This Maine mom and son are competing for opposing collegiate cross-country groups
Simply earlier than College of Southern Maine freshman Cyrus Evans started his 8k Maine State Championships faculty cross-country race at Bangor’s Saxl Park in late September, his mom, Pleasure, greeted with a hug from behind and a kiss on the cheek. She too was in uniform, that of the College of Maine at Farmington.
Cyrus Evans, 18, and Pleasure Evans, 37, relish these moments, even when they take some explaining.
“It didn’t actually hit house till Cyrus noticed me in my gear on race day,” Pleasure Evans stated. “‘His complete crew noticed me had been like, ‘Is that your girlfriend,’ and he’s like, ‘No, it’s my mother.’”
“That’s what occurred,” Cyrus Evans confirmed. “I used to be a little bit embarrassed, however on the similar time, I used to be like, ‘Yeah, that’s my mother. She’s a rock star.’ My teammates had been joyful to listen to that. It made my day.”
This fall, the Evans household is trailblazing, not simply on the cross-country course, however as a mother-son duo competing of their first 12 months of school athletics on the similar time, in the identical sport at that.
Lengthy earlier than they shared a university cross-country course, Pleasure and Cyrus Evans ran collectively recreationally. Pleasure and her husband, Barrett, sweethearts since their days at Reno Excessive College in Nevada, inspired Cyrus to accompany them on informal runs on his bike, after which — when he grew older and stronger — on foot.
Cyrus Evans joined his faculty’s cross-country crew in fifth grade, and his profession blossomed from there.
Although Pleasure Evans lived in East Wilton together with her grandparents for a couple of years rising up, she moved to Nevada for highschool. The Evans household moved again from Nevada to Farmington three years in the past when Cyrus was a junior in highschool and his youthful brother, Lucius, was in first grade.
Whereas Cyrus Evans adopted the normal path from highschool instantly to varsity, Pleasure Evans didn’t. She initially targeted on elevating her youngsters as a keep at house mom however at all times dreamt of “going from unusual to extraordinary.”
After taking courses sporadically whereas residing in Nevada, Pleasure Evans enrolled at UMF on a extra constant foundation in January 2021. She constructed up sufficient credit over the previous two years to achieve senior standing academically, attaining excessive honors standing as an training main with plans to pursue a grasp’s in particular training.
Pleasure Evans initially reached out to UMF coaches when she enrolled and after sharing her instances and attempting out on the observe, she secured a spot on the crew. Life circumstances obtained in the way in which. Two years later, she made it occur.
Though Pleasure Evans by no means competed in faculty athletics previous to this fall, she’s persistently UMF’s high runner. She lately earned a North Atlantic Convention Rookie of the Week for her Sixteenth-place effort on the Maine State Championship, the crew and league’s high finisher with a time of 24:40.6 and a median mile time of 6:21.0, the second quickest 6K time in program historical past.
Like his mom, Cyrus Evans blazes the cross-country trails. The 2023 Mt. Blue graduate enrolled at USM. He lives on campus and research mechanical engineering. They discuss operating usually. No strain, although.
“We’re supportive of one another,” Cyrus Evans stated.
“Simply actually grateful and grateful to have this chance,” Pleasure Evans added.
