Meet Charlotte’s top 25 girls’ high school athletes of the past 25 years
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Charlotte Observer assembled a 2000-2025 top 25 girls' high school athletes list.
- Selection relied on local reporters and coaches and focused on high school production.
- Featured standouts include Suarez, Thompson and Ward with state titles and records.
The Charlotte Observer is celebrating the top 25 girls’ high school athletes of the past 25 years, from 2000-25.
The list was compiled by a panel of current and former Observer writers in consultation with current and former high school coaches.
It is based on high school production only.
Some very tough choices had to be made, but selections to The Observer’s all-star teams over the years outweighed selections by outside entities, especially national ones, since local reporters got a much more personal view of the student-athletes.
The athletes are not ranked here, but presented in alphabetical order.
COMING UP: The top coaches of the past 25 years (Tuesday) and the top 25 boys’ athletes of the past 25 years (Wednesday).
Meet the best girls’ prep athletes of a generation.
NATASHA BRACKETT, BASKETBALL, PROVIDENCE DAY, CLASS OF 2001
Brackett was the first and only four-time Charlotte Observer girls’ player of the year.
In four years, she scored 2,612 points, second in school history behind Konecka Drakeford, who was named Charlotte’s best girls’ basketball player of The Charlotte Observer’s now 41-year Sweet 16 era.
Brackett’s high school teams were 109-35, and she led the Chargers to state championships in 1998 and 2001. She was 2001 N.C. Gatorade player of the year and N.C. Ms. Basketball. She is a member of Providence Day’s athletic hall of fame. Brackett became an All-SEC player at Auburn and played six years professionally overseas.
Where is she now?
Brackett, who was once a fireman, is now sergeant/paramedic for the College Park Fire and Rescue Paramedic at OASIS Ambulatory service in Atlanta
CIERRA BURDICK, BASKETBALL, BUTLER, CLASS OF 2011
In December 2019, The Observer named Burdick the girls’ basketball player player of the decade (2010-19). In high school, Burdick was a two-time Observer player of the year, was named Ms. N.C. Basketball as a senior and was a two-time N.C. Gatorade Player of the Year.
Burdick, who averaged 23 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and four steals as a senior, was also Parade and McDonald’s All-American. She played at Tennessee, in the WNBA and overseas. In the summer of 2024, she won a bronze medal with Team USA’s 3-on-3 basketball team at the Olympic Games. That was her seventh medal won with USA Basketball in international competition.
Where is she now?
Burdick, who is recovering from hip replacement surgery, plans to continue her career as a professional player next year.
MARY BONNER DALTON, CROSS-COUNTRY/TRACK, MYERS PARK, CLASS OF 2024
In 2024, The Observer named Dalton as the best girls’ athlete, across all sports, for the 2023-24 school year.
In high school, she won seven state championships, four national titles and was named an All-American eight times. She stands as one of the fastest distance runners in N.C. history, including breaking a 27-year-old record in winning a 3,200-meter state title during her junior year. Dalton eclipsed the record by 30 seconds.
Where is she now?
Dalton is a sophomore at Notre Dame, where she has been named All-ACC in cross-country.
ANNA COCKRELL, TRACK, PROVIDENCE DAY, CLASS OF 2016
Cockrell is the most decorated athlete in Providence Day history.
She won 16 state championships in high school — the most possible in her sport — and was named The Observer girls’ track athlete of the year four times. In college at Southern California, Cockrell became a four-time NCAA outdoor champion and won an indoor title as well.
She has won four gold medals in international competition and two silver, including a silver in the 400-meter hurdles in the 2024 Olympic Games.
Where is she now?
Cockrell is a pro track athlete who competes internationally. She splits time between the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Fayetteville, Arkansas.
EVE DAVIS, VOLLEYBALL, CHARLOTTE LATIN, CLASS OF 2013
The 2012 N.C. Gatorade volleyball player of the year, Davis was a first-team Under Armour and a Prep Volleyball All-American after leading the Hawks (38-1) to the 2012 state championship.
As a senior, she finished with 654 kills, 76 aces and 47 blocks. A member of the Charlotte Latin Hall of Fame and a two-time all-state pick, Davis played at N.C. State and graduated with a degree in business administration.
Where is she now?
