Michael Evans (water polo)

Mike Evans
Personal information
Full nameMichael Scott Evans[1]
BornMarch 26, 1960 (1960-03-26) (age 66)
Fontana, California, U.S.
OccupationsCoaching, Insurance
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight93 kg (205 lb)
SpouseDina
Children4
Sport
SportWater Polo
PositionDriver
College teamUniversity of California, Irvine (1984)
ClubNewport Foundation WP (1983-1996)
Coached byTed Newland (U. Cal, Irvine)
Medal record
Men's water polo
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place1988 SeoulMen's water polo

Michael Scott "Evo" Evans (born March 26, 1960) is an American water polo player who competed for the University of California, Irvine and won a silver medal in the 1988 summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. He later competed for the U.S. Olympic men's water polo teams in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.[1]

Early life

Evans was born in Fontana, California, on March 26, 1960. He played water polo for nearby Chaffey High School in Ontario, California from 1974-1978, where he was coached by George Harris. During his years playing water polo for Chaffey High, Evans was named the Citrus Belt League Player of the Year in both 1976 and 1977, and in 1976 set a CIF record of 148 goals scored in a season.[2]

With Evans playing his first year at UC Irvine, having graduated Chaffey High in June, 1978, the Chaffey High Water Polo team won their 30th consecutive Citrus Belt League regular season water polo game on November 8, 1978. Evans had scored a season record of 153 goals during his last year playing for Chaffey High.[3][4]

University of California, Irving

Evans graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1984. He played water polo for UC Irvine from 1979 to 1983 under head coach Ted Newland. He was named a collegiate All-American in 1982 and 1983, played in the driver position, and scored 102 goals in 1983.[5] UC Irvine reached the NCAA semifinals in 1981, 1982, and 1983, and won the NCAA national championship in 1982 with Evans as a member of the team.[4][6]

In team play, from 1983-1996, Evans played for the Newport Foundation.[4]

1988-1996 Olympics

Representing the U.S. Olympic team, Evan won a team silver medal in the 1988 men's Olympic water polo competition in Seoul, Korea. He also participated in the Water Polo event at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, where the U.S. team took an overall fourth place with Italy taking the gold, and Spain taking the Silver. Evans was later on the U.S. mens water polo team in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where Hungary and Italy were the heavy pre-game favorites and the U.S. Olympic water Polo team took an overall seventh place. Spain took the gold medal, Croatia took the silver, and Italy took the bronze.[1]

International competition

Evans was named a U.S. National Water polo team member, where he served from 1985-1996.[4] He was a member of the U.S. National teams that won a gold Medal at the Summer Pan American Games in Indianapolis in 1987 and a silver medal at the Pan American games in Havana, Cuba in 1991. Evans was a member of FINA World Championship teams from 1986-1991, and was a 1988 member of the Goodwill Team.[1][4]

Evans was a member of the only United States World Cup team in 1991 that won a world championship.[5][7][8] He competed with the U.S. National team in Olympic Festivals in 1979, 1990, and 1991.[5]

Honors

In 2001, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame. In 2020, he became a member of the U. Cal Irving Hall of Fame.[5][9][10]

After ending his elite career in Water Polo, Evans served as a water polo age group coach and referee. In business, he did primarily estate and financial planning[4] for the Cornerstone Benefits Insurance Company which he started on his own.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Olympedia Biography, Michael Evans". Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Matthews, Jim, Evans, Chaffey Water Polo team pooling their efforts", The San Bernardino County Sun, San Bernardino, California, November 18, 1977, pg. 58". Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  3. ↑ ""Tigers Win 30th Straight", The San Bernardino County Sun, San Bernardino, California, November 9, 1978, pg. 64". Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "USA Water Polo Hall of Fame, Mike Evans". usawaterpolo.org. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "UC Irvine Olympians, Michael Evans". Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  6. ↑ staff, Daily Pilot (2019-04-06). "Longtime UC Irvine water polo coach Ted Newland dies at 91". Daily Pilot. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  7. ↑ "Mike Evans (2001)". usawaterpolo.org. USA Water Polo. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Hall of Fame Inductees". usawaterpolo.org. USA Water Polo. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Mike Evans (2001)". usawaterpolo.org. USA Water Polo. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Hall of Fame Inductees". usawaterpolo.org. USA Water Polo. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
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