Freed-Hardeman University Hall of Fame dinner tickets on sale
As homecoming quickly approaches, Freed-Hardeman Athletics is announcing that tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner and enshrinement ceremony are now on sale.
Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of Catilyn (Carter) Vega, Easton Lavelle, and Simbarashe Zvaita with a dinner beginning at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at https://www.purplepass.com/#269525/Freed-Hardeman_University-2023_Athletics_Hall_of_Fame_Ceremony-Brewer_Sports_Center-November-11-2023.html
The last day to purchase tickets will be Sunday, November 5.
Lady Lion Caitlyn Carter (Vega) – Softball
Carter began her career as a Lady Lion with the first game of the 2015 season where she recorded a pair of hits. Those two hits would be the first of a program career record of 274 at the time of her induction. In her debut season, Carter collected 51 hits at a .432 average.
As if her freshman campaign was not good enough, she exploded to break the program’s single-season hit record with 84 base knocks. One of the best hitters in the nation, Carter’s .503 batting average was best in the nation. Known for her patience at the plate, she drew a career-high 10 walks in her sophomore season to end the year with a .531 on-base percentage and a career-best .635 slugging percentage. In her junior season, Carter continued to dominate at the plate, collecting 55 base hits at a .437 batting average. The year 2017 was also her best year defensively as a middle infielder, ending the season with a .979 fielding percentage, committing just three errors in 143 chances.
Going out with a bang, Carter tied her own single-season hit record with 84 hits in one fewer at-bats to give her a .506 batting average for the season.
At the time of her induction, Carter’s name is found all over both the single season and career record books. The top three best batting averages belong to her with a record .506 in 2018, followed by her .503 in 2016, and .437 in 2017. Also holding the top two best on-base percentages, Carter reached base safely in .531 of her plate appearances in 2016 and .523 in 2018. Her 84 base hits in 2016 and 2018 remains the program record as of 2023. Her eight triples in 2018 broke her own record of six triples in 2016.
Carter’s .475 career batting average is the best in program history, as is her .500 on-base percentage. Her 274 base hits remains the program record by 48 hits while also holding the program record for most runs scored with 150. She by far has the program’s best triples number, with her 18 three-baggers giving her the program record, 10 above the next highest.
“Caitlyn was our spark plug at the plate and made our offense successful,” said FHU softball coach Todd Humphry. “When Caitlyn was on, we felt good about our chances. One of the most versatile players I’ve had the privilege to coach. A very determined player who had a work ethic that was hard to match.”
Lion Easton Lavelle
Men’s Golf
Becoming the first golfer to join the FHU Athletics Hall of Fame, Easton Lavelle’s name is plastered throughout the FHU record books.
On September 19, 2016, Lavelle broke the program record for lowest round with a 67 (-4) at Mt. Juliet, Tennessee’s Windtree Golf Course. He broke his own record the very next round by winning the Mid-Southlavellehof Conference’s Fall Invitational with a 65 (-6). Those two rounds set the FHU record for lowest 36 with 132 (-10).
Those two rounds were not the only times Lavelle made his mark on the links, with his 70.3 stroke average in the fall of 2016 being the best average for a Lion golfer, and the only time a Lion averaged under par for a season.
Lavelle medaled eight times in his storied career while having six of 15 of the lowest rounds in program history. All four years of his career Lavelle was selected to the American Midwest Conference’s first team.
After FHU – Lavelle graduated from FHU in 2018 with a degree in business management. He currently works for the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury in property assessments. He is married to Maddie and has a two-year-old, Kipp.
Simbarashe Zvaita
Men’s Soccer
Simbarashe Zvaita is the greatest player to play his entire career at Freed-Hardeman.” A quote from FHU soccer head coach Jason Elliott succinctly sums up “Simba’s” time in maroon and white.
Hailing from Harare, Zimbabwe, Zvaita made his name known in just his second collegiate match, scoring a pair of goals in a victory over Brewton-Parker (Ga.) College in 2008. He would chip in one assist to lead the team his freshman year in both goals (5) and points (11).
Zvaita more than doubled his goal production in his sophomore season, connecting for 11 goals while chipping in with seven assists. Back-to-back braces began a streak where Zvaita netted at least one goal in six consecutive matches. Of his 16 matches that season, Zvaita scored in nine.
In his junior campaign, Zvaita connected for a new career-high 12 goals, opening the season with two goals again versus Brewton-Parker. Three matches later, the attacking midfielder collected the first of his two career hat tricks – scoring a natural hat trick in the first half against Pikeville (Ky.) College.
In his swansong, Zvaita matched his career high of goals with 12, but expanded his game by dishing out a career-high nine assists. His 33 points in 2011 landed him in the No. 4 spot in the TranSouth Athletic Conference’s points leaderboard.
At the time of his induction, Zvaita is second in the career points category (98), third in points per game (1.51), second in goals (40), tied for second place in assists (18), and second in shots on goal (129). Simbarashe Zvaita.