Davis works as a realtor with Dickens Mitchener in Charlotte.
SHAINA ERVIN, SOFTBALL, HOPEWELL, CLASS OF 2003
Ervin and her twin sister, Miranda, grew up in a sports family. Their mother played softball and basketball. Their father played baseball.
The twins — Shaina a pitcher and Miranda a catcher — led the Titans to back-to-back state championships in the first two years of the school’s existence. In 2003, Shaina Ervin was named N.C. Gatorade player of the year after going 49-5 in two seasons.
In her senior year, she threw four perfect games and had 11 no-hitters, following up on a junior year when she had an 0.09 ERA. After high school, Ervin played four years at N.C. State with her sister. During their junior year (2006), the Pack finished 20-3 and won an ACC title.
Where is she now?
Shaina Ervin is an assistant softball coach for Tennessee-Chattanooga.
JENNY FALCONE, TENNIS, DAVIDSON DAY, CLASS OF 2011
In high school, Falcone was 72-2 overall and won NCISAA singles titles in the fall of 2009 and 2010. She was also doubles champion in 2010.
She was named N.C. private high school female athlete of the year for the 2010-11 school year and was ranked as high as No. 50 nationally as a senior. In high school, Falcone also won six national doubles titles and two singles titles. At College of Charleston, Falcone led the team in wins as a junior and was named all-conference as a senior.
Where is she now?
Falcone works as an information technology recruiter in Charlotte.
KATHARINE FRANZ, VOLLEYBALL, CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY, CLASS OF 2015
In high school, Franz was a two-time N.C. Independent Schools state player of the year and made all-conference and All-Observer three times, earning The Observer’s player of the year honor as a junior.
As a senior, she was named an Under Armour high school All-American as well as USA Today and N.C. Gatorade volleyball player of the year. During her senior season, Franz led Country Day to a 44-1 record and state championship while recording 412 kills, 295 digs, 65 aces and 47 blocks. She later played four seasons at Davidson and left college among the Wildcats’ top 10 in career hitting percentage.
Where is she now?
Franz is a physician’s assistant at the University of Florida’s department of surgery and sports medicine.
AKALA GARRETT, TRACK, HARDING/ALBEMARLE, CLASS OF 2022
In high school, Garrett was a 16-time state champion (indoor and outdoor) and a two-time N.C. Gatorade track athlete of the year in 2021 and ‘22. She was also a two-time, under-20 world champion. As a sophomore at Harding, Garrett won three 4A outdoor state titles and was named MVP of the meet. As a junior, Garrett won two state titles and two national championships.
After transferring from Harding following her junior season, Garrett continued her dominance at Albemarle, winning seven indoor and outdoor state titles as a senior. After high school, Garrett ran at Texas and South Carolina, where she became an All-American.
Where is she now?
Garrett, who qualified for the finals of the 400 hurdles at the USA outdoor championships this year, is enrolled at South Carolina.
KAMOREAN HAYES, HARDING, TRACK, CLASS OF 2007
Hayes was a six-time national champion in high school and a 10-time NCHSAA state champion (indoor and outdoor).
She was the 2005 N.C. Gatorade player of the year. In 2024, Hayes was inducted into the Harding High Hall of Fame. After high school, Hayes starred at Florida State where she was a two-time All-ACC performer and won the 2009 league title in the indoor shot put.
Where is she now?
Hayes is a digital creator in Charlotte.
ANNA HINDE, SOFTBALL, CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN, CLASS OF 2025
A 5-foot-4 catcher, Hinde was considered the nation’s No. 1 high school recruit for parts of her career. As a senior, she hit .679 with seven home runs, 28 RBIs and scored 38 runs.
She led her team to a state title and was named 2025 N.C. Gatorade player of the year. For her career, Hinde was a four-time first-team All-American and set four single-season and two career records. Charlotte Christian had never won a state title before Hinde arrived. It won three in the four years she played.
Where is she now?
Hinde is a freshman at Florida State.
SANU JALLOW-LOCKHART, TRACK, WEST MECKLENBURG, CLASS OF 2022
Jallow-Lockhart has the fourth-fastest 800-meter time in N.C. history and won seven state championships in her career (four indoor, three outdoor). Her N.C. state championship 800 in 2021 still stands as the fastest in any NCHSAA state final in the event in any class.
