By Kyle Coppola
Lake Minneola Senior Races Toward Record-Breaking Season
Kai Evans
Lake Minneola High School’s Kai Evans is poised to solidify his status as one of the fastest high school track and field athletes in the nation as he begins his senior year.
Last year, he became the fastest high school 400-meter hurdler in the U.S., a title he narrowly lost this summer but is determined to reclaim in 2025. And that’s not his only goal.
“I intend not only to be the fastest but to win four FHSAA state championship medals in 2025. I nearly won four earlier this year, but an injury kept me from achieving that. This year, I intend to make it happen,” says Kai, who owns numerous state championship and national medals, is a New Balance National Champion and earned an AAU national title in 2023.
Kai burst onto the scene as a freshman and quickly made his mark in the sport his father, Omar Evans, excelled in during his own high school and college days.
In 2024, Kai was voted Florida Athlete of the Year and was the runner-up for the Gatorade National Athlete of the Year. Looking ahead, he has set his sights set on breaking high school world records in the 400-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles.
Supported by his family, including his younger sister, Olivia, who is just beginning her own track and field journey, has Evans more motivated than ever.
“She loves to wear my medals when I win,” Kai says with a grin.
And Kai loves to tell little sister what she needs to do to become a champion.
“You have to work hard to accomplish your goals,” Kai says. “If you’re not willing to work for it and you’re lazy, you won’t get to where you want to be. Don’t listen to what others say about you. What they think doesn’t matter. Know who you are at the end of the day and strive to be the best you can be.”
Kai’s athletic ability isn’t limited to track and field. As a standout cornerback, he’s also being recruited as a two-sport athlete, with offers from Alabama, LSU, Georgia and other top NCAA Division I programs.
Beyond high school, Evans aspires to compete in the Olympic Games.
“I will be in college by the time the 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials are happening,” Kai says. “I was supposed to go to Oregon and qualify earlier this year, but an injury prevented me from going.”
As Kai prepares for what promises to be a historic senior year, his mantra is clear: “Live without regrets and don’t waste time.”
Photos: Nicole Hamel
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
