Athletic Communications intern Liam Anderson sat down with graduate student Mark Unger, who earned America East All-Conference Cross Country honors this fall.

UMBC's fourth-place finish at the America East Championships was the best result for the program in a decade, with you earning All-Conference honors. How did it feel to contribute to this milestone, and what do you think was the key to the team's improvement this season?

It was, first of all, great to score for the team. It's been a long time coming, finally putting it all together for a cross country season. But as a team, we really gelled a lot. We have a bunch of fifth years, and I am in my sixth year. We have a lot of old guys who know each other, and we've gelled a lot with a huge first-year class, along with the guys that have already been here.

Instantly, this year, it just felt different. We kept each other accountable throughout the year and knew what we could do. So I'm glad it came out to a fourth-place finish. Many of us were hoping for third, but we'll definitely take a fourth. It's been a while since we've been that high.

Competing as a graduate student this year, how has the experience been different compared to your time as an undergraduate? Has it changed your approach to training or competition?

It hasn't been too different. The only difference is that I am trying to be even more of a leader. I am taking some of the younger guys under my wing and encouraging them, whether with my words, teaching them, or just by example and consistency overall. Just showing that consistency really makes a big difference. But school-wise, it feels pretty similar.

Can you describe your typical training week during the season?

We have two workouts a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, where we get in anywhere from 6k to 12k worth of work. We also have a few easy runs and a couple of lift days. I run about six days a week, unlike most of the team, which runs close to seven days a week.

Do you have any pre-race traditions or rituals?

Not particularly, other than just music on the bus ride there and warming up. We do have a speaker that we carry around a lot during warm-ups, so the whole team listens to it.

What do you like to listen to on the bus ride?

It really depends. To be honest, I think the past couple of meets were a lot of Yeat, which is funny.

You recently recorded the second-fastest 10K time in UMBC history at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals. Can you describe your mindset and preparation for that race?

I didn't go in with a whole lot of expectations. I wanted to finish the season strong, especially after placing well at conferences. At first, I thought conferences might have been my last race, so I was like, okay, I'll finish strong. But now, having a 10k to run—also being my first 10k ever—I've never done a 10k. I'm a middle-distance guy generally, so I wanted to keep the momentum strong.

I'm going to give a little shoutout to Vinny DeSalvo, one of the assistant coaches I had when I was younger here. He was a student. He had the sixth or seventh fastest time in school history for the 10k, so it was a goal of mine to beat his time. But yeah, I wanted to stay confident and relaxed as much as I could throughout the week. Don't make it feel like anything different.

What has been your most memorable race so far in your career, and why?

As a team, I'd say conferences two weeks ago. I think it just felt like we were all truly in it together, and the results showed it. It was a great event to be a part of. It felt good to finally have it pay off because we've been talking, talking, talking—"We should be able to do this, we should be able to do this"—and then it finally happened. So it was nice to see that pay off.

Personally, I don't know. I think it's probably—alright, I'll do two team ones, but it's also individual—but last year, 4x8 at IC4As was great. It was the first time I got under 1:50, but it was a split, so it doesn't count. But the first time I got under 1:50, broke a school record and won the event to end the year, it is also up there.

What inspired you to start running cross country?

I just grew up running. I started running when I was about seven. My parents just put me in all the sports, and this is one of the ones I just went to. But I started running in middle school,  and I was pretty good. My favorite in high school was football, and that was what I was really focused on so I didn't run cross until junior year, and then ran well junior year.

It's always been the fallback. Track has always been a focus, but it's always been the fallback. And this year was finally me accepting and really, really buying into cross as a sport. I'm glad I did. It was a fun season—not just accomplishments-wise but as a team.

Have you faced any significant challenges in your running career, and how have you overcome them?

I've had a lot of injuries, but it's always been about consistency, trying to get back to full strength. Then, mentally, I was at a point a couple of years ago where I didn't know if I would keep running. I didn't know if I wanted it bad enough, so I decided to take a semester off. I wasn't on the team. I just needed a full reset. I didn't want to lose the sport entirely.

If I had tried to compete that season, I'm not sure I would be here now running and competing. I'm glad I did, and I focused back in and got right. I'm glad I could keep contributing to this team because it's been fun.

Lastly.. Why UMBC?

It's local and has a degree program that I was interested in. I didn't have a whole lot of other options. But continuing as I went, I'm glad that I stayed because of the culture that we've built.

We've improved a lot, and I think when I and the rest of the fifth-year students are leaving, we're going to leave it in a pretty good spot. Hopefully, people will choose UMBC for its outstanding academics, culture, and team. I can't just take credit. I can't just have the kids take credit for it. DuPaul's {Head Coach Mike DuPaul} been great. DuPaul's been fantastic. So he's really done a great job with us."