Sophomore Evan Whetsell claimed first place in the 800 meter run this past Saturday at the Mason Spring Invitational, crossing the finish line with a time of 1:50.45. Whetsell’s time was fast enough for fourth all-time at Northeastern, as well as a spot at the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) championships. His efforts were enough to earn Huntington News Player of the Week honors.

After redshirting his freshman season and suffering an injury-plagued sophomore season, Whetsell was very excited about his victory, as well as the rest of the season in his second year of eligibility.

“It was awesome, I’ve been working on this for three years now,” Whetsell said. “I’ve had a lot of injuries and setbacks and I’ve made a few training adjustments and put together a few healthy seasons. Everything is going well on and off the track and going the way I want it to.”

Whetsell was also happy about getting into the record books, and said he was surprised when he found out he had done so.

“I was really psyched, I didn’t think I was going to run that fast and I was really happy, especially after not running the way I wanted to during the indoor season.”

Winning this weekend wasn’t just any ordinary victory for Whetsell, while running at the Mason Spring Invitational was a great experience.

“This was a really good experience running at George Mason because basically the entire conference was there except for UNC Wilmington, so I got to see a lot of runners, it was good exposure, and good training,” Whetsell said. “And it was good to leave with the mindset that I can race with these guys and throw down when it comes time for conference play.”

This weekend, Whetsell also qualified for IC4A Championships, which will be taking place May 14th in Princeton, NJ. The race is “a huge regional race, and a step up from New England Championships,” Whetsell said.

“I’m excited to represent Northeastern because our boys team doesn’t send many to championships,” Whetsell said. “And it’s nice to wear the Northeastern jersey at bigger meets and get exposure especially in middle distance where we haven’t been strong since the ’80s.”

The Potomac, Md. native played soccer throughout his younger years, but started running track in high school and ran cross-country, indoor, and outdoor all four years of high school. In his spare time, Whetsell said he enjoys playing tennis, basketball, swimming and volleyball. He also added that he comes from a highly sports orientated family.

“My dad, Paul, played football at Davidson and my mom, Jane, swam at UNC Chapel Hill,” Whetsell said. “Even my extended family is very sports oriented, its how we communicate. We all go out and play sports.”

Throughout his athletic career, his parents have been very supportive and influential.

“My mom was my soccer coach, and my parents always support me at track meets,” Whetsell said. “School always came first, but they also pushed sports because they saw it my potential, and also saw it as a good learning experience.”

In his spare time, Whetsell said he also enjoys relaxing with friends by watching movies, going to concerts and just hanging out whenever he has a weekend off.

Upon graduating from Northeastern, Whetsell plans to attend law school, possibly in New York, California, or right here at Northeastern.

“I really like to move around and meet a lot of new people,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind going to the West Coast for that new feeling.”

Whetsell is pursuing a double major in international affairs and human services, with a minor in urban studies, and said he wants to pursue a career centered around law and urban policies.

Whetsell and the Huskies look to keep up the strong performance as they host the Solomon Invitational this Saturday at Solomon Track in Dedham.