MCHS' Grogan inks with Iowa Western Community College

Morgan City High School’s Deondre Grogan is headed to Iowa Western Community College with hopes of parlaying the experience into a longer track and field career at a four-year institution.
Grogan, who runs the 200-meter dash and 400-meter run, signed scholarship papers at Morgan City High School Friday.
“It feels amazing,” he said of signing the scholarship.
Grogan said that Iowa Western expects him to run the 200 and 400-meter runs for the two-year college, too.
He connected with Iowa Western through Morgan City High School Track and Field Coach Duriel Singleton.
Singleton said the original plan was to send Grogan to South Plains College in western Texas where former Morgan City track and field standout and now pro runner Vernon Norwood excelled, but Singleton said South Plains’ coach left. So Singleton started looking elsewhere for options.
“I did my research, and I saw who South Plains ran against, and Iowa Western pops up,” Singleton said.
He was able to get in contact with them about Grogan, and things worked out.
“They loved everything about Deondre and what he can bring to the table,” Singleton said. “They asked what kind of worker he was. I told them he’s a hard worker, just stay on him, make him work. He will do the work. He will surprise you, and the best has yet to come yet.”
Norwood also ran the 400-meter run in college, and while Grogan said he hasn’t talked to him yet about the collegiate experience, he said he will.
As far as going so far away from home, Grogan said, “I’m kind of nervous, but I got to do what I got to do to go to school.”
Grogan finished his senior season at Morgan City as Class 4A state runner-up in the 400-meter dash, clocking in with a time of 49.2. He also was a member of the Tigers’ 4x200-meter relay, which finished fourth at the state meet with a time of 1:28.74.
“They’re getting an amazing worker,” Morgan City High School Assistant Track and Field Coach Denver Chapman said. “He’s amazing. That’s all I can say. … He goes the extra mile for you. I think his potential, he hasn’t even touched his potential yet, so we’re looking for big things for him.”
Singleton said having athletes sign track and field scholarships is good for the program.
“It’s showing that you can get a scholarship by running track at Morgan City High School,” he said