Seven athletes at Fort Mill High signed to take their talents to college next year.
The seven athletes included four football players, a softball player, a baseball player and a track and field thrower.
The four football players were Charlie Veltri, Michael Threatt, JJ Ogwal and Marcus Boston Brinkley. Fort Mill head football coach Rob McNeely said he was happy for his players.
“It shows the younger guys and the future of this community, we are here to help their kids achieve their dreams,” he said. “It shows you can come to Fort Mill and play football and get a chance to play at the next level.”
Brinkley is going to be heading to UNC-Charlotte. He is the first player in the history of the school to be a two-time recipient of the Yellow Jacket Award winning it his junior and senior seasons. A three-star recruit, Brinkley was an All-State player at 5A and was named to the North-South All-Star team this past season.
Ogwal is a three-year starter at cornerback and wide receiver. He was a team captain his senior year and in the top five leading the team in defensive tackles as a junior. He will be heading to North Greenville University.
Threatt is another All-Region player for Fort Mill who rushed for 912 all-purpose yards last year and was the team’s offensive MVP. He will be going to Winston-Salem State University.
The final football player is Veltri who is a three-year letter winner for the Jackets. Veltri will be attending Marshall University and was a starter on the offensive line for Fort Mill his junior and senior seasons.
The one baseball player signing is Luke Garabedian and he will be playing at Indiana State University. He is a four-year player for the Jackets. Garabedian is both a hitter and pitcher and has played summer baseball in the past four years.
“He is a great kid and works hard every day,” said Fort Mill head baseball coach Travis Collier. “We are excited for him.”
Another four-year player, except in softball, is Trinity Wall. She will be going to Belmont-Abbey College. She made her softball debut for Fort Mill as an eighth grader and has earned her varsity letter every year as well as being named to the All-Region team as a junior. Last season, she hit .328 with 15 RBI and 18 runs scored in 22 games for the Jackets.
“Trinity is absolutely one of the best kids and most genuine kids I have ever met,” said Fort Mill head softball coach Chuck Stegall. “Her dedication to the game and some of the small things she does has made her better. She is one of the fastest girls I have ever seen.”
Sophia Stalford was the lone track and field athlete to sign Thursday for Fort Mill. She has been a varsity level athlete for the past four years for the Jackets and will be going to USC-Beaufort. Her personal best in the discus is 86 feet and in the shot put is 25 feet. In recent years, the javelin event has been added to the events for high school track and Stalford has a personal best of 60 feet for throwing the javelin.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
