Winter 2022-23 was a very successful season for the Hawks. The varsity wrestling and boys' swimming teams won NCISAA State Championships, and both also dominated their respective CISAA Conference Championships. The girls' swimming team finished 3rd in the state and 2nd in the conference, while both boys' and girls' basketball made it to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. Individually, Ethan Randall is a state champion in the 122 lb wrestling division, and four Hawks are CISAA conference wrestling champions: Liam McConaughy (106), Christopher Rogers (113), Will Edwards (126), and James Van Nort (215). In swimming, Norvy Clontz won all of his championship events at both the conference and state level, individually (200 and 500 freestyle) and in relays, making him a four-event CISAA champion and a four-event NCISAA champion. Clontz was named this week as the Charlotte Observer's Boys' Swimmer of the Year. Aidan Hill is a 100 butterfly champion, winning the event at both the NCISAAs and CISAAs, Lila Connor is a state champion in the 100 freestyle, and Ivy Monk is a double-event conference champion (200 IM and 100 breaststroke). Lila and Ivy were joined by Charley Floyd and Dorothy Patterson to claim two relay NCISAA titles (200 medley and 4x100 freestyle). On the guys' side, Norvy and Aidan teamed up with Wiley Spinner and Zachary Spicer to win the 200 medley relay at both NCISAAs and CISAAs, and the quartet of Norvy, Wiley, Zach, and James Harper took the conference and state titles in the 400 freestyle relay. 

Varsity cheer and the dance team had new teammates and configurations from the fall to winter seasons, and cheerleading expanded into Middle School. Teams at every level excelled in player development, sportsmanship, and competitiveness. Read on for summaries of the season from each of our winter head coaches. Go Hawks!

Middle School Wrestling
From Coach Wolfe
 
The Charlotte Latin Middle School wrestling team had a wonderful year! The team record was a stellar 8-1.  The team ended up 3rd in the GCMSAA conference with many individual place winners.  Theo Fletcher (83lbs.), Trey Paige (113 lbs.) and Patrick Cunningham (195 lbs.) earned 1st place.  Clifton Gorelick (138 lbs.), Cooper Cumbus (145 lbs.), Cole Bradley (160 lbs.) and Holland Loeffler (170 lbs.) earned 2nd place.  The coaching staff was impressed with our team's grit and determination each and every week of the season.  The eighth graders will be missed as they move up to varsity and the seventh graders will take on the leadership for next season.
 
Conference Scores: Charlotte Christian - 182, Holy Trinity - 173, Latin - 158, Country Day - 110, Cannon - 59 

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Varsity Wrestling
From Coach Paige
 
The 2023 wrestling team had a great season returning our program to the top of NCISAA wrestling. We started the year off strong going 5-0, winning the Cary Academy Duals. We traveled to Baltimore, MD going 2-2 at the Gilman Duals. We hosted 9 other independent schools from North and South Carolina at our inaugural Carolina Prep Duals. And most importantly, we finished the season strong winning both our conference and state tournaments in dominant form.  Our team finished with a 26-4 dual meet record, and pushed our 8-year record against NC independent schools to 71-1. Click here to read about the CISAA Conference Wrestling Championship and click here to read about the NCISAA State Wrestling Championship. 


 

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Middle School Swimming
From Coach Thomsen
 
The Middle School Swim Team enjoyed another successful season this year.  Despite being plagued by injuries and illnesses, both the girls' and the boys' teams trained hard and were overwhelmingly successful in competitions.  Both teams finished with a record of 12-3, only losing to Providence Day School once and Holy Trinity twice.  In the GCMSAA Championship, the girls finished 4th and the boys were 2nd.  Top finishers in the girls' championship meet included 7th graders Reese Gail (3rd in 200 free and the 50 backstroke) and Grace Short (3rd in the 50 breaststroke). On the boys' side, 7th grader David Sammons won two events, breaking meet records in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:49.88 and in the 50 backstroke with a time of 26.37. Eighth grader Thomas Greathouse also won two events and broke two records with a time of 56.87 in the 100 individual medley and a time of 24.88 in the 50 butterfly. Congratulations to all of our team members!

