This is an article in Sporty Seniors, a bi-weekly column celebrating M-A senior athletes’ dedication to their sport.
In the final year of his high school cross country and track and field career, senior Evan Chopra is looking forward to ending his time in M-A sports on a high note.
Chopra started running in middle school as part of an after-school program, and he initially signed up for the cross country team to train for the upcoming track and field season. However, as time progressed, Chopra found himself increasingly drawn toward long-distance running.
Chopra’s dedication to cross country grew in his sophomore year, when he was promoted to the varsity team.
However, in his sophomore year, Chopra suffered injuries because he prioritized longer runs during cross country. “It was my first time really getting into higher mileage. I ended up with a stress fracture in my left foot, just from overuse,” he said.
At the end of his 2024-25 track season, Chopra recalls attending Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon, as one of his fondest memories. “It’s a really fun experience because it kind of feels like you’re racing at a professional level, even though it’s just a high school event,” he said.
Following his fracture, Chopra sustained another injury during his junior year when he fell and sprained his ankle. The mental toll was also difficult to manage. “[It] was also kind of hard to stay motivated after these repeated injuries,” Chopra said. “Especially since I had to miss a couple of more important meets.”
Nevertheless, Chopra continued his time on the cross country team in stride. Alongside making CCS championships and helping to lead the boys team to their state championship berth, he holds the boys track and field record for the 800-meter at one minute and 51 seconds.
This event was especially rewarding after a time-keeping mistake at the Dublin Distance Fiesta prevented Chopra from officially claiming the record. “There was technically a record from a few decades ago that was semi-unofficial,” Chopra said. “At the time, I thought I’d beaten it, but then I realized that there was this time before that was not on the record board. It was still faster, so it was nice to finally get past that and know that I had it for real.”
Alongside coaches Andy Pflaum and Eric Wilmurt, Chopra named ’26 graduates Cason Mitchell and Aidan Sharp as two defined teammates in his experience running for M-A. “Those guys were always my training partners there because we could hit similar paces,” Chopra said. “They were definitely big helps in my training.”
At the Woodbridge Invitational at the Great Park of Irvine, Chopra had the chance to compete in one of the largest meets in the nation, participating alongside some of America’s best high school runners. This year, competing with thousands of runners in the three-mile event, Chopra finished first overall in his race with a time of 14:12.9.
Chopra’s advice to those just beginning their athletic careers at M-A is to stay determined. “I definitely say that a lot of freshmen could benefit from that idea that you might not initially see what you want to see, but over the months, over the years that you train, you will improve, even if you can’t see [it] in the first week or so.”