Jallow-Lockhart represented Gambia in the 2024 Olympic Games and was part of the winning 1,600-meter relay team with Texas A&M at the Penn Relays in 2023. She’s a three-time college All-American.
Where is she now?
Jallow-Lockhart is a junior at Arkansas.
RENEE JOSEPH, TENNIS, CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY, CLASS OF 2004
Joseph was a four-time NCISAA state singles champion and a four-time all-conference pick. She led the Bucs to four straight state championships. A three-time all-state pick, Joseph was ranked as the No. 1 player in South Carolina (she’s a Rock Hill native) in the girls’ 18-under division.
She also competed in basketball, track and volleyball in high school. In college at Mississippi State, Joseph was a four-year starter. She also played on South Carolina’s Fed Cup team.
Where is she now?
Joseph is an internist in Simpsonville, S.C., near Greenville.
JULIA LUCAS, CROSS-COUNTRY, MYERS PARK, CLASS OF 2002
In March of her senior year, Lucas won the mile at an indoor meet in New York, bursting onto the national scene. In May 2002, she won three NCHSAA state titles (800, 1,600 and 3,200) becoming the first girl to do capture the distance triple in 19 years. Lucas became a two-time ACC champion at N.C. State, and in 2012, she ran the 5K at the U.S. Olympic trials.
She missed making the team by one one-hundredth of a second.
Where is she now?
Lucas is a retired professional runner with a 5,000-meter personal best of 15:08. She’s a writer and coach in New York.
ROSE KENNY, TENNIS, CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC, CLASS OF 2020
In high school, Kenny had a career record of 156-12, including 93-8 in singles.
She won three straight N.C. state singles titles from 2017-19 and was named one of six players to the N.C. tennis player of the decade team.
As a senior, she was 21-0 in singles and 14-0 in doubles. She played in college at Villanova.
Where is she now
Kenny is a recruiting coordinator for a financial services company in New York.
CASEY MCCORMICK, SOCCER, CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC, CLASS OF 2008
In high school, McCormick was a four-time N.C. Soccer Coaches Association all-state pick (2005-08). She tore her ACL twice in high school, once in each leg.
She did not play in college due to injuries. In 2012, while pursuing a master’s in public health at UNC, McCormick was selected to spend two months in Vietnam working with a program that provided free eye exams and glasses to students.
Where is she now?
McCormick is an assistant teaching professor for the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri.
NORA MCCULLAGH, SWIMMING, CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC, CLASS OF 2015
McCullagh was The Observer’s 2014-15 girls’ swimmer of the year. As a senior, she led her team to its 14th straight NCHSAA state championship and was named state finals MVP for the third year in a row.
She won two individual events and swam on two winning relays in her final season. She ended her high school career with 13 state titles, including six individual medals. McCullagh also qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic trials in the 50 and 100 free.
Where is she now?
McCullagh, who was a two-time honorable mention All-American at Texas, works in insurance in Austin, Texas.
BLANE MCELROY, SOCCER, PROVIDENCE DAY, CLASS OF 2025
The leading scorer in school history, a mark she set after her junior year, McElroy finished with 81 goals, 72 assists plus three state titles and four state finals appearances. McElroy was named the 2024 N.C. Soccer Coaches and N.C. Gatorade player of the year a junior after accumulating 39 goals and 31 assists while leading Providence Day to a state championship and No. 2 national ranking.
As a senior, she was named an All-American and led Providence Day to another state title and a No. 7 national ranking.
Where is she now?
In September, McElroy signed a United Soccer League Academy contract, which allows her to keep her college eligibility. She committed to Princeton out of high school.
MEREDITH MOORHEAD, VOLLEYBALL, PROVIDENCE, CLASS OF 2006
A 2005-06 All-American and Observer player of the year, Moorhead helped lead Providence to three state titles and was all-state as a junior and senior. She was a 2005 PrepVolleyball.com All-American.
As a high school senior, she led the Panthers to a 27-0 record. For the season, the Panthers lost three games by seven total points. Moorhead ended the year with 334 kills, 160 digs, 58 blocks and 49 aces.
