Iowan Evan Correll Is Set To Make Wheelchair Racing History At Hometown Drake Relays

Evan Correll celebrates his third-place finish in the men's wheelchair division of the NYC Half Marathon on March 19, 2023 in New York City.

When the inaugural 100-meter national collegiate wheelchair championships take place as part of the Drake Relays — one of the nation’s premier track and field meets — on Saturday, one competitor in the field will be in very familiar territory.

“We’ve never had an NCAA Championships, so this is pretty big,” said University of Illinois sophomore Evan Correll, the most decorated wheelchair racer in Iowa high school state history.

Correll grew up in Waukee, Iowa, just 20 minutes down the road from Drake’s Des Moines campus.

“At the Drake Relays, people will come in from all over the country to watch athletes compete,” he added. “Then, they’ll see us and wonder what we’re about until they see us hit times that are faster than able-bodied in our wheelchairs and it will blow them out of the water.”

The event is one of several initiatives stemming from the recently launched USOPC/NCAA Para-College Inclusion Project, which aims to unify the collegiate community, athletes, national governing bodies and the NCAA to advance Para and adaptive sport in the United States.

“It will show people how competitive we can be and bring a lot more awareness and inclusion to the event,” Correll said. “We’ve always had to sit on the sidelines and watch our brother or sister compete and not be able to participate — now we are doing a lot better with inclusion.”

To qualify for the finals, wheelchair student-athletes from around the country had the opportunity to participate in an eastern regional and western regional held at the University of Illinois and University of Arizona, respectively. The top three qualifiers from each region earned their spots to compete in the finals at the Drake Relays, alongside the athletes who posted the next two fastest times at the qualifiers. The University of Michigan provided a grant to facilitate athlete participation in the championships, and eligible participants must be full-time students and have represented their institution in athletic competition during the 2022-23 academic year.

(l-r) Evan Correll and Miguel Jimenez Vergara pose for a picture during a training session at the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials for track & field on June 17, 2021 in Minneapolis.

The men’s 100-meter field will be comprised of eight athletes from two colleges: the University of Illinois’ Correll, Phillip Croft and Jason Robinson, and the University of Arizona’s Valera Allen, Aidan Gravelle, Peyton Gunnarson, Dustin Stallberg and Wyatt Willand.

The women’s 100-meter field will include seven athletes from three colleges, including three University of Illinois Paralympians in Hannah Dederick, Jenna Fesemyer and Eva Houston, along with the University of Arizona’s Jacie King, Camryn Ledford and Chelsea Stein, and the University of Michigan’s Maria Velat.

Following the races, the top three competitors in each field will be recognized during a medal ceremony on the track.

Correll, who was born with caudal regression syndrome, a condition which impairs the development of the lower half of the body, sees this event as a homecoming. He now travels the world competing in track events and road races. Yet, it’s when he’s in Central Iowa where people recognize him even when his face is partially covered by his racing helmet.

“If they book me a hotel I’m probably just going to go stay at my house,” Correll joked. “My grandparents, cousins, aunt, uncle, parents and friends all live there in town and will get to see me race, which will be very exciting for them.”

Correll was a nine-time high school state champion in Iowa and owns a personal best of 14.70 seconds over 100 meters. Having previously competed on Drake University’s famous Blue Oval in a 400-meter exhibition heat, he is familiar with “America’s Athletic Classic,” which has been around since 1910, and is advising his teammates and competitors to prepare for the hype they’re about to endure.

“The excitement and hype is just insane. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Correll said. “The stadium itself is huge — expect a lot of screaming from the people around you.”