WESTON, Mass. — At the age of 12, Evan Hoaglund ventured into the world of swimming and, despite this late start, has had tremendous success. Evan ended his high school career breaking 23 state, varsity, club, and town records as well as helping to deliver three consecutive team State Championships to Weston’s Red Tide!

Known for his versatility and speed across all four strokes, he was often deployed strategically in the lineup to take out the other team’s top swimmer in their strongest event. In fact, Evan is now the only male swimmer to be ranked in the top 5 in Weston history across all four strokes, making him the fastest overall swimmer in the Tide’s 52 years.

Evan finishes as a 10-time State Champion in both individual and relay events and was the highest point scorer in the last two State Championships. He fell short of breaking the state record in the 100 freestyle, but still finished as the fastest high schooler in the state the last two seasons.

Evan’s achievements in the pool have not gone unnoticed as he has been named a DCL, Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Star every season. Moreover, he stands among the select few swimmers in Weston’s history to accumulate 1000 points in just three years, further solidifying his legacy in the sport.

Congrats, Evan!

Interview with Evan:

What are your personal goals within your sport/athletic dreams?

Evan Hoaglund: Helping to bring home the team’s 3rd straight State Championship was a big one. Looking forward, I am excited to join the swim team at the University of Tampa. They just won their first NCAA Division 2 Championship in the school’s history, so being able to contribute to this championship team will be both challenging and exciting.

What do you love about your sport?

Hoaglund: Definitely the competition. Going head to head against the other team’s best swimmer and coming out on top is an adrenaline rush.

What is your biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

Hoaglund: Swimming is a high burnout sport. Staying motivated through long practices is very hard, so I always look for that day’s successes and try to build upon them. Further, dwelling on a bad race can really ruin the rest of a meet. So, I’m constantly trying to put the negatives in the rear view mirror.

What was the best advice you were ever given?

Hoaglund: Ironically, to ‘walk away’ from the sport. I was training 11 months a year from ages 13-15. Although my freshman year was successful on paper, I dialed my training back to less than half for sophomore and junior years, dropped club, and focused on speed. I now appreciate the sport more, and it has allowed me to get back to being the swimmer I used to be.

Do you have a pregame ritual you follow?

Hoaglund: It begins the night before with a good night’s sleep and eating as clean as possible. On race day, it’s a solid warmup, stretching and visualizing the perfect race.

What has being a member of a team taught you?

Hoaglund: It has made me appreciate the sport so much. With the Red Tide, it’s so welcoming with everyone pulling for each other. The cheering can become deafening, and it truly motivates me.

What do you like to do outside of your sport?

Hoaglund: I go to the gym almost everyday when I’m not swimming, and lately I’ve picked up boxing, which I find can be a great workout. I also love reading and gravitate to books on health and science.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Hoaglund: It’s amazing how successful the boys team has been, especially since we’re such a small school. This year, we won our 27th State Championship in 52 years. Being able to go toe-to-toe with the biggest schools in the state and consistently beat them is really exciting. In fact, we’ve beaten D1 powerhouse St. John’s Prep four times out of six during my career. That’s pretty cool!

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