Versailles native Sam Prakel announced through Twitter and Instagram on Tuesday that he has signed a professional contract with Adidas to continue his running career.

“I am excited to announce that I’ve signed with @adidas to continue my running career,” he wrote in the post. “A huge thank you to my family, friends and coaches for helping me fulfill this dream. I will continue to train under my college coach Andy Powell and move to Seattle, Wash.”

Prakel also said in the post he would be making his Adidas running debut today in the Sir Walter Miler in Raleigh, N.C. He will compete in the men’s elite mile race which is scheduled to begin at 9:20 p.m. on the Meredith College track.

Prakel enters the professional ranks after a strong final year of college at the University of Oregon where he placed third in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships and sixth in the 1,500-meters race at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

In high school, Prakel was a two-time Division III state cross country champion in 2011 and 2012. He also won the 800- and 1,600-meter titles at the 2013 state track and field championships.

Some of his other honors included being named the 2012 Wendy’s High School Heisman winner and also was selected as the Ohio Gatorade Runner of the Year. Other collegiate highlights include winning the PAC-12 1,500-meter race in 2018, being an NCAA Elite 90 award winner for the 2016 Indoor Track and Field season, being named the 2017 PAC-12 Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year, being a four-time PAC-12 Cross Country All-Academic first team selection (2014-17) and a three-time PAC-12 Track and Field All-Academic first team selection (2016-18).