 
 

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Varsity Swimming
From Coach Chadwick
 
My first season as the Head Coach of the Hawks swim team was an honor and a joy. Having been coached by Patty Waldron, I was excited to build on the incredible program that she carried the past 15 years. During the regular season, our boys' team proved their strength early on and remained undefeated. Our girls team had a fantastic run having only lost one meet to Country Day. At the CISAA conference championship, our boys achieved their 12th consecutive CISAA title and our girls walked away with a 2nd place finish. Both teams proved their determination and grit and we knew that we needed to bring our best to states. Click here to read about the CISAA Swimming Championship.

The Hawks brought a large team of 45 swimmers to the NCISAA state championships. The meet was electric from start to finish. We opened and closed the meet with both our boys' and girls' teams winning the 200 medley and 400 free relays in record performances. Our boys' team won their 4th consecutive state title and our girls' team won 3rd place, only 2 points behind a very strong Country Day team. As a former swimmer for the Hawks and first year coach, it was something special to see our athletes come together as a team and support each other on each and every race. Read about the NCISAA Swimming Championships for boys here and for girls here. 


 

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Middle School Cheer
From Coach Chapman
 
The MS cheerleading program had a great start this winter season!  6th-8th grade girls had so much fun cheering for both  the 7th and 8th grade basketball teams.  The girls worked hard to learn chants and cheers and were most excited to learn stunts and build pyramids to show their Latin pride. The US cheerleaders and Coach Atwell were so supportive in teaching us cheers and chants and showing us what it means to support Latin on and off the court!  


 

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Varsity Winter Cheer
From Coach Atwell
 
The 2022-23 Varsity Cheer squad added several new faces to the team for the winter, including two South African exchange students.  They kicked off the season at a combined practice with the newly formed Middle School cheer squad - a fun bonding experience!  The varsity squad didn't miss a beat and jumped right into basketball season with a growing repertoire of stunts, pyramids and new choreography.  The team enthusiastically cheered at all home varsity girls and boys basketball games - including some nail biters that were won on last second shots! In preparation for the Winter Sports Showcase, the cheerleaders welcomed Coach Paige and several varsity wrestlers to practice for demonstrations on wrestling technique and scoring.  It helped them better support the team during their match! Other highlights included the Thunderstruck routine for the Upper School Pep Rally, signing autographs for the youngest Hawks at a packed Lower School Spirit Night, and weekly workouts at Charlotte Allstar Cheer gym where they continued to focus on elite stunts and tumbling.  GO HAWKS!


 

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Varsity Winter Dance Team
From Coach Sheinis
 
This year, the Dance Team opened up tryouts for new and interested dancers to join the team in the winter season for the very first time.  We were pleased to welcome  two freshmen, Sloan Ellison and Avery Youse, who turned out to be lovely, talented additions to the team. The team performed at the varsity girls' and boys' basketball games, and really enjoyed the return to the full Winter Sports Showcase and a performance before the wrestling team's senior night competition. See you next fall!


 

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7^th Grade Boys' Basketball
From Coach Jordan
 
The 2022-2023 season for Charlotte Latin's 7th grade boys' basketball team was an exhilarating and rewarding season for all that watched the team this season. The Hawks started off with a victory over Charlotte Christian on the road, where every player had time on the floor and contributed to the win. They continued their winning ways with victories over conference foes including Holy Trinity, Covenant Day, Providence Day, and Cannon School. Finishing with a winning record of 11-3, the Hawks had breakout performances from Jeylan Womack, Edward Fisher, and Gavin Jones in crucial games throughout the season. Players like McNair Beaver, Jack Lilly, Robert Comly, Rylan Strife, and Jackson Kerr also played key roles in wins throughout the season. James Edge, JR Egner, Parker Bange, Gus Fochtmann, Peyton Laughton, and Thomas Hanna all recorded buckets throughout the season and were keys to the Hawks success as well. An overall great season for Coach Jordan and Coach Harrell who look to coach the Hawks into next season. 


