Tate DeVries '28 Recruiting Profile

My name is Tate DeVries, and I am in the class of 2028.  I am currently a 14-year-old freshman who has experienced early success in both cross-country and track. I have been ranked the #1 cross-country runner in the state of South Dakota the past two seasons for my age group (Fall 2024- freshman; Fall 2023 - 8th grader).  I was also the #1 eighth grade boys 3200m runner (and #2 eighth grader in the 1600m) in the state of South Dakota in the Spring of 2024. I recently capped off my freshman cross country season placing 3rd in the Rising Stars NXR Heartland Regionals with my new PR of 15:53.1

Even with my entire high school career still in front of me, my goal is to run at the highest collegiate level possible when that time comes.  I am determined, motivated and enthusiastic about improving myself both athletically and academically. I would like to run for collegiate program that has a long history of success and development, but also recruits athletes only of the highest character.

I have been gifted in multiple sports and activities including running, basketball, soccer, baseball, CrossFit, and flag football since I was young. However, I am currently just a three-sport athlete in cross-country, basketball, and track.

I am fortunate to be part of an amazing cross-country boys’ program at Aberdeen Central High School, which has won our conference team championship 6 of the past 9 seasons as well as finishing in the top 4 in the team standings at the South Dakota state AA meet in 4 of the past 6 seasons.  

Other tidbits regarding my running history:

I caught the ‘running bug’ when I first ran competitively in the Fall of 2021 cross-country season as an 11-year-old sixth grader at the middle school level for Aberdeen Central, a Class AA school in South Dakota. Running and endurance come naturally to me, and I won 8 of 9 middle school 3K races that first season against other boys ages 11 – 14, including the individual middle school conference championship. 

Then as a 12-year-old seventh grader in the Fall of 2022 cross-country season, I was promoted from the middle school team directly to the varsity team and was able to compete for a spot in the top 7. I ran well that first varsity season even though I was running against boys up to six years older than me as well as at the longer 5k distance.  I qualified for the SD State AA cross country meet that season and placed 68^th. My 5K PR that season was 17:38.

Cross Country history:   Fall 2023 (8th grade, 13 years old): Varsity.  I earned all-conference honors and set a 5K PR of 16:27 this season. I also qualified for the State AA meet again where I improved to 43^rd place overall in Class AA, South Dakota’s highest class of athletics.  Fall 2024 (Freshman, 14 years old): Varsity.  I earned all-conference honors in back-to-back seasons and set a 5K PR of 15:53 this season. I again qualified for the State AA meet again where I improved to 18th place overall in Class AA making the medal podium.

Track & Field history:  My first season on the outdoor track was the Spring of 2023 as a 13-year-old seventh grader. I continued to excel with distance events, setting PRs of 5:01 and 2:23 in the 1600m and 800m, respectively.  I set our 7th grade school record in the 1600m this season.  Spring 2024 (8th grade, 14 years old): I was moved up to varsity as an 8th grader where I set outdoor PRs of 10:01 and 4:41 in the 3200m and 1600m, respectively.  I qualified for the State AA track and field meet in the 3200m this season.