Braeden Evans decided to tag along with his friends who were going to try out for the winter track and field team. While his friends were looking to run distance events, Evans didn’t see himself as someone who could run for long periods of time.

“I don’t know why I went with them as I am not a distance type runner,” Evans said. “I really didn’t have any idea to what I was going to do until I got to the tryouts. Coach (Jeff) Loja was the throwing coach back then and I gravitated his way.”

Evans connected with the shotput during his freshman season. The sport intrigued him as it was more than just taking a weighted ball and tossing it as far as he could. The event had style and technique, but Evans had to learn not only had to be light on his feet, he also had to keep his balance while twisting in the circle. To be successful, he would need to incorporate all those elements in sync; something he found out right away would not be easy.

“It was definitely hard at first and I was not good at all,” he said. “It took me the whole winter as well as the spring season to understand the sport and begin doing it properly.”

Needless to say, the now senior, has gotten use to the sport and has become quite good at throwing the shot put. As a freshman he tossed the ball 21 feet and now as an outgoing senior he has a personal best of 38 feet-9 inches.

“As a four-year indoor and outdoor shot put and discus thrower her has come a long way since his first year,” now Norwood head coach Loja said. “He has worked hard at his craft and is continually scoring points in all of our meets. He is usually good for a solid second place on any given day.”

As far as the discus goes Evans picked that event up during the spring and was throwing it 60 feet as a freshman and now has a longest throw of 96 feet-5 inches to his credit. Coming into his senior season he was hoping to reach 40 feet in the shot put (he narrowly missed that) and 70 feet in the discus (which he obliterated). 

“As a freshman going into those tryouts I never would have thought that I’d be able to throw the shot put and discus like I have, never mind being any good,” Evans said. “Honestly I was not even thinking that far into the future, I was just trying to learn what I could to survive another day.”

During his sophomore season he felt that his throws were getting better and the throws were not only smoother, but longer. Evans was becoming satisfied with his progress.

Coach Loja noted that over the years, Evans improved upon his techniques and skills in the circle. According to the coach, the senior commits himself to each and every meet that he participates in. 

This year Evans was named a Mustang captain on the track team and he fully bought into the newly appointed position.

“The new role put upon me by the coach excited me,” he said. “To be able to encourage teammates, while being a role model to the underclassmen that were just beginning was great. Those just starting out I told to try everything as you never know what event they would fin to their liking.”

As his high school career is coming to an end so may be his shot put and discus throwing as well. Venturing out to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst this fall to major in Political Science, Evans is unsure if he’ll be suiting up for the Minutemen.

“If the opportunity to throw in college comes up, I’ll definitely take it, but I am not particularly going out to look for it,” he said. “I am not necessarily trying out for the team but if a walk on spot comes up, I’ll take a shot at it.”

As he waits to see if something will open up at UMASS after he gets there Evans plans on still preparing himself just in case. He will continue to go to the gym 6 times a week working out and lifting weights, while focusing on his explosiveness and strength should that opportunity knocks. If the availability of throwing is to be he’ll take the chance and run with it, but if it never comes he’ll be ok with having the opportunity to throw in high school.