2B
Wednesday, April 16, 1997
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
EVERS
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myself a better decathlete. I can lift and practice two or three times a day and not worry about running out of hours in the day."
But, although things appear to be heading in the right direction now, the road Evers has taken has not been without speed bumps.
"Nineteen-ninety-six was probably the best and worst year of my life," he said. "In June, I was on top of the world. I had just finished a great season, was an All-American and got to go to the Olympic Trials. Things couldn't have been better."
But one month later things changed. Evers found out that the 26-year marriage of his parents was coming to an end. He also learned that Hedrick would not return to Kansas in the 1996-97 season.
"Talk about changing feelings from way up to way down," Evers said. "If not for my friends and my girlfriend, I don't know what would have happened."
"I had a lot of doubts," he said. "And I'm not sure it was really fair to the coaches here, because I hadn't given them a chance."
Not only did Evers begin to second-guess pursuing a career in the decathlon, he also considered packing his bags and transferring to Tennessee.
But Evers stayed at Kansas to learn form current coach Rick Attig, and hasn't looked back.
"I have no regrets," Evers said. "I know now that coach Attig takes the time and puts a lot of thought into what he does, and he certainly wants to do what's best for me. I'm very lucky to be surrounded by such great people at a great University."
"I decided it would be a great idea for me to do the decathlon, because that's almost like having 10 sports in one."
Mike Evers
Kansas All-American decathlete
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Now whenever Evers, who works in the Kansas track office as part of an internship, needs a little extra motivation, he can find it just down the hall.
"Sometimes I just need to walk around and look at some pictures," Evers said, referring to the Jayhawk Hall of Fame in Allen Field House. "I look at where my name could be someday. I want to come back to KU and show my kids and grand-kids who is on the wall - Wilt Chamberlain, Gale Sayers. Some pretty good athletes are on that wall, and I want to be right up there with them."
Evers will compete in his final home meet today and tomorrow at Memorial Stadium. There's no telling where he will be competing a few years from now.
Kansas decathlete Mike Ewers is not only working toward a degree in exercise science, he also is working toward competing in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games.
"I have a lot of training ahead of me, a lot of dreams ahead of me, a lot of goals ahead of me that I want to accomplish," he said. "The day I step off the track will be the day I've done my absolute best and my body can't take any more."
The road to glory
Mike Evers' Career Accomplishments:
1996 Indoor; Broke Kansas record in the pentathlon (3,856 points) and heptathlon (5,543)
Third in pole vault at Big Eight championships (16-9 1/2)
Broke school record ( 7,701) in decathlon at Alabama Relays, which ranked him as the 22nd best decathlete in the nation Ran on the third-place 4x400 relay team at Big Eight championships (3:09,83)
1996 Outdoor: Named All-American after placing sixth in the NCAA Championships decathlon (7,613)
Academic All-Big Eight
"We may not have as many headliner types come from Kansas," Schwartz said. "But what people enjoy watching is competition when there are five kids running close after five minutes."
Big Eight Indoor Championships
1995 Indoor. Team-best score in pentathlon (3,822) to finish third at
1995 Outdoor: Won decathlon crown at Kansas Relays with 6,986 points
Schwartz said that the Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation, which is sponsoring the event for the second year, was the reason for the strong turnout.
"The fact that word has gotten out that we have sponsorship has enabled us to have many top athletes express interest in competing at the relays." he said.
NCAA provisional qualifier with 7,315 points at College Station Relays
Kansas track coach Gary Schwartz said he expected the competition to be intense.
1994: Team-best score in the dec
(7,152) at Kansas Relays
Met NCAA Provisional mark in decathlon
1993: Redshirted outdoor because of injury
Big 12 Conference Indoor Track and Field Champion Nebraska will send several conference champions and All-Americans.
High School: Lettered in track, golf,
football and basketball
Named All-State three times in track and once in football
Kansas State will send, among others, women's jumpers Wanita Dykstra and Vanitta Kinard and 1996 Olympian Ed Broxterman in the high jump.
Kansan staff report
Kansas Relays field diverse contestants
More than 50 colleges and universities and 180 high schools have arrived to compete for the next four days in the 72nd annual Kansas Relays.
In the mile run, eight of the event's participants have run the mile in less than four minutes. Included in this group are 1996 Olympian and two-time defending United States National Champion Paul McMullen, Wichita State's 1996 NCAA 800-Meter Champion Einars Tupuriritis, Paul Michalek, who ranked eighth in the United States in the mile and Kevin Sullivan, who is second in the Canadian mile rankings.
On the women's side, Kansas heptathlon record holder Candace Mason, Nevada, Mo., junior, will be a scoring threat. And four members of the throwing group placed in the top eight in an event at the Big 12 Indoor Championships: Kim Feldcamp, Seneca senior; Lisa Beran, Hays junior; Marlea Woodman, Belleville sophomore; and April Kockrow, Rushville, Neb., freshman.
because of a hamstring injury.
Among the weapons Kansas has are All-American decathlete Michael Evers, Marrionette Park, Ill., senior; and co-captain Nathan Prenger, Jefferson City, Mo., junior. Prenger was in second place heading into the final event of the Big 12 indoor heptathlon, but was forced to withdraw
The pole vault will feature four vaulters who have career bests higher than 19 feet, which is a first at the Kansas Relays. Former Kansas All-American and 1996 Olympian Scott Huffman will lead the group. Huffman will attempt to clear 19 feet for the eighth year in a row, a feat that has never been accomplished by an American.
Schwartz said that the Relays' reputation had continued to grow.
"It has grown three-or four-fold and might be even bigger next year," he said. "In years to come, this will be the largest nonpaying track meet in the country."
ADAM
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seys, and there's a reason. The decathlon doesn't offer million-dollar contracts or a professional league shown on television, and the sport does not revolve around a ball.
"When you're a kid, your parents don't hand you a discussion; they don't
hand you a pole (for the pole vault), "Evers said. "It's a rare breed, you don't find that many people doing the decathlon."
going to tell you right now that there is not going to be any."
Evers doesn't expect to be covered with roses on his senior day at the Kansas Relays when he competes today and tomorrow.
"Tell me how many people are going to stay outside in tents to get inside Memorial Stadium to watch the decathlon," Evers said. "I'm
Even though it bothers him that track and field doesn't receive the same fan support as other sports, he doesn't have time to worry about it.
Evers practices four hours a day, six days a week all year to compete in an average of four decathlons a season. The Kansas Relays will be his second decathlon this season.
"I'll bet you I'm probably one of
the first five people there," Evers said. "But man, I'm going to be the most excited person and more pumped up than you can ever imagine."
Evers was talented enough to play other sports in college. He was an Illinois All-State selection during his one year of football as a wide receiver and punter. He was recruited by the Wisconsin and Iowa State football teams.
Evers didn't choose the decathlon for the glory and fortune it could bring him, there rarely is any. Instead, Evers does it for all the right reasons.
He's a decathlete because he loves the sport. He thrives on the competition. He thinks about the decathlon every night before he goes to sleep. Thinking of ways to get better, to reach his goals.
He wants to make the decathlon a
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"Sometimes it scares me how much thought I put into the decathlon," Evers said. "To think, 'If the decathlon's not there, what's left of Mike Evers?'"
If you still don't know who Michael Evers is, you should.
Comments? E-mail Adam at sports@kansan.com
career after college. He's eyeing the Olympic games in 2000 and 2004.
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