Running the mile in gym class changed Sophomore Evan Caudy’s life forever. 

Starting out his freshman year, he had never done a school running sport. The only sports he did his freshman year was basketball in the winter, and football in the fall. He started football season playing the cornerback position. By the end of the season, he played linebacker and cornerback. “I don’t regret doing football my freshman year, because football has always been a big part of my life.” 

However, Caudy thinks he’s a better runner than football player. He ran a 5:24 in gym class that day and ever since he’s been pushing down every giant in his way. It was the final test run in gym. “I just thought about running it and proving to myself what I could do,” said Caudy. “I started thinking about doing track after that, but it wasn’t a definite decision until the end of basketball season.”

He made varsity track and field in the spring of his freshman year and by the end of the season he had a 4:41.27 mile, and a 9:56.83 two mile. “The team told me they would break my knees if I didn’t do cross country the following season,” said Caudy. 

Now, he runs for the varsity cross country team at North Platte High School as well. “The guys I ran track with influenced me to do cross country and they always have influenced me to do better,” said Caudy. 

So far this season, he has run seven meets and won five of them. He triumphed in Cozad, Kearney, McCook, Grand Island and in North Platte at the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference cross country meet. 

Running a 16:22.93 at the GNAC meet, he ran across the finish and placed first again and also broke his last personal record. The varsity boys placed second at GNAC by one point. “It always feels great to win, but obviously I’d feel better if our team won and it always hurts losing,” said Caudy.

On Oct. 17th, 2019, he ran in the District A-1 Championships. He placed 3rd, and finished among the top runners in the district. “I was proud of how I placed, but I was a little disappointed because I felt like I could’ve done more, but overall I was proud of myself,” said Caudy. 

On Oct. 25th, 2019, Caudy is among the select few who will be traveling to Kearney, NE to compete in the state cross country meet. The entire boys varsity team, and varsity girls runner Zarah Blaesi all qualified for the State meet.