PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Evan Graves has been hired as the new boys’ cross country coach at Presque Isle High School.
SAD 1 Athletic Director Mark White made the announcement last week. Graves replaces Justin Fereshetian, who coached the team the past two seasons but resigned after accepting a new position with the Maine Winter Sports Center.
“It was my professional goal to be a varsity cross country coach,” Graves said. “The running community has done so much for me that this is my chance to give back.
“The position opened and after much thought, it felt like the right time,” he added.
Graves comes in with plenty of coaching experience at other levels and in other sports. He coached middle school cross country in Caribou for four years and served as a volunteer assistant for the Caribou High School varsity cross country team for three. He serves as the assistant Nordic ski coach at CHS and has served as a varsity assistant track coach for six years — three at CHS and three at PIHS.
Graves said his goal is “to instill hard work, teamwork and knowledge of the sport to the student-athletes.”
“The community support [in Presque Isle] has already been overwhelming,” he said. “In the near future, it would be great to see the program grow in numbers. The middle school program has also been very successful due to a wonderful coaching staff.”
Graves, a Bar Harbor native, was a standout runner at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, qualifying for the NAIA National Championships all four years before graduating in 2003. He is a member of the Owls’ Athletic Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2011. Graves has competed in 12 marathons and finished 32nd overall in the Boston Marathon in 2009.
One of his collegiate teammates was Mike Waugh, who is the girls’ cross country coach at PIHS.
“Being able to work alongside Mike is a bonus as he has had great success over the years,” Graves said.
Graves is an elementary physical education and health teacher for RSU 39 in Caribou. He resides in Caribou with his wife, Erin, and two children, Emma and Easton.