 

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7^th Grade Girls' Basketball
From Coach Gatoux
 
In a season chock full of highlights, the distinguishing characteristics of the seventh grade girls' basketball team were its work ethic, unity, and outward support for one another. Ultimately, this team-first attitude, along with a talented group of young women, led to a successful 11-2 overall record. That said, the coaching staff took great satisfaction in the daily interactions with the team, as it continued to grow together and systematically improve over the course of the season. That was no more in evidence than in the season-ending victory at Holy Trinity, which had previously given the Hawks one of its two losses. What will remain cemented in this team's memory is celebrating together after a game of digging deep to overcome a nearly double-digit deficit with a late game 3-point shot to take the lead and great hustle on defense to hold on for the win.  Needless to say, it was a fun season in which the coaches are most thankful for the many positive experiences with the girls and their families.  


 

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8^th Grade Boys' Basketball
From Coach Wylie
 
While the 6-9 record did not show it, the Hawks proved they could compete with anyone in the conference. Seven out of the 9 losses for the Hawks were by single digits.  The Hawks defeated eventual conference champion Country Day earlier in the season on the road. The boys competed every day and learned a lot throughout the season. They will be a fun group to watch as they continue on throughout high school. 
 
 
 

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8^th Grade Girls' Basketball
From Coach Rogers
 
The 8^th grade girls' basketball team consisted of a group of fun, hard-working athletes. All of the girls were excellent teammates and celebrated one another's successes. The girls competed hard in our games and never gave up, regardless of the score.  We all enjoyed practicing together and talking about things well beyond basketball. Coach Oates, Coach Dauska, and I feel very fortunate to have coached such a special group of girls.  These girls will be successful in all of their future endeavors.
 

 

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JV Boys' Basketball
From Coach Fullwood
 
The JV boys' basketball team finished with a record of 5 and 14.  The team struggled with consistency and continuity because the team was continuously dealing with injuries and illnesses.  The team did not have every member available for practice or game all year, but they  persevered and improved as the season went along, laying the foundation for the future.


 

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JV Girls' Basketball
From Coach Owen
 
The JV girls' basketball team had an extremely successful season - finishing with a record of 10-6 against strong competition from both public and private schools in our area.  Thanks to Coach Berger for getting us a full schedule when many schools could not field teams! Key wins on the season came against a strong Charlotte Catholic team, 2 dominant wins over an always talented PD team, and our finale for a 2nd win against Cuthbertson High School. This group was one of the most fun I have ever coached, but also one of the most talented. Over the course of the season, they came together as a team and improved individually across the board. I think anyone who came to a game this year would agree that they were a fun team to watch. The future's very bright!!


 

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 Varsity Boys' Basketball
From Coach Berger
 
The varsity boys' basketball team finished a very successful season with an overall record of 14-12 and 5-5 in the conference. The Hawks earned the #8 seed in the NCISAA state tournament and a bye in the first round. As the higher seed, CLS hosted Covenant Day in the 2nd round defeating the Lions 71-64. In the quarterfinals, the Hawks traveled to top-seeded Carmel Christian. In front of a sold-out crowd the two teams battled with the Cougars prevailing 65-50. Senior Ned Hull led the team in scoring, averaging 22.5 ppg to earn All-State and 1st team All-Conference recognition. Senior Sean Rose averaged 15 ppg and 9 rebounds for the Hawks. Our seven seniors carried on the tradition of Charlotte Latin Basketball and will be missed. 


 

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Varsity Girls' Basketball
From Coach Smith
 
Varsity girls' basketball ended the '22/'23 season with a record of 16-9, going 5-5 in the CISAA Conference. Highlights of the season included an early sweep of 4A opponents Durham Academy and Ravenscroft, as well as a home playoff win over Cary Academy. The Hawks were able to build on last season's momentum finishing in the top half of the conference once again and earning a #6 seed in the NCISAA state tournament. Freshman Charlotte Tune led the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game and was named First Team All-CISAA. Mayes Fisher was selected to play in the NCISAA Senior All-Star game, although a soccer conflict prevented her from participating. The team graduates four seniors very important to the program, but will return a lot of talent for next year's squad.