In any given year, high school athletics programs will see a couple of their athletes play at the Division One level. For Grayslake North, three student athletes will soon play the sport they love on one of the biggest stages. Those athletes are senior Cameron Bates, senior Tyler McBride, and senior Isabel Ceaser. These three athletes have been atop of varsity athletics here at Grayslake North for multiple years and have been multiple-time all-conference athletes.
Senior Cameron Bates, a three-year standout varsity wide receiver for Grayslake North, announced his commitment to Dartmouth in October. Bates is a two-time all-conference selection and was part of the all-area team in 2024. He put up over 1,000 receiving yards during the 2024 season, caught 12 TDs, and had 53 receptions.
“My recruiting process was pretty smooth,” Bates said. “It started a bit late but once it started it went pretty well. I was interested in a few of the schools I had offers from but as soon as I got the Dartmouth offer it was a no brainer for me. I had offers from Northern Iowa, Colgate, and North Dakota as well and was getting looked at by some other schools as well,” Bates added. “The incredible academic side of Dartmouth and the good athletics made a perfect combination for me; when I went there on a visit, it felt like home for me.”
Dartmouth went 8-2 last year, with a 5-2 record in conference play, and key wins over Yale, Harvard and Princeton. Bates is among seven other commits in Dartmouth’s class of 2025 and he will be looking to compete for a starting spot in the fall.
Senior Tyler McBride has been a captain for the Grayslake North football team for the last three years ever since he was brought up in the summer of 2022. Tyler is committed to Valparaiso University which is at the Division One level for athletics. McBride played middle linebacker for Grayslake North for the last three seasons earning him two all-conference selections, Class 6A all-state honorable mention, and conference defensive player of the year. McBride was a two-way player who played both sides of the field. He accounted for 91 tackles and 15 receptions for 291 yards.
“My recruiting process was slow because I injured my hamstring during the summer of my junior year, not allowing me to go to showcase camps before my senior year,” McBride said. “I visited NIU, Valpo, Iowa State, UST, Augustana, and Oshkosh.”
“I want to be an engineer when I’m older and Valpo has a top 15 engineering program nationwide,” McBride added.
Isabel Ceaser has been a star soccer player here at Grayslake North for the last three years. She’s played club soccer her whole life and has been a member of the girls’ varsity soccer team for the last three years. Ceaser committed to West Virginia back in February 2024.
“Other schools that looked at me were Oklahoma University, Loyola-Chicago, and FGCU, and the best part of the recruiting process is going on visits and getting to interact with coaches and players at the school,” Ceaser said. “My deciding factor in committing to WVU was the coaching staff and the environment with the team including the campus. The facilities are amazing for the athletes as well.”
