New Mexico Highlands University Men's Track

DeVries is beginning his 24th season with New Mexico Highlands, beginning his caching stint in Las Vegas in 1992.   A native of Wisconsin, DeVries competed collegiately for and graduated from New Mexico Highlands University earning Bachelors and Masters degrees in history in 1981 and 1983 respectively. His masters degree was conferred with honors. After being named Rocky Mountain Conference Scholar Athlete in 1980, DeVries assisted with the Cowboy cross-country program for two seasons, helping Highlands achieve a top-ten NAIA nationals finish in 1981.    DeVries began his high school teaching and coaching career at Magdalena High School, where he took over a struggling track program. Within several years, the track team became the pre-eminent track program in the district, capturing the district title numerous times as well as individual event state champions.   Following a 10-year high school stint, DeVries returned to Highlands in 1992 and took over a Highlands cross country program in turmoil after seeing four coaches in a three year period. During his more than 20 years at the helm of Highlands cross country, DeVries has twice been named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and guided the program to top ten NCAA finishes in both 1998 and 2007the only school in the nation to place in the top 10 without having a mens track and field program. DeVries has coached 10 cross country All-Americans.   In 2006 DeVries added duties as head coach of womens outdoor track and field. The program was implemented on a limited basis with DeVries as its part-time coach. In 2008, he was brought on full time to coach the cross country and womens track and field programs at Highlands with the addition of indoor track and field   In a decade of existence, the Cowgirls have amassed 10 national champions among four different athletes, 43 individual and five relay All-America honors among 17 athletes, three US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Athletes of the Year (Outdoor Field by Jilissa Grant in 2012 and Salcia Slack in 2014 and 2015).  Other honors include a USTFCCCA Field Scholar Athlete of the Year (Jilissa Gtrant, 2011), 21 conference athletes of the year (including a sweep of the Indoor and Outdoor Track AND Field Athlete of the Year in 2015), six RMAC Female Athletes of the Month and 11 RMAC Athletes of the Week and numerous conference champions.   The decade-old track program took the conference and the nation by storm. Highlands blasted through the Adams State dynasty by winning both the RMAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships, ending the more than a decade-stronglehold the Grizzlies held on both titles. In fact, the Cowgirls blew away the competition by 42 points outdoors. Shanice McPherson took the indoor long jump NCAA and RMAC titles while setting the NCAA Division II indoor long jump record (6.49 meters). Salcia Slack  blasted the NCAA Division II heptathlong record (old OR new javelin standard) with a jaw-dropping 6,141 points during the outdoor season, which ranked third in the world at the time. Although the Cowgirls only claimed an indoor NCAA championship in the long jump (McPherson) and in the indoor and outdoor multi (Slack), Highlands finished a program-best third in both championships thanks to 16 All-American nods among eight athletes. Besides Slack's unprecedented RMAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year nods, she was the USTFCCCA South Central Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year indoors and the Outdoor South Central Region Track AND Field Athlete of the Year. She also successfully repested as the National Female Field Athlete of the Year, keeping the title in Highlands hand for the third time in the last four years.  DeVries won both the Indoor and Outdoor RMAC Coach of the Year honors while DeVries (Head Coach) and Patrick Johnson (Assistant Coach) were named USTFCCCA South Central Region Coach of the Year awards. The 2014 indoor and outdoor track and field season was a banner year for Highlands womens track and field. Slack won an outdoor national championships in both the heptathlon and long jump and was named the USTFCCCA Female Athlete of the Year. At the RMAC championships, she scored 50 points alone in helping the Cowgirls finish second with a school-record 5,833 points. Slack scored 5,833 points in the heptathlon, breaking the NCAA Division II record (modern javelin era) in that event.   Slack was named both RMAC Field and Performer of the Meet.   McPherson won both the RMAC Indoor and Outdoor Freshman of the Year awards and captured a national championship in the indoor long jump.   DeVries captured his second RMAC Track and Field Coach of the Year award during the outdoor season, also winning the award in the 2013 indoor season. He also was named the USTFCCCA Outdoor Region XI coach of the year.   2014 also saw the Cowgirls reach their highest national ranking in program history sixth during the indoor season and ninth during the outdoor season.   Highlands finished a-then program-best sixth indoors and seventh at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championship.  