North Marion sports' Mount Rushmore: Vote to add the Colt's next sports icon

In the black hills of South Dakota stands Mount Rushmore, a sculpture that immortalizes four of the United States' most known presidents. The star banner brings that symbol to Marion County for an ambitious project.

Today, we sculpt the faces of North Marion sports legends into our series. Our field spans three decades, four sports, and a host of firsts for the Colts.

Finalizing our final four members saw us splitting the difference between several legendary careers. Who do you think should join as the fifth member of the Colts' Mount Rushmore? Vote below to find out.

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Deric Fabian | Baseball | 2021

While Fabian may have spent the least time as a Colt on this list, he changed the face of baseball for the program. Under the Auburn player's two seasons at North Marion, he racked up memorable awards as he pushed North Marion into its first state runner-up appearance.

Fabian’s senior year is the stuff of legend. He hit .432, set the school's single-season home record and was named the Florida Dairy Farmers' baseball player of the year. Get this. He’s just one of two players above Orlando to win the award in its 30-plus-year history.

Team success hasn’t been far from Fabian’s production since he moved on from the Maroon and Gold. He signed with Florida, turning a two-year career with the Gators into a runner-up College World Series. He slashed .233/.336/.356 with six homers before transferring for SEC opponent Auburn in 2024.

Derrick Sheffield | Football - Basketball - Track | 1997

Derrick Sheffield was a three-sport athlete in the early 2000s, one of the country's most talented eras. By his senior year, he was an all-state running back, a weightlifting state champion and a state qualifying track athlete.

The star graduated with several records, including the school's all-time single-season rushing rushing record. It was a mark that went untouched for almost 20 years before three-star running back James Allen broke it.

If not for a severe knee injury in the Georgia-Florida all-star game, the lore of Sheffield would be grander. Sheffield’s beastly career will help one of North Marion's best athletes live on like any great urban legend.

Tim Yarn | Football - Basketball | 1999

While there were great Colts athletes before Yarn wore the garnet and gold, he paved a different path. As the star athlete of a talented 1999 class, Yarn became the first North Marion athlete to go Division I straight out of high school.

Yarn was a star on the court and on the gridiron. He played both sides of the ball, destroying defenses as a dual-threat quarterback and shutting down receivers as a defensive back. By his senior year, he'd impressed the University of South Carolina.

Injuries, a broken arm sustained his freshman year and a torn ACL a year later interfered with Yarn's time with the Gamecocks. After three seasons, he transferred to the University of Tampa to lace up his basketball sneakers. An injury the next season set him on a path to being North Marion's current head coach.

Laura Johnson | Basketball | 1980

Speaking of record-breaking careers, Laura Johnson reset multiple record books. After four years of varsity basketball, she set the school's girls program's time, scoring and rebounding records by 1980.

Johnson earned a scholarship to Santa Fe College, where she continued to rewrite history books. With 1,039 points and 722 rebounds, Johnson once again became an all-time leading scorer and rebounder. Johnson became a JUCO state champion and an all-American in two years of service for the Bulldogs.

Her 20 points, 13.9 rebounds and dominance earned her a scholarship to Division I HBCU Florida A&M. When she finished her degree and athletic career, she returned to North Marion, where she coached the junior varsity Colts for two seasons. In 2015, she was enshrined in the Florida College System Activities Association Basketball Hall of Fame for her accomplishments.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: North Marion sports' Mount Rushmore: Vote to add the Colt's next sports icon