Carroll County’s 24 of 24: Some of the top high school girls athletes to watch this spring
Here are 24 girls high school athletes that enter the spring as top candidates for big seasons and eventual postseason honors.
As the spring high school sports season gets underway, The Carroll County Times is presenting its 24 of 24, a list of some of the top high school athletes — 24 boys and 24 girls — to watch this spring.
Here is the girls Carroll County Spring 24:
Lacrosse
Haylee Bittinger, Manchester Valley, junior
Bittinger scored 42 goals in her sophomore season as part of the Mavericks’ Class 2A state championship team. She also added 23 assists. Expect her to put up more big offensive numbers with another year of improvement.
Halley Feaga, Liberty, senior
Feaga was the cornerstone of the Lions’ defense as goalie. She finished the season with 67 saves and a 56.7% save rate for the 1A state champions. Her defensive prowess will be looked to again this season.
Harli Hamlett, Century, senior
An All-County soccer and basketball player, Hamlett is looking for a rare triple crown after being a second team selection last spring for lacrosse. She finished second on the Knights a season ago with 35 goals.
Emma Penczek, Manchester Valley, junior
The reigning Carroll County and All-Metro Player of the Year is a top contender for those honors again this season. The Clemson commit totaled 93 goals and terrorized opposing defenses with her passing and relentless effort, adding 43 assists.
Delaney Sandbank, Century, senior
There might not be a more balanced offensive weapon in the county. Last year, Sandbank tied for the team-high with 65 points, nearly evenly split with 33 goals and 32 assists.
Liv Sprinkle, Gerstell, senior
The East Carolina commit is one of the top offensive options for a potent Falcons group. She finished with over 30 goals in 2023.
Riley Sullivan, Gerstell, senior
A year ago, Sullivan, a standout defender for the Falcons was named first team All-IAAM as she finished among the league and state leaders in draw controls and ground balls.
Softball
Kaelin Ault, Liberty, senior
The Lions’ catcher hit at the top of the order and was a tough out. Ault batted .538 with 29 RBIs and 33 runs for the Lions a year ago and the three-year starter should again be one of the county’s top hitters.
Kaitlyn Clark, Westminster, senior
Clark was a first team All-County selection last year after leading the county with a .568 average. She also collect 25 RBIs as part of a powerful Owl offense.
Kayla Garland, Westminster, senior
Garland is another returning first-team All-County pick for the Owls. She hit .443 with 24 RBIs last year. Through two games in 2024, Garland is 6-for-8.
Jasmine Kline, Francis Scott Key, junior
Kline was flat out dominant in the circle for last year’s county and regional champion Eagles. She finished the season 19-1 as a starter with 221 strikeouts and a 1.42 ERA while also leading the team at the plate with a .480 batting average, three home runs and 21 RBIs on her way to county Player of the Year honors.
Erin Martin, Liberty, junior
In addition to being one of the best defensive players in the county, manning shortstop for the Lions, Martin also swings a hot bat. Last year she hit .500 with 26 RBIs.
Emma Taff, Francis Scott Key, senior
Taff is a two-time first team All-County selection. As a junior she hit .402 with 15 RBIs and 26 runs scored. This follows a sophomore campaign in which she hit .544 with 18 RBIs.
Emma Tawney, Francis Scott Key, senior
Tawney is another two-time first team All-County pick and is highly capable of making it three, if not challenging her teammate for Player of the Year honors. Tawney hit .422 with six doubles and two home runs last season.
Grace Wood, Manchester Valley, senior
Wood batted .484 for the Mavericks and was a first-team All-County pick last year. This season she will be looked upon as a leader after MV was hit hard with graduation losses. She drove in two runs in the Mavericks’ season-opening win.
Tennis
Daphnee Whitmore, Westminster, senior
Whitmore was the county girls singles champion last year and the county Player of the Year. She played doubles in the playoffs where her and Katherine Raab were eliminated in regionals by the eventual state champions. She will be the player to beat in 2024.
Audrey Lillycrop and Caroline Aliftiras, South Carroll, juniors
The doubles team came so close in 2024, finishing as runner-up at both the county and regional tournaments. They’re back again as the Cavaliers’ top pair and already has one win in the new season.
Track and field
Elizabeth and Emily Mitroka, Century, juniors
The sister are two of the county’s top distance runners and have been their entire careers. They have an impressive collection of state medals to show for it. Whether its competing against each other in a 1,600 or 3,200, or teaming up in a 4×800, any girls distance race in the county likely has a Mitroka near the front of the pack.
Ashleigh Porter, Francis Scott Key, senior
Porter has won the past two Class 1A outdoor high jump state championships and also has two indoor state titles on her resume. Even though she was defeated this past indoor season, she’s already cleared 5-foot-5 this season and will be back competing for gold.
Emma Reaves, Westminster, senior
Reaves has two state runner-up finishes to her credit, last spring in the discus and this past indoor season in the shot put. The University of New Hampshire commit is looking to leave high school with a gold medal.
Cailyn Stine, Century, senior
Stine won four events at the county indoor championships in January, the most decorated athlete of the winter season. There’s no reason to believe why she can’t do the same in the spring.
Elizabeth Szybalski, Manchester Valley, junior
A mid-distance specialist with some versatility, Szybalski won the indoor county championship in the 800 and was second at states in the event. She finished second at indoor countys in the 500 and third in the 55 hurdles. Last spring she was third at states in the 800 and was a qualifier in the 300 hurdles, but didn’t start the event.