Whether he’s found on a long run or in a boat, senior Evan Purcell has kept athletics as a large part of his high school experience.

This year marks Evan’s first year in cross country, a sport that he’s grown to enjoy more than he first anticipated. Though he joined three weeks into the school year, he’s shown promise with a PR of 17:52.

“I’ve ran varsity three times now,” Evan said. “It’s really fun; I like the people a lot, and the sport is great. It’s a really fun change from crew, you know, to spice it up a little bit.”

Evan has rowed for three years and will complete his fourth as a captain, a role that he has worked hard for and that he values highly.

“I really want to keep up with what our captains in the past have done, because they’ve done a really great job,” Evan said. “Jake Sitarski, Dan Tiggleman– those guys set the standards really high for what a captain can do. I just want to continue what they started and build upon that.”

Evan says that last year was his best year in crew yet, earning a spot in a boat that he aimed for. Placing first in states and fourth in Canada, the season was quite successful and paved the way for a great year to come.

When it comes to future plans, Evan hopes to attend Grand Valley State University. He says that the school’s engineering program and rowing team are what convinced him to apply. Evan is looking forward to the rest of senior year and aims to get through the year and have a successful spring spent rowing.

“Being a senior is really fun,” Evan said. “Forcing yourself to come to school is a lot harder, especially when you know it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve already sent out most of my applications, so some days I’m just like “Mom, I’m not going to first hour today.a�� That’s a good time.”