WOOD RIVER - Evan Merritt has been a standout this season for the East Alton-Wood River boys track and field team in the shot put, discus and 4 x 100 relay. He was Prairie State Conference champion and all-county in all of his events this season.
He has been able to top the top 15 in the IHSA Class 2A category this season in the discus. Merritt is the Midwest Members Credit Union Male Athlete of the Month for East Alton-Wood River. He is also an exceptional student and was the EA-WR valedictorian this year as a senior graduate. Evan was a forward for the boys basketball team this past winter.
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EA-WR head boys track and field coach Russ Colona, along with the other Oiler coaches and his parents have taught him and led him in the right direction, he said.
"I have been doing track and field since I was 13," Merritt said. "While running is not something I exactly love to do, I have always been interested in throwing implements and the techniques involved to throw them as far as possible."
"My high school involvement in sports has developed my perseverance and willingness to keep trying when the times get tough. Sports can be painful but fighting through that has helped me develop that aspect that I carry within everyday life."
Merritt said he was unsure if he will play any sports competitively in college, but will be attending Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville as he continues his college education after East Alton-Wood River High School.
"I am majoring in chemistry," he said.