Bob DeVries Head Cross Country and Track Coach Head track and field and cross country coach Bob DeVries is beginning his 24th season with New Mexico Highlands, beginning his caching stint in Las Vegas in 1992.   A native of Wisconsin, DeVries competed collegiately for and graduated from New Mexico Highlands University earning Bachelors and Masters degrees in history in 1981 and 1983 respectively. His masters degree was conferred with honors. After being named Rocky Mountain Conference Scholar Athlete in 1980, DeVries assisted with the Cowboy cross-country program for two seasons, helping Highlands achieve a top-ten NAIA nationals finish in 1981.    DeVries began his high school teaching and coaching career at Magdalena High School, where he took over a struggling track program. Within several years, the track team became the pre-eminent track program in the district, capturing the district title numerous times as well as individual event state champions.   Following a 10-year high school stint, DeVries returned to Highlands in 1992 and took over a Highlands cross country program in turmoil after seeing four coaches in a three year period. During his more than 20 years at the helm of Highlands cross country, DeVries has twice been named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and guided the program to top ten NCAA finishes in both 1998 and 2007the only school in the nation to place in the top 10 without having a mens track and field program. DeVries has coached 10 cross country All-Americans.   In 2006 DeVries added duties as head coach of womens outdoor track and field. The program was implemented on a limited basis with DeVries as its part-time coach. In 2008, he was brought on full time to coach the cross country and womens track and field programs at Highlands with the addition of indoor track and field   In a decade of existence, the Cowgirls have amassed 10 national champions among four different athletes, 43 individual and five relay All-America honors among 17 athletes, three US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Athletes of the Year (Outdoor Field by Jilissa Grant in 2012 and Salcia Slack in 2014 and 2015).  Other honors include a USTFCCCA Field Scholar Athlete of the Year (Jilissa Gtrant, 2011), 21 conference athletes of the year (including a sweep of the Indoor and Outdoor Track AND Field Athlete of the Year in 2015), six RMAC Female Athletes of the Month and 11 RMAC Athletes of the Week and numerous conference champions.   The decade-old track program took the conference and the nation by storm. Highlands blasted through the Adams State dynasty by winning both the RMAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships, ending the more than a decade-stronglehold the Grizzlies held on both titles. In fact, the Cowgirls blew away the competition by 42 points outdoors. Shanice McPherson took the indoor long jump NCAA and RMAC titles while setting the NCAA Division II indoor long jump record (6.49 meters). Salcia Slack  blasted the NCAA Division II heptathlong record (old OR new javelin standard) with a jaw-dropping 6,141 points during the outdoor season, which ranked third in the world at the time. Although the Cowgirls only claimed an indoor NCAA championship in the long jump (McPherson) and in the indoor and outdoor multi (Slack), Highlands finished a program-best third in both championships thanks to 16 All-American nods among eight athletes. Besides Slack's unprecedented RMAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year nods, she was the USTFCCCA South Central Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year indoors and the Outdoor South Central Region Track AND Field Athlete of the Year. She also successfully repested as the National Female Field Athlete of the Year, keeping the title in Highlands hand for the third time in the last four years.  DeVries won both the Indoor and Outdoor RMAC Coach of the Year honors while DeVries (Head Coach) and Patrick Johnson (Assistant Coach) were named USTFCCCA South Central Region Coach of the Year awards. The 2014 indoor and outdoor track and field season was a banner year for Highlands womens track and field. Slack won an outdoor national championships in both the heptathlon and long jump and was named the USTFCCCA Female Athlete of the Year. At the RMAC championships, she scored 50 points alone in helping the Cowgirls finish second with a school-record 5,833 points. Slack scored 5,833 points in the heptathlon, breaking the NCAA Division II record (modern javelin era) in that event.   Slack was named both RMAC Field and Performer of the Meet.   McPherson won both the RMAC Indoor and Outdoor Freshman of the Year awards and captured a national championship in the indoor long jump.   DeVries captured his second RMAC Track and Field Coach of the Year award during the outdoor season, also winning the award in the 2013 indoor season. He also was named the USTFCCCA Outdoor Region XI coach of the year.   2014 also saw the Cowgirls reach their highest national ranking in program history sixth during the indoor season and ninth during the outdoor season.   Highlands finished a-then program-best sixth indoors and seventh at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championship.