R.J. Reynolds Star John Tatter Announces Commitment To Michigan

Oct 24, 2017

Watch John Tatter win the adidas XC Challenge in 15:00

Another one of North Carolina's top ranked runners has made his college decision.

John Tatter of R.J. Reynolds High committed to the University of Michigan on Tuesday.

The senior posted a 15:00 for 5K earlier this season at the adidas XC Challenge, which he won, and has a PB of 9:09.35 in the 3200m from the Arcadia Invitational in April.

He broke into the Flo50 national rankings after his performance at Adidas and currently sits at No. 18. He's ranked No. 2 in the state of North Carolina behind Cameron Ponder, another Winston-Salem runner who committed to run at Furman University on Monday.

Tatter currently holds the fastest 5K time in the state at 15:00 and is the favorite to win the NCHSAA 4A crown this fall.

Proud to commit to run at the University of Michigan #goblue pic.twitter.com/LMdo0280qM
-- John Tatter (@John_tatter) October 25, 2017

Tatter has family in the state, and his father Stephen is a Michigan graduate, too. He had fun while talking about his connection to the school. "Winners go there," Tatter said, "Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Michael Phelps, Jim Harbaugh, the guy who did the Darth Vader voice, Stephen Tatter. All the greats."

"My grandma, she's nice," Tatter said. "She lives close, she lives like an hour and a half away, so that's something. I could ride my bike from her house."

On a serious note, Tatter talked about the draw of the school.

"They have a good team atmosphere and they want to win," Tatter said. "Their academic profile fit what I was interested in."

Tatter is considering studying psychology or economics and said he was impressed by how academics were prioritized among their student-athletes.

The Wolverines are coached by Kevin Sullivan. As a former Michigan runner and Olympian, Sullivan was a big factor in Tatter's decision.

"Coach Sullivan knows what he's doing," Tatter said. "He has experience as a three-time Olympian. He's a proven coach. He's coached multiple runners to All America finishes."

Tatter also took official visits to Ole Miss, Wake Forest and Georgetown before deciding to join the Wolverines.