In 2006, Moorhead was named MVP of the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic U-18 team. She played four years at South Carolina and left ranked among the top 25 in school history in kills, attacks and hitting percentage.
Where is she now?
Moorehead is an optometrist in Charlotte.
ASHLYNN SEREPCA, SOCCER, HOUGH, CLASS OF 2018
A two-time N.C. Gatorade player of the year, Serepca was ranked the No. 10 recruit nationally by Top Drawer Soccer.
In her career at Hough, she had 82 goals and 67 assists, including 35 goals and 25 assists as a junior. In 2017, she led her club team, the Carolina Rapids, to a national championship after reaching a national final a year earlier.
Serepca graduated high school early, skipping her senior season, and played at Virginia and Alabama, where she helped the Crimson Tide reach the national semifinals in 2022. She ranks fourth in career game-winning goals for Alabama, including a school-record six in the 2022 season.
Where is she now?
Serepca plays professionally with the Carolina Ascent in Charlotte.
KIM SPANO, CROSS-COUNTRY/TRACK, NORTH MECKLENBURG, CLASS OF 2009
In high school, Spano was a three-time N.C. state champ in cross-country, winning by more than 20 seconds as a senior.
She won five additional indoor and outdoor track state championships. She ran at Syracuse and Charlotte after high school. At Syracuse, Spano was a member of a cross-country team that qualified for the NCAA championships and finished 18th in the country in 2009. In track, she qualified for NCAA East Regionals in the 10,000 meters as a freshman and as a junior.
Spano was inducted into the North Mecklenburg High School Hall of Fame this year.
Where is she now?
Spano is a teacher at Cornelius Elementary School.
FALON SPEARMAN, TRACK, PROVIDENCE DAY, CLASS OF 2022
Spearman was a two-time N.C. Independent Schools female athlete of the year who won national 2020 Junior Olympic championships in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles. She also won the 100 hurdles at the 2022 adidas outdoor national championship.
As a senior, in 2022, she won NCISAA state titles in the 100-and 300-meter hurdles and was third in the 100 dash. She ended her high school career ranked in the top three in state history in those three events and was a six-time state champion in high school.
Where is she now?
Spearman, who began her college career at Duke, is a senior at Vanderbilt, where she’s set two school records and qualified for the NCAA outdoor championships in the 100 hurdles.
TAYLOR SUAREZ, SOCCER, ARDREY KELL, CLASS OF 2024
Perhaps the best girls’ high school soccer player from Mecklenburg County, Suarez — who graduated high school early and didn’t play her senior season — was a two-time N.C. Gatorade, Charlotte Observer and N.C. Soccer Coaches player of the year.
She was The Observer’s 2022-23 female athlete of the year after leading Ardrey Kell to its first soccer state championship. She ended her high school career with 73 goals and 59 assists.
In her final high school season, Suarez scored 36 goals and had 33 assists. She was also a member of the U.S. women’s national team that won a gold medal at the 2022 CONCACF U-17 women’s championship. Suarez had a game-winning assist in the championship match, a 2-1 win over Mexico.
Where is she now?
Suarez is a sophomore at Florida State.
JENNA THOMPSON, TENNIS, SOUTH MECKLENBURG, CLASS OF 2020
Thompson, 80-0 in her high school career, was the fifth N.C. girl to win four state tennis championships.
Beginning at age 10, she was ranked No. 1 in North Carolina. She rose to No. 18 in the nation in 2019, her final high school season.
She played four years at Clemson after high school.
Where is she now?
Thompson is an accountant for CPI Security in Charlotte.
ASHTON WARD, SOFTBALL, BUTLER, CLASS OF 2007
Ward, perhaps the best softball player in Mecklenburg County history, was a two-time All-American pitcher who was also the 2006-07 N.C. Gatorade player of the year. Ward was named The Observer’s player of the year three times, and was 58-1 in her career.
Behind Ward, Butler won three straight state championships from 2006-08. As a senior, she was 36-0 with an 0.37 ERA, plus 360 strikeouts in 170 innings and 20 shutouts.
Where is she now?
Ward, who played in college at Tennessee and Virginia Tech, is co-owner of Ashton Paris Events in Charlotte.
Steve Lyttle, Jay Edwards and Brett Honeycutt contributed to this report.
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This story was originally published November 24, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
