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LAPLACE — Devion Devare is built for long distance running. It’s not unusual to see him training for track and field events and pushing to reach distances of six, seven or eight miles along the Mississippi River levee.

All the hard work has paid off. Devare has signed a letter of intent to compete on the University of Mobile’s track and field and cross-country teams under the direction of head coach Andy Canegitta.

“Track is my sport. Just like basketball players are tall and can jump, I’ve always been fast. I’ve always known track is something I can do,” Devare said.

For the past three years, Devare has competed in running events with East St. John’s track team and with his AAU team, the St. John Legends Track Club. In July, he competed at the Club Championships held in Satellite Beach, Florida, and he is currently competing at the AAU Junior Olympics in Humble, Texas.

Among the events he competes in are the one-mile and two-mile races, the 4x800m relay and the 4x400m relay. He was named the Boys Track MVP twice last season, once at Lutcher and once at Destrehan.

From the time he joined the track team as a freshman, Devare knew he wanted to take his talents to the collegiate level.

St. John Legends Track Coach Mark Creecy saw Devare’s potential, and he personally reached out to Coach Canegitta with the University of Mobile to put in a good word for him.

Creecy described Devare as a “humble, funny kid” who started out as a sprinter and volunteered to run a distance event his freshman year. The rest is history.

Coach Canegitta was happy to offer Devare a scholarship, reasoning that any athlete who trains under Mark Creecy is bound to be a hard worker. From there, Devare got in touch with the University of Mobile and built a relationship with his coach and future team.
Devare is proud of the progress he’s made over the past few years.

“My first year doing track, I started off not knowing what I was doing. Throughout the year, I started becoming better and seeing better results. I knew the type of athlete I am, and I knew I could do more for my team and do more for myself to have a better future,” Devare said.

College starts August 13. It will be Devare’s first time away from home, and he looks forward to growing into an independent adult as he pursues his dream of becoming an athletic trainer.

Devare has always prioritized sports and school, and he looks forward to combining his passions into a fulfilling career where he can interact with others.

“When I get older, I want to help push someone to become a better person, not just a better athlete,” he said.

He also credits his parents, DesKameko Daigre and Gregory Devare, for always giving him the support he needed to be successful.

“I’m very grateful for all the coaches and my family, especially my parents. I know my Mama and my Dad tried to make it to every single track meet. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to have the awards I have, and I wouldn’t be the type of person I am today,” Devare said.