Athlete Spotlight: Josh Evans

  This past weekend, most students were enjoying E-days festivities. Not the Oredigger Track & Field teams- they were busy showing off at the Kit Mayer Invitational Meet. Although there were several impressive performances across the board, perhaps the most incredible event of the meet was the Men’s 1,500-meter race late Saturday afternoon.

   Josh Evans took first place with an altitude adjusted time of 3:51.14, closely followed by teammate Josh Hoskinson with a time of 3:51.76. Miller Kettle placed third and rounded out the Oredigger trifecta with a 3:59, closely followed by Max Sevcik in fifth place.

Hometown?

   Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Major?

   Chemical Engineering with a minor in Economics

Why did you choose Mines?

   Evans was looking for the best of both worlds- athletics and academics. He knew he could find it in Golden. “I transferred in after two years at a different school because Mines had the perfect balance of academics, athletics, and super neat places to run,” said Evans. “The cross-country and track teams have been extremely successful the last few years, and I really wanted to be a part of it.”

   Evans is right about the team’s success- the Men’s Cross Country team has scored in the top three teams at the NCAA D2 Championships for the past 3 years.

What is your favorite part of T&F?

   “In my mind,” Evans confided, “the best thing about track is the fact that it allows you to find your limit. You spend months training and preparing yourself for a select few minutes where you push yourself as hard as you can.” The Orediggers truly spend months training, with most long-distance track runners carrying over months of training from the cross country season- cross country training starts almost as soon as the track seasons ends, and so the cycle repeats.

   “In some respects, it is super simple, but there are a lot of factors that go into a good race,” Evans said.

Favorite part about this team?

   Evans’ favorite part about the team is how they support each other. “Every fall, the top eight men and women travel to the Cross Country National Championships. Every fall, at least twenty members of the squad who didn’t make that top cut end up driving or flying out to the meet to support their friends and teammates.” Even alumni make it out for this event, which Evans says “is a super fun experience, and it just shows how much people on the team care about each other.”

   Evans proved this culture quickly. When asked if he wanted to be featured in this article, he quickly responded “I have to tell you though, I don’t even have the fastest 1500 time on the team. Luke Julian ran two seconds faster than I did the weekend before. He’s a great guy!”

What is your role on the team?

   “I try to just run fast and turn left,” said Evans, only half joking.

Pre-meet traditions?

   “Beets!” Evans isn’t just a vegetable fanatic, though he may be! Beets contain lots of nitrates that the body converts into nitric oxide, which increase blood flow and therefore are touted as increasing athletic performance.

   Consider the combination of simple and complex carbohydrates that beets house, and you’ve got a great pre-race meal, that Evans often takes advantage of. “I’ve been eating beets before races for years, and now there are a few of us that will all chow down on a nice can before a race.”

Post-meet traditions?

   “Nothing crazy,” remarked Evans, adding that the team will go out to eat somewhere, or just spend some time relaxing.

Role models?

   Evans looks up to the head Cross Country and distance coach, Chris Siemers. Evans described Siemers as “an awesome guy. He is a phenomenal runner himself, but he is also a great coach.” Evans hinted that perhaps part of the reason the team is so supportive of each other stems from the way Siemers treats his athletes. “He genuinely cares about each of his athletes and does whatever he can to help them succeed.”

Hobbies other than track?

   “I love playing volleyball with the team in the summer, and I’m big into hiking when it doesn’t get in the way of workouts.”

Post-college plans?

   Evans is heading back to Iowa, where he has a full-time job lined up with Renewable Energy Group, a company that specializes in biodiesel production.

What can we expect from the Orediggers the rest of this season?

   “Some pretty neat things,” Evans shared. “Nationals are in Kingsville, Texas, at the end of May. We’ve got a lot of guys and girls qualified already, and it’ll be fun to see how much damage we can do down there.”