Photo by John Roemer
For our first Friday Focus interview of the spring, we interviewed Richard Montgomery sophomore Mark Unger. After running 1:56.02 as a freshman and finishing third at the state championships an injury forced him to sit out the entire indoor season. Now back on the track, he joins a boys squad that showcased a few new talented freshmen this winter in Garrett Suhr and Seydi Sall.
MileSplit MD: Let's start with your freshman season. At what point do you feel like you hit your stride last year?
Mark Unger: I began to feel confident and like I belonged at the Viking Invitational, where I ran my first sub-2:00 800.
MS: Heading into your freshman year did you have any prior running experience?
MU: I have been running since I was six so this will be my tenth year running track, but I was in a rec league so there wasn't much exposure. I did go to Hershey Nationals once but I didn't run very well.
MS: It's pretty clear that your best event right now is the 800, but would you consider yourself a better miler or 400-meter runner? Which one do you like running more?
MU: I think that I am a better miler because I was very used to running it in the rec league. I don't care for the 400 that much, but I do enjoy when I run with the 4x400 relay. The mile is definitely my favorite.
MS: At what point did you know/hear about then-incoming-freshman Garrett Suhr? What was your reaction knowing that another already-established runner was going to join the program?
MU: I actually roomed with Garrett at Hershey Nationals when I was in seventh grade so I was very aware of his talent. I knew that the program would definitely be something special.
MS: What has it been like getting to run alongside Rohann Asfaw, one of the top distance runners in the DC area? What has he taught you about the sport?
MU: It has been a great pleasure running alongside Rohann. I have learned a lot from him: how to take care of your body, what to eat, how to not push the pace on long runs, and how to recover from workouts. I will miss him a lot just as I missed Mac [Morgan] and Samad [Iqbal] from my freshman year. They have taught me a lot.
MS: Have you run a workout with Suhr this spring? How competitive are you guys on the track?
MU: Yes, but only tempos and easy runs. The track workouts I haven't because Coach Rogers has had a different plan for me due to my injury. I have recently started track workouts for the team but not with Garrett because he is still recovering from nationals.
MS: What do you think is the reason behind the success of Richard Montgomery freshman over the past couple years?
MU: All five of us (me, Garrett, Seydi, Joachim [El-Masry] and Alex [Coster]) ran cross country together at Julius West Middle School. We went undefeated three years in a row. We pushed each other a lot and I think that has helped us stay competitive with each other on into high school.
MS: How much were you with the team during the indoor season while you were still recovering? What was it like watching Garrett Suhr and Seydi Sall run some of the fastest all-time performances by Montgomery County freshmen?
MU: I was at most of the meets with my teammates. I really wanted to be there to help them out as much as I could. I knew it would be torturous to me because I couldn't run, but I knew it would be worth it. I was excited to see all of my teammates do well. I knew that Garrett and Seydi were going to be great, but I didn't expect them to have such early success. They are great teammates to have and I can't wait to see what they will do with the rest of the year.
Unger's return only strengthens a Richard Montgomery team that features the NBIN freshman mile champion Garrett Suhr (left) and NXN qualifier Rohann Asfaw. (Photo by Brandon Miles)
MS: Do you anticipate any limitations this season because of your injury, either training or racing wise?
MU: Yes, for sure. After about five months of the initial injury I was allowed to jog. Since then it has been about another five months. I am still hampered a bit by the hamstring, but mostly in workouts; I rarely finish hard track workouts because it begins to flare up. I have been improving how far I get into workouts before having to stop. In races Coach [Rogers] won't allow me to race anything under an 800 this year but I know it's for the best. Anything too fast would leave me at a higher risk to do more damage to my hamstring. The mile is the fastest event he will let me do for now.
MS: How much have you guys talked about running a stacked 4x800 or distance medley relay? Any big goals in mind for either one?
MU: We don't talk about it very much, we talk about improving and getting as good as we can as a team, not just one relay. I know that, for me, this year is a recovery year so I won't be pushing anything too hard. I know that we have the potential for something awesome, we are just waiting for an opportunity.
MS: Looking even further ahead - have you discussed long-term goals, knowing that you three will be around for two more years?
MU: I know that we have lofty goals for ourselves but we are focused on being as good as we can this season so we can build for upcoming ones.
- QUICK QUESTIONS -
- Go-to pre-race song: "The Man" by Aloe Blacc
- Go-to pre-race meal: Day before, spaghetti and meatballs and a salad; at the meet, Goldfish and Wheat Thins
- Funniest teammate: Weirdest teammates that make you laugh, Garrett Suhr and Eric Lang; actual funniest teammate, Drew Byrd
- Hardest workout: Mile repeats
- Favorite place to run (besides the track): Civic Center hills
