the 4A state championship with 443.35 points.
200 medley relay: Myers Park (Karina Plaza, Avery Klamfoth, E. Richardson, Taylor Weaver): The Mustangs’ quartet won the 4A state title in a 4A state meet record time of 1:41.64.
200 freestyle relay: Charlotte Country Day (Caroline Mallard, Taylor Klein, Kaylee Daniell, Esme Van Orden): The Buccaneers’ relay won the NCISAA Division I state title in 1:33.85.
400 freestyle relay: Myers Park (K. Plaza, Mary Drummond, A. Klamfoth, Katherine Guenter): The Mustangs’ relay won the 4A state title in 3:23.39.
SECOND TEAM
50 freestyle: J. Bolton, Providence, Jr.
100 freestyle: Arizona Smith, Charlotte Catholic, Fr.
200 freestyle: C. Neace, Providence Day, Sr.
500 freestyle: Charlotte LePage, Marvin Ridge, Sr.
200 individual medley: A. Klamfoth, Myers Park, Jr.
100 backstroke: Shaelyn Shields, Providence, Sr.
100 butterfly: C. Mallard, Charlotte Country Day, Jr.
100 breaststroke: Eliza Wallace, Ardrey Kell, Jr.
Diving: Gabriella Panichella, Lake Norman, Jr.
200 medley relay: Charlotte Country Day (T. Klein, E. Scott, C. Mallard, Cate Wickerham).
200 freestyle relay: Myers Park (T. Weaver, Elizabeth McIntyre, K. Guenther, E. Richardson.
400 freestyle relay: Charlotte Country Day (E. Van Orden, K. Daniell, C. Wickerham, E. Scott).
All-Observer boys’ swimming
FIRST TEAM
50 freestyle: Michael Rice, Marvin Ridge: The Mavericks’ junior, an Auburn University commit, was 4A state runner-up in 19.93.
100 freestyle: M. Rice, Marvin Ridge: Rice was state champion in a 4A state meet-record time of 43.56.
200 freestyle: Norvy Clontz, Charlotte Latin: The Hawks’ senior, a University of California commit. repeated as the NCISAA Division I state title in a state meet and school record 1:36.67.
500 freestyle: Santiago Alzate-Celin, Charlotte Country Day: The Buccaneers’ junior, a University of Florida commit, repeated as NCISAA Division I state champion in 4:23.83.
200 individual medley: David Sammons, Charlotte Latin: The Hawks’ freshman was NCISAA Division I state runner-up in 1:47.65.
100 backstroke: Granger Bartee, Providence Day: The Chargers’ senior, a University of North Carolina commit, won the NCISAA Division I state title in 48.48.
100 butterfly: Connor Wickerham, Charlotte Country Day, Sr.: The Buccaneers’ senior, a Brown University signee, was the NCISAA Division I state runner-up in 48.21.
100 breaststroke: Trevor O’Sullivan, Cuthbertson/Bryce Spangler, Charlotte Latin: O’Sullivan, a senior, finished fourth at the 4A state meet in 57.02; Spangler, a senior, was NCISAA Division I state runner-up in 57.03.
Diving: Mason Kramer, Charlotte Catholic: The Cougars’ junior won the 4A state title, despite breaking his hand in warmups. He scored 455.20 points.
200 medley relay: Charlotte Latin (D. Sammons, N. Clontz, B. Spangler, Thomas Greathouse): The Hawks’ quartet was the NCISAA Division I state champions in 1:32.07.
200 freestyle relay: Myers Park (Nolan Schear, Nathan Hohnbaum, Peter Cassidy, Cameron Bucci): The Mustangs’ relay won the 4A state title in 1:23.86.
400 freestyle relay: Charlotte Latin (T. Greathouse, D. Sammons, B. Spangler, N. Clontz): The Hawks’ relay was NCISAA Division I state runner-up in 3:04.06.
SECOND TEAM
50 freestyle: John Kroll, Cannon School, Sr.
100 freestyle: C. Bucci, Myers Park, Sr.
200 freestyle: S. Alzate-Celin, Charlotte Country Day, Jr.
500 freestyle: N. Clontz, Charlotte Latin, Sr.
200 individual medley: Carson Day, Providence, Jr.
100 backstroke: Rider Warner, East Lincoln, Sr.
100 butterfly: D. Sammons, Charlotte Latin, Fr.
100 breaststroke: Carter Johnson, East Gaston, Sr.
Diving: George Robinson, Myers Park, Jr.
200 medley relay: Marvin Ridge (Maxon Brienza, M. Rice, Lucas Soniat, Colton McBryde).
200 freestyle relay: Providence (C. Day, Tokugen Drake, Jack Rutledge, Carter Medlin).
400 freestyle relay: Marvin Ridge (Dylan Stewart, Quinn O’Mara, M. Brienza, M. Rice).
