FREMONT – Most Division I college swimmers have well over a decade of experience in the pool when they arrive on campus as freshmen.
Andrew Evans
Fremont Ross senior Andrew Evans didn’t get into the pool until he was in eighth grade. And the reason he started swimming was just because his friend, Will Taylor, was a swimmer.
“I kept bugging him, ‘What are you doing after school? Do you want to hang out?’ And it was ‘I’m swimming.’ ‘What are you doing next week?’ ‘I’m still swimming,’” Evans recalled. “Finally, he said, ‘Do you want to come try out?’ I liked recreational swimming, so (I figured) I might as well try it.”
Friday afternoon Evans signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his swimming career at Oakland University. He is Ross’ first athlete this year so sign to continue his or her career at a Division I program.
“It’s really exciting. It’s been the dream all along, ever since I was in eighth-grade,” Evans said. “I didn’t know I was going to swim in college, or even really know where I was going to go in high school. Freshman year I kind of got a taste, ‘Hey, maybe I might swim in college,’ then last year when I broke the record it was, ‘Ok, this might be the way to go.’ I’m living the dream and it’s awesome right now.”
Evans leaves the Little Giant program as its record-holder in the 100 breaststroke (56.39 seconds) and as a member of the record-holding 200 medley relay team.
He is a four-time letter-winner, four-time all-district, two-time all-Ohio, a district champion in the breaststroke, three-time state qualifier, two-time team MVP, TRAC all-academic and a National Interscholastic Swim Coaches of America All-American.
Even with all his accolades and accomplishments, Ross boys swim coach Phil Moran says Evans is a well of untapped potential.
“He’s been under the radar because he’s not been in swimming since he was 7,” Moran said. “If he had swam when he was younger, his experience level would be so much more than where it is and his knowledge of the sport would be so much better. He’s, literally, like a rookie, still, in terms of how much is still out there he doesn’t know about.
“(Oakland’s coaches are) going to be able to fine-tune the breaststroke and work on the other strokes even more,” Moran added. “He’s going to shock people. I have no doubt he’s going to be their best breaststroker this year. He’ll swim even faster than the guy they used to have. That’s how much better the training is he’ll get in college.”
Evans said Oakland needing a breaststroke, combined with its quality engineering program, made the fit look good on paper. Visiting the school convinced him Oakland was the right place for him to continue his career.
“Very beautiful campus. I’ve never seen deer run around on a campus, and wild turkeys as well,” Evans said. “I talked to the head of the engineering program, very knowable and a very helpful person. The coaching staff was absolutely great and the team was very welcoming and friendly.”
Evans carries a 4.036 grade-point average and plans to study mechanical engineering at Oakland.
“I know it’s going to be really vigorous, but that’s good,” Evans said. “I love a challenge, especially academically. It’ll be really fun up there.”