American Heritage-Delray (Fla.) No. 1 in South Region Girls' Top 10

American Heritage-Delray (Fla.) tops the first South Region Girls’ Top 10 of the 2023 spring season.

With each region beginning play in different weeks — the South and West start before the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Northeast get underway — our high school contributors will provide in-season updates in each active region prior to the first National Top 25 update.

The West and Mid-Atlantic previews are unveiled the week of March 13, and watch for the Northeast and Midwest previews the week of March 20 — along with updated top 10 rankings from the South and West. USA Lacrosse Magazine will also release 25 players to watch for both boys’ and girls’ lacrosse that week.

The first National Top 25 update comes March 28. From there, rankings will be updated each Tuesday throughout the spring.

USA Lacrosse Magazine contributors consult with high school coaches across the country to develop the Nike/USA Lacrosse National Top 25 and Regional Top 10 rankings for boys’ and girls’ lacrosse. These rankings do not include schools that admit post-graduate students.

Nike/USA Lacrosse High School Rankings

National Boys' Top 25 | National Girls' Top 25
Northeast Boys' Top 10 | Northeast Girls' Top 10
Mid-Atlantic Boys' Top 10 | Mid-Atlantic Girls' Top 10
South Boys' Top 10 | South Girls' Top 10
Midwest Boys' Top 10 | Midwest Girls' Top 10
West Boys' Top 10 | West Girls' Top 10

1. AMERICAN HERITAGE-DELRAY (FLA.)

The Stallions came up just short of winning a state championship in 2022 after compiling a 26-game winning streak against in-state opposition. American-Heritage Delray is hopeful the return of attacker Payton Bezjak, who missed the 2022 season with injury, can provide a spark. She’ll be joined by class of 2024 attacker Caroline Byrd.

2. MILTON (GA.)

The Eagles extended their run of state championships to five in a row in 2022 with a young but talented squad. Milton returns top scorer Maeve Simonds for one more season before she heads off to Ohio State. She’ll be joined on the attack by Arizona State-bound Emma Heenan. Milton’s toughest stretch comes during its three-game visit to the Mid-Atlantic from March 31-April 1.

3. LAKE HIGHLAND PREP (FLA.)

The Highlanders won a second state championship in three years in 2022 with a senior-led squad. After losing four of its top five scorers, Lake Highland Prep will look to junior Izzy Hughes to lead the offense. Junior goalie Gabriela Adamson and midfielder Alexandra Horn are also expected to play big roles.

4. CARDINAL GIBBONS (N.C.)

The Crusaders are returning the core of their state championship-winning squad from 2022, as their top four scorers are all back. Sophomore Lexi Mullahy and junior Isabelle Hammond, who both had 59 goals, return. Midfielder Grace Mullahy also could be relied upon before heading to Harvard next year.

5. STEINBRENNER (FLA.)

Like the Crusaders, the Warriors return most of the roster from 2022 that came just short of appearing in the state championship game. Steinbrenner returns leading scorer Taylor LaPointe, who will head to Northwestern next year. Seniors Natalie Jones and Katherine Prentice are already off to strong starts this year.

6. WEDDINGTON (N.C.)

The Warriors return their top two scorers from last year’s squad that went 19-4. Elektra Koulouris, last year’s leading scorer, is back for her junior year. Senior Abbey McCarthy is also back after her 52-goal effort a year ago.

7. BARTRAM TRAIL (FLA.)

The Bears completed a Florida 2A championship a year ago after finishing the season 22-3. Junior Ryann Frechette had an impressive season with 94 goals and 52 assists. Colgate commit Madison Stevens is also back for her junior year between the pipes. Senior Adrionna Ferrara is expected to lead the defensive efforts.

8. HOCKADAY (TEXAS)

The Daisies compiled a solid 20-1 record before earning a Texas state title in 2022. Attacker Grace Hoverman, a Columbia commit, and midfielder Lauren Roach, a Louisville recruit, will be expected to lead Hockaday this season.

9. BLESSED TRINITY (GA.)

The Titans return their top scorer, Clark Hamilton, from last year’s 22-1 squad that won a state championship. Blessed Trinity will face a challenging task going against Milton (Ga.) March 16. Seniors Carly Coopman (Oregon), Jaclyn Johns (Navy) and Reagan Hart (Navy), are all headed to Division I programs next year.

10. FRANKLIN (TENN.)

The Admirals won a state championship a year ago led by Aliya Polisky. She is back for her senior season to lead the Franklin attack. She’ll be joined by Claire Fritts to carry the Franklin offense.