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Megan Evo, a member of the 2008 ACC champion Virginia women’s swimming and diving team, is gearing up for the United States Olympic Trials set for later this month in Omaha, Neb. Evo, a three-time honorable mention All-American, chats about the 2007-08 season, preparing for Trials, some of her favorite coach Bernardino quotes, her passion for the Red Wings and what the rest of the summer holds.
Question: Looking back on the season, what was the high point for you?
Evo: Although winning ACC’s was one of the best experiences of my life, I would have to say beating UNC this year in our dual meet season is something I will never forget. We beat them by, let’s just say, a significant margin, and it was a very satisfying feeling!
Question: Describe the feeling and atmosphere at ACCs, especially after you knew you had won it.
Evo: To be honest, the feeling I had at ACCs is almost inexplainable. It was incredible, not one person on our team had a bad swim and we just fed off of each other’s momentum the whole meet. From the very first relay to the very last relay, we were an unbreakable unit. It was truly a team effort. We needed every point we could come up with so it wasn’t just the girls in the final heats that mattered, it was everyone. I can’t explain how hard we worked this year. Everyday (head coach) Mark (Bernardino) asked us how much we wanted to win, and the drive that we had all season long paid off unbelievably. I get goosebumps just thinking about it!
Question: How would you describe the team chemistry this year?
Evo: Our team chemistry this year was awesome. I think one of the reasons we did so well was because we didn’t really have a division of under and upperclassmen. One person was just as important as the next person; there weren’t really any differences in the way that we looked at each other. I think we also had such a great year because we knew what our goal was from the beginning, and didn’t stop until we got there. Everyday no matter where we were, whether it was in the pool or in the weight room, we knew we were all striving to do the same thing. This made it easy to work hard day in and day out.
Question: Are you excited for Olympic Trials?
Evo: Oh my gosh, I am so excited for Trials! To be able to do something that I have literally wanted to do since I was 6 years old is amazing. Although, I had an unfortunate shoulder injury some time after NCAAs that I’ve been nursing. I haven’t been able to train as much as I would have liked leading up to the meet. But just be there and be a part of one of the fastest meets in the world is such a privilege.
Question: How do you feel about having so many Virginia swimmers there?
Evo: The fact that there are so many swimmers from Virginia is very exciting. I think that after ACCs and NCAAs this year there were a lot of people wondering where we all came from. Those meets put us back on the map and now with so many of us at Trials we’re ready to continue impressing the swimming world. There are some people on our team that could do really big things at Trials so that makes it even more exciting.
Question: How motivating is coach Bernardino during training sessions?
Evo: Mark is so great. Not only is he a great coach but he is such a genuine person. Naturally, he cares about all of us as athletes, but that only lasts four years, maybe a little longer if we’re lucky. What’s even more important to him is the kind of person we are and are going to become once we leave the AFC for good. As for motivation, you can’t get much better than Mark. He never lets you lose focus on your goals, even if you’re having a bad training day. He’s a great balance between seriousness and silliness. Some days we need to get down to business and stay there, but other days we’re able to be more relaxed.
Question: What is your favorite coach Bernardino quote or saying?
Evo: My favorite Mark quote this year became somewhat of our women’s team theme. Everyday during practice he would say that in order for us to win ACCs, we needed to be “mean, nasty, gnarly, and not nice women,” and it just kind of stuck with us.
Question: How do you personally get better and improve your times for next season?
Evo: I have a lot of areas to improve on going into next season. I unfortunately have really slow turns so that will be a great area for me to improve in and drop time. At this level of swimming it’s really all about the little things that will separate you from everyone else.
Question: What are your plans for the summer?
Evo: I’m in C’Ville all summer! I love Charlottesville in the summer. I’m just training and working at a swim club coaching their summer league team. It’s a lot of fun and really relaxing.
Question: What is the major you are pursing and what are your career plans or aspirations?
Evo: I’m a psychology major in the College but I’m also doing the masters program in Curry for Special Ed. I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher because I love kids, but my love for Special Ed came about when I was in high school because my brother and I worked with the Special Olympics a lot.
Question: Have you been out to see any other UVa teams this school year?
Evo: I will shamefully say that I’m really not great at getting to the other sporting events during our season in the spring. But in the fall, I of course frequent the football games and soccer games, and in the spring once our season ends, we all like to go to the baseball games.
Question: What other sports to you enjoy watching and/or playing besides swimming?
Evo: I grew up in a hockey family. My dad played professionally when he was younger, so I love hockey, especially the Red Wings! I also played soccer all through high school so I’d love to pick that up again once I’m done swimming, maybe do intramural soccer or something like that. Really anything outside I’m game to play!
Question: What else do you like to do for fun?
Evo: If I have the time I love to read, but that usually doesn’t get accomplished until the summertime. I also am addicted to the Food Network, although I will say that I am not a very accomplished cook! I am devastated now that JPJ is not open. Other than that you could probably find me doing something with my teammates on the weekends.