Morrisville State College senior Byron Evans hadn’t yet chosen a major when he first arrived on campus in 2013, let alone thought about joining the men’s cross country team. Four years later, his name is etched all over the college’s record books.
Evans, of Cazenovia, NY, achieved numerous feats as a four-year runner for the Mustangs, most notably becoming the program’s first-ever selection as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Runner of the Year after winning the individual title at the 2016 conference championship meet. It is a tremendous accomplishment by any standard, but especially so considering Evans had never run competitively prior to coming to Morrisville.
In fact, had it not been for an informal meeting with retired Morrisville automotive professor Roger Powers, Evans may have taken an entirely different path entering college following his home education.
“I felt the need to have a skill that I could use regardless of where the economy and financial markets were,” Evans said. “I have no background in cars so it was totally new for me. Speaking to Roger Powers was what sealed the deal for me and made me really want to learn more about cars.”
The two met during orientation, where Powers naturally sold the freshman on the college’s automotive program. Their discussion also led to Evans’ love for triathlon competitions, which prompted Powers to recommend that Evans join the cross country program as a way to train and share his regimen with the rest of the team. Powers knew the program well; his son, Derek, serves as head coach.
“I don’t think I would have joined the team if it were not for his recommendation,” he said. “I was quite slow as a runner and did not think that I would be competitive.”
Evans’ concerns fortunately proved not to be the case.
“Once I got a taste for it, I just wanted to keep getting better, so that motivated me,” he said.
That positive attitude made an immediate impression on Morrisville’s director of athletics, Greg Carroll.
“Byron has this boundless enthusiasm and energy that just makes everyone around him rise to another level,” Carroll said. “It’s really infectious. I’ve seen him bring that energy to the cross country program since his freshman year, and he brings that same passion and commitment to every single thing he does.”
Evans praises the drive, passion and motivation tactics of coach Derek Powers as key factors in his growth as a runner. Powers shifts any credit back to Evans’ “commitment to be the best he can be” in helping him become a record setter.
“Byron has been one of the most reliable runners I have had,” said coach Powers ’95. “He would do whatever was written down for the day without complaining. His communication was excellent. If he could not make the team practice, he would let me know what he did and how long it took him.”
That reliability helped Evans become a team leader as early as his sophomore year, when he began organizing team dinners and community service projects to create bonding experiences. At meets, his leadership qualities were also constantly on display.
“He always encouraged others to get better and would cheer for everyone until the entire team was in,” coach Powers said. “Not many front runners for other teams do that.”
The team gave back to Evans as well, as he considered the squad’s perennially strong academic success as another challenge he wanted to achieve.
“I would not have been able to succeed academically without being a part of the cross country team,” said Evans, a Phi Theta Kappa honors student who will graduate this year with a bachelor’s degree in automotive management. “It motivated me that others had a high view of academics on the team, so it was a good reason to strive for academic success as well.”
That competitive fire helped Evans conquer courses, whether they involved his studies which landed him on the Dean’s List each semester, or the hills that he trekked en route to being named a NEAC All-Conference selection in each of his four seasons. It also fueled his motivation during his final conference championship race after finishing as the runner-up at the 2015 championships, where he had fallen down halfway through the race. The setback came just as Evans was closing in on the eventual winner and he was unable to recover the lost time.
Evans would quickly redeem himself during that season’s final meet two weeks later at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships, posting a team-record time of 26:04 and placing 25th out of 371 runners to become the program’s first-ever all-region honoree. His finish also helped him become the college’s first selection to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team.
As proud of those moments as he was, Evans still had his eye on the conference championship meet.
“I would not have wanted it as much if I had not experienced the loss the year before,” he admitted. “Falling down can be as important as success.”
Evans undoubtedly picked himself up, taking off from the season’s opening gun and racing to top-seven finishes at four of the six events the Mustangs competed in leading up to the 2016 NEAC Championships. Leaving no room for error this time around, he sped by the 101-runner field as he captured first place by nearly 23 seconds after crossing the eight-kilometer course’s finish line in 26:43. It was the third-fastest finish time in conference history.
“I had an overwhelming feeling of joy and pride for my team and coach,” Evans said of achieving his goal. “I knew how much it meant to the program and I was just glad that I could be a part of bringing recognition to the school.”
Evans added one more accolade to his already impressive résumé before graduating, as he was honored with the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Through all his success, Evans’ humility has remained in sync with his competitiveness, as he now hopes future Mustang runners set their sights on topping his accomplishments for the betterment of the program.
“Morrisville State College provided me with a good education and many experiences that will stick with me for life,” noted Evans. “That is the mark that I hope other people see was left. I want this same desire to drive the other runners on the team as well. I would be so proud if in the years to come, runners break my records.”
