Meet the 2023 All-Observer high school girls track team

Cuthbertson High junior Charlotte Bell and Stuart Cramer High senior Alexis Willis headline the 2023 Charlotte Observer girls outdoor track and field team.

▪ Bell is the track runner of the year after turning in the state’s best times in both the 800- and 1,600-meter runs this season.

Bell also won the 4A state title in both the 800- and 1,600-meter runs, while helping the Cavaliers’ 3,200-meter relay to a state championship.

Bell is a Georgetown University commit.

▪ Willis, the field athlete of the year, won the 3A state title and 3A West Regional championship in the triple jump for the second straight season.

Willis also won the 3A West Regional title in the long jump, while finishing as 3A state runner-up in the same event.

Willis was also the Charlotte Observer’s indoor field athlete of the year during the winter season.

▪ Cuthbertson’s Dustin Allen is the girls track coach of the year after guiding the Cavaliers’ girls team to its third straight NCHSAA 4A outdoor state title.

All-Observer first team

100-meter dash: Kaylyn Brown, Mallard Creek, Sr.: The University of Arkansas commit won the 4A West Regional title and ran an area-best time of 11.55 seconds at the Queen City Athletic Conference preliminaries.

200-meter dash: Kaylyn Brown, Mallard Creek, Sr.: The Mavericks’ standout also ran an-area best time of 23.77 seconds to win the Blue Ridge Classic. It was the No. 3 time in North Carolina this season.

400-meter dash: Kaylyn Brown, Mallard Creek, Sr.: Brown ran an area-best 53.84 seconds to win the Panther Invitational.

800-meter run: Charlotte Bell, Cuthbertson, Jr.: The Cavaliers’ star won the 4A state title and also ran the state’s best time of 2:08.67 on Cuthbertson’s senior night.

1,600-meter run: Charlotte Bell, Cuthbertson, Jr.: Bell doubled as a 4A state champion in a personal-best (and N.C. season-best) time of 4:43.27.

3,200-meter dash: Mary Bonner Dalton, Myers Park, Jr.: She ran the state’s best time this season, 10:08.64, to win the 4A state championship.

100-meter hurdles: Makhyah Pittman, Palisades, Jr.: She ran a personal-best time of 14.23 seconds to finish as 4A state runner-up and SoMeck 4A conference champion.

300-meter hurdles: Aria Wegh, Marvin Ridge, Jr.: She won the 4A state championship and also posted an area-best 42.04 seconds to win the Friday Night Lights Invitational at Providence.

High jump: Asia Artis, Garinger, Fr./Kaitlyn Evans, Butler, Sr.: Artis jumped an area-best 5-6 to win the 4A West Regional and finished 12th at the 4A state meet. Evans, a senior, went 5-6 at Independence, and was also 4A West Regional runner-up. She finished fourth at states.

Long jump: Alexis Willis, Stuart Cramer, Sr.: The field athlete of the year jumped an area-best 19-1 to win the 3A West Regional title, also finished as 3A state runner-up.

Triple jump: Nia Poole, Providence Day, Jr.: The Chargers’ star won the NCISAA Division I state title; also jumped a personal-best 39-5 at a Providence Day home meet.

Pole vault: Lily Houston, Northwest Cabarrus, Jr.: She won the 3A state championship one week after posting a personal-best of 12-0 to win the 3A Midwest Regional.

Discus: Camryn Massey, Ashbrook, Jr.: The Green Wave star threw an area-best 169-10 to win the 3A West Regional. She also won the 3A state title a week later.

Shot put: Tyler Glover, Ardrey Kell, Jr.: She threw an area-best 47-4 at the Friday Night Lights Invitational at Providence. Glover also won the 4A state title in this event.

4 X 100-meter relay: Statesville (Nakirah Adams, Alaya Gillespie, Sakari Johnson, Janiya Johnson): The Greyhounds’ relay team ran the state’s fastest time, 47.07 seconds, to win an Iredell County championship. The team also was the 3A state champion.

4 X 200-meter relay: Olympic (T’Sheylah Moore, Journee Gordon, Carmen Penasoto, I’Ja Walter): The Trojans’ quartet finished third at the 4A state meet in an area-best 1:40.24.

4 X 400-meter relay: Olympic (Journee Gordon, Janya Barnes, I’Ja Barnes, T’Sheylah Moore): The Trojans’ relay was the 4A state champion in the state’s best time this outdoor season, 3:50.32.

4 X 800-meter relay: Cuthbertson (Justine Preisano, Josie Schihl, Stella Kermes, Charlotte Bell): The Cavaliers’ quartet ran an area-best 8:48.48 at the Cuthbertson home opener. The team also won the 4A state championship in a 4A state meet record, 9:01.84.

All-Observer second team

100-meter dash: Nina Dominique, Charlotte Christian, So./Janiya Johnson, Statesville, Jr.

200-meter dash: Nina Dominique, Charlotte Christian, So./Janiya Johnson, Statesville, Jr.

400-meter dash: T’Sheylah Moore, Olympic, Sr.

800-meter run: Stella Kermes, Cuthbertson, Jr.

1,600-meter run: Stella Kermes, Cuthbertson, Jr.

3,200-meter dash: Alyssa Preisano, Cuthbertson, Sr.

100-meter hurdles: Carmen Penasoto, Olympic, Jr./Aria Wegh, Marvin Ridge, Jr.

300-meter hurdles: Amaya Hopkins, South Mecklenburg, Sr.

High jump: Aria Wegh, Marvin Ridge, Jr.

Long jump: Sydney Krause, Central Cabarrus, Jr./Jahaila Wright, Olympic, Jr.

Triple jump: Alexis Willis, Stuart Cramer, Sr.

Pole vault: Lauren Ceccarini, Weddington, Jr./Eleni Fiore, Weddington, Jr./Faith Koerner, Cuthbertson, Jr.

Discus: Natalie Brown, Weddington, So.

Shot put: Natalie Brown, Weddington, So.

4 X 100-meter relay: Mallard Creek (Jasmine Higgins, Shiasia Mitchell, Tiara McFadden, Laila Ramadan).

4 X 200-meter relay: Statesville (Nakira Adams, Alaya Gillespie, Dynasty Hamilton, Janiya Johnson).

4 X 400-meter relay: Charlotte Country Day (Ava Goggin, Lindsey Kerrins, Emma Lewis, Abby Kerrins).

4 X 800-meter relay: Charlotte Country Day (Shayna Strusse, Ava Goggin, Lily Giardi, Lindsey Kerrins).