Savannah's sports scene has seen some remarkable athletes emerge, with two recent standouts being Carter Holton and Tayon Vereen. Holton, a Southpaw junior pitcher from Vanderbilt University and a Benedictine Military School graduate, caught the Atlanta Braves' attention in the draft. On the other hand, Tayon Vereen, known for his prowess at Performance Initiatives Gym and a graduate of Brewton Parker who attended Sol C. Johnson High School, is set to represent Team USA at the 2024 FISU America Games. These accomplishments showcase the talent and excellence within Savannah's sports community. Check out their achievements listed below.
Carter Holton
Sport: Baseball
Class: Benedictine Military, 2021
College: Vanderbilt University, Junior
Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
With the 62nd pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Atlanta Braves have chosen Vanderbilt left-handed pitcher Carter Holton, ranked No. 69 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list. Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 190 pounds, Holton had a standout career at Vanderbilt, going 18-10 with 251 strikeouts in 200 innings pitched, while posting a 4.09 ERA. His best season came as a freshman when he went 8-4 with a 3.14 ERA and struck out 97 batters in 80 1/3 innings. Despite a sophomore season cut short by an arm injury, Holton's talent came through to be drafted.
In high school, Holton was equally impressive, boasting a career record of 31-4 and setting a state record with a career ERA of 0.59, allowing just 18 earned runs over four seasons. Not just a force on the mound, Holton excelled at the plate, hitting .434 with 27 career home runs and 127 RBIs.
Tayon Vereen
Sport: Powerlifting
High School: Sol C. Johnson, 2019
College Club: Brewton-Parker College, Georgia Southern University
Club: Performance Initiatives, Savannah, Georgia
Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
A Sol C. Johnson High School class of 2019 graduate and Brewton-Parker College alum, Tayon Vereen continues to rise in the weightlifting world. A Performance Initiative Gym Champion in the +109 kg (240 lbs) category, Vereen has been invited to represent Team USA at the 2024 International University Sports Federation (FISU) America Games in Cali, Colombia, from November 5-14, 2024. The Games will feature athletes from up to 25 countries competing in 13 sports.
Vereen's accolades include being the 2019 Junior National Champion and qualifying for the 2019 Junior World Team on Team USA in the 109 kg (240 lbs) weight class. His gold medal performance at the Junior Nationals included a snatch of 143 kg (315 lbs) and a clean and jerk of 175 kg (385 lbs), totaling an impressive 318 kg (700 lbs).
Photo Credit: Vanderbilt Baseball, Benedictine Military School, Prep Sports Report, Performance Initiative Gym
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