Buford High School Softball Player, Track Athlete, Flag Football Player Tavye Borders Voted 2024 ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Year
Buford High School three-sport athlete Tavye Borders, a 2024 graduate, is the 2024 ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance.
Borders was one of four standout athletes from the state of Georgia nominated for the award. She played softball, ran track, and was a member of Buford’s first year flag football team this past season. She is also a member of Athletics Gold Tamborra, a fastpitch softball club.
“It’s an honor to be named ITG Next Georgia’s Female Athlete of the Year,” Borders said. “It’s been fun competing at a high level in three different sports this year. The memories I’ve made will last a lifetime.”
Borders may be wrapping up her successful high school career as a top Wolves student-athlete, but she is far from finished. She will continue her softball career at the collegiate level after committing to Boston College in January.
While softball will become her primary sport in college, Borders leaves behind a stellar high school athletic career.
Borders’ success at Buford started during her freshman year when she won a track state championship as part of the Wolves’ 4×400-meter relay team. She played a big part in the Wolves’ track region championship this past season.
Buford head track coach Fyrone Davis has coached Borders every season since her freshman year, and he talked about the impact she has made each season.
“She runs the first leg of our relay team, and she is unmatched with the stick (baton) in her hand,” Davis said. “She is fun to coach, and she is really special.”
Dais said that Borders received the Top Wolf award, which is given by the track coaches to a track athlete who displays leadership on and away from the track.
Buford’s flag football team had it’s inaugural season this past year. Although there was a learning curve for the players, head coach Sean Gilbert said Borders shined with her speed and overall athleticism.
“Tavye played H-back and safety for us, and her field speed is what set her apart from every other player we saw this year,” Gilbert said.
Despite being new to the sport, it didn’t take the Buford senior long to show her talent.
“She had an interception and a touchdown catch in her very first game,” Gilbert said.
Borders earned All-County and All-Region honors for her performance for the Wolves.
“She was one of the most explosive athletes I’ve ever coached in 28 years,” Gilbert said.
As a three-year starter for the Buford softball team, Borders was a major factor in the Wolves’ back-to-back state championships in 2022 and 2023.
In her final high school softball season, Borders scored 33 runs, stole 27 bases, and had a .440 batting average with a .554 on-base percentage.
During the 2022 season, she finished with a .377 batting average.
Borders was a starting outfielder in each of the last three seasons, playing centerfield.
“Tavye was elite on the softball field as well as the classroom,” said Buford head softball coach Trent Adams. “When you have a student-athlete with Tavye’s skill set combined with her character, you have a very special person and player.”
