Tommy Evans Event: Freestyle/Butterfly
Class: Junior
Height: 6' 3"
Hometown: Blacksburg, Va.
 
photo SKINNER ON EVANS: "Tommy has the ability to be one of our all-time finest 100 and 200 butterflyers. He has natural power and finesse in those events."

2004-05: Finished 16th in the 200 fly and 17th in the 100 fly at the ACC Championships ... Garnered a fourth-place finish in the 200 free against Pittsburgh ... Was second in the 200 free against West Virginia ... Finished 19th at the Nike Cup in the 100 fly ... Earned a sixth-place finish in the 200 free against NC State.

A Talk With...
You're going to graduate next December, what is your motivation to leave after three-and-a-half years?
"Right now it's to be able to prepare for my plans after college. Swimming and diving takes such a huge commitment out of your life. I just feel like I need my last semester to be able to focus on getting ready for grad school."

Are you planning to go to grad school here?
"I haven't decided yet. I know I want to further my education whether it's in osteopathic medicine here, or grad school."

What do you want this to eventually lead to, say five or ten years down the road?
"Five or ten years, I'd like to have a doctorate in medicine or psychology or biology."

What has been the best part about being on the swimming and diving team?
"The best part has to be the support you get. I've always had people above me, if I'd have a question about my major or something, they'd help me. And now I get to give support to all the younger guys on the team when they have questions about which classes I enjoyed. If you ever need help in a class you have somebody to talk to. I've taken a lot of classes with Gus Calado and Claire (Jakabcin). It's always nice to have somebody in the class that you already know right away."

Who is your favorite athlete to watch?
"I'd have to say Michael Vick. I grew up in Blacksburg, and I got to watch him play as a freshman in high school. I've followed his career, because now I'll watch Atlanta Falcons' games just to see him play."

Do you think he'd be a good swimmer?
"I don't know if he'd be a good swimmer. He'd probably be a good basketball player. I think he's a little too big and muscular to swim; although I wouldn't doubt his athletic ability to learn how to swim."

Being from Blacksburg, was staying close to home a big reason to come here?
"It wasn't so much staying close to home as it was knowing that Virginia Tech was a good school. (Head Coach) Ned Skinner wanted me to be a Hokie, he knew I should be a Hokie all along. It was more when I compared it to other schools, it just seemed right. And I lived in the dorm with swimmers, so it was like I moved away, but yet already knew the area."

You do some individual events, as well as some relays, which do you like better?
"I like both about the same. With relays, you have three guys right behind the block cheering you on, so when you anchor or when you lead off, they're right behind you yelling at you, really motivating you. During an individual event, you usually have the entire team cheering you on. Either way, I try to treat each one the same, I try to compete and I try to win."

What was the last movie you saw?
"Last movie I watched was M. Night Shyamalan's The Village. My girlfriend got me to watch it. It was about a village that the woods around it are haunted. She likes scary movies, but I don't, so she had me watch it."

What's your best story from your three years with the team?
"There was one practice that really stands out. We were all swimming a really hard set, and we all did it together. It was the last five minutes and people wanted to throw up, because we had worked so hard on it. And we got together and started cheering, probably just as hard as we would for a meet. At the end, for the big finish, we brought it in for a big 'Hokies', hands in the center and everybody said that after that practice we felt more like a team. That practice has stuck with me, and I keep thinking, 'Let's have another great practice like that.'"

2003-04: Saw action in 11 meets last year ... Swam seven events for Tech in his first year ... Recorded a personal best of 46.45 in the 100 freestyle.

HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered four times for Coach Chris Murphy at Blacksburg High ... Was both a NISCA and YMCA All-American ... Was the two-time Timesland Swimmer of the Year ... Finished third at YMCA Nationals in the 50m free.

PERSONAL: Thomas Russell Evans was born August 5, 1984 in Knoxville, Tennessee ... Son of Necia and Mike Evans ... Majoring in biology and psychology.