Five questions with softball Hall of Famer Megan Evans

The Hokies' home run queen will be one of five inductees into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame this weekend

September 21, 2017

By Shelton Moss, Virginia Tech Strategic Communications Intern

BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech softball great and current assistant director of strength and conditioning for Olympic sports Megan Evans will become the fourth Hokie softball player to be inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame this weekend. She recently sat down HokieSports.com to answer some questions on her legacy and what makes Virginia Tech a special place.

You grew up in a very small town in Northern Pennsylvania. How did you end up in Blacksburg? What attracted you to the school?

I graduated high school in 2001 and it was a much different recruiting process when I came through. I received a phone call from Coach [Scot] Thomas, did the official visits, and got a really good taste for the university, which sells itself. It just felt right—it felt like home.

You’re obviously a very decorated player. I’m sure you had high expectations coming into Tech, but could you ever have seen yourself as becoming one of the most decorated players in program history?

I don’t think anybody ever comes in with that intention. You come in as a freshman hoping you’re going to be in the starting lineup, hoping to make an impact. As you define a starting role you hope to progress and it becomes about, ‘how do I help the team win?’ I knew some of the records I was breaking, but I didn’t know a lot of them until after I finished playing. You’re just trying to make that transition from high school to collegiate ball.

Even after you graduated Tech you stuck around, working with strength and conditioning, and you currently serve as an assistant director for Olympic sports. What is it about the Virginia Tech community, the people you work with, the culture here that made you want to stick around and work for your alma mater?

My family, especially my parents, have instilled in me that I should take opportunities when they are presented. And the opportunity was there. I formed a strong relationship with strength coaches Terry Mitchell and Mike Gentry, and having the chance to continue my career in strength and conditioning under such well-respected professionals was huge. That’s an opportunity most people who go into this field would never pass up. I got my Master’s degree in 2007 and continued with my PhD [in 2014]. I love everything about being a Hokie, being involved with athletics, the mountains, and the university as a whole. It felt right to continue my education here.

You’re one of only five players to be chosen for induction into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame this year, and you’re just the fourth softball player to be bestowed this honor. What does being in the Hall of Fame mean to you, and perhaps more generally what do you think this means for the softball program here at Virginia Tech?

For Tech softball, having more alumni involved in the program and keeping the tradition of everything the athletic department stands for is an important role. I get to be a part of student-athletes’ lives, and they see me and know I’m being inducted and get to work with them. That’s a huge relationship.

For me, I’m extremely proud. I was shocked when I received the letter—I didn’t think it would happen this soon. I’m honored that the committee finds my accomplishments worthy of induction. To be in the class with other inductees [Michael Vick, Zabian Dowdell, and Ben Taylor], I can’t stress enough how blessed I am in that regard.

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