Another week, another Dos Pueblos alum punched their ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After Ryann Neushul was named to the US Women’s Water Polo team last week, fellow former Charger Miles Evans qualified to compete for the US Men’s Beach Volleyball Team this summer.
Evans and his partner, former NBA player Chase Budinger, secured the final spot on the roster on Wednesday at a tournament in the Czech Republic.
They beat out former UCSB star Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb for the Olympic berth and will join Miles Partain and Andy Benesh in Paris.
The last time a USA Men’s Beach Volleyball pairing medaled in the Olympics was the 2008 Beijing Games, where San Marcos and UCSB alum Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser took home gold.
Evans joins Rogers, Dax Holdren (2004) and Karch Kiraly (gold in 1996) as local high school alums to play beach volleyball at the Olympic Games. Holdren attended San Marcos and Kiraly went to Santa Barbara High.
He is also the third UCSB volleyball player to make the Olympics in the beach game, joining Rogers, Rob Heidger (2000) Eric Fonoimoana (2000).
Evans becomes the seventh U.S. Olympian from Dos Pueblos.
The list includes Doug Partie (men’s indoor volleyball gold medalist in 1988), Chris Segesmen (men’s water polo 2004), Kiley Neushul (women’s water polo gold medalist 2016), Sami Hill (women’s water polo gold medalist 2016), Jamie Neushul (women’s water polo gold medalist 2020) and Ryann Neushul (women’s water polo 2024).
Evans/Budinger earned their spots on the team by finding success at Olympic Qualifying events leading up to this summer, including the Challenge Warmia Mazury in Poland last week.
There, Evans/Budinger tied for fifth place after falling in the quarterfinals, the highest finishing for the U.S. Men in the tournament.
This performance put them in the driver’s seat to earn the final spot ahead of Brunner/Crabb.
Evans and Budinger learned of their qualification on Wednesday at the Elite 16 Ostrava in the Czech Republic.
“I just want to say I’m super thankful to all my friends and family who have believed in me from the beginning and have stayed with me keeping that fire going and helping me along the way,” Evans told Volleyball Magazine.
“Super thankful for the team we’ve put together for support and reminders throughout the journey. The team that we’ve put together has been one of the biggest reasons we got here. Super thankful Chase was willing to take a chance on me and guide me in the right direction.
“Can’t say how beyond stoked I am to be where I am and have this opportunity. Just so blessed and grateful. The hard work and the grind has been real and it’s awesome to show some results from that.”
Evans attended and played volleyball at Dos Pueblos, SBCC and UCSB. He played for Rick McLaughlin’s Gauchos in 2012-13 and led the team in kills during his junior season.
He began having success as a professional beach volleyball in 2017, winning his first pro tournament in Long Beach that year. He has been a staple on the AVP Tour for six years and has been partnered with Budinger since 2023.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are set to begin on Friday, July 26 and run through Sunday, Aug. 11.