Ryan Deak

Height:
5-8
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Aurora, Colo.
High School:
Smoky Hill

High School: The former Maclay High School (Tallahassee, Fla.) standout made a running-motivated move with his family to Aurora, Colo. and Smoky Hill H.S. following his junior year in high school. At Maclay he led the Marauders to five straight cross country regional, district and state titles and regional, district and state crowns in eighth grade as well as his junior year on the track. He was an All-Big Bend cross country team member his freshman through junior seasons. He left Tallahassee with school records in the mile and two-mile distances. He set the Smoky Hill 5k cross country course standard (14:58.4) with a win at the Liberty Bell Invitational by edging future CU teammate Bradley Harkraker and setting a course record previously owned by former CU NCAA Champion Adam Goucher (15:06). Deak’s sub-15 minute effort in the race was a Colorado boy’s first. He went on to win the regional title before settling for runner-up distinction (behind Harkrader) in the 5A state meet. On the track he’s the national indoor freshman two-mile record holder (9:29.10) and became the indoor mile national champion in ’03 (4:09.51). He also ran a 3:49 1,500-m and 8:20 3k during the 2003 track season. He finished third at the 2002 FootLocker South Regionals before turning in a 12th place All-American finish at Nationals as a junior. His 15:14 Midwest Regional time is 18th all-time and he finished sixth at the 2003 FootLocker National Championship in 15:13. He finished second behind future teammate Pete Janson in the junior men’s race at the USA Cross Country Championships in Indianapolis in February for a spot on the IAAF World Team coached by future head coach Mark Wetmore where he was the highest finishing American, 34th overall, in Brussels. Deak was lured by Georgetown and Arkansas before committing to Colorado, but always knew that CU was the place for him.

In The Classroom: Deak will be an education major at Colorado and would like to coach and teach on the high school level after college.

Personal: Ryan Joseph Deak was born July 31, 1985 in Tallahassee, Fla. He is the son of Robert and Robyn Deak of Aurora, Colo. and the younger brother of Kevin.