DETERMINED to make the best of a collegiate diving career, Mark decided to transfer from a junior college setting to John Brown University. That decision proved to be a great one as it resulted in Marking becoming an NAIA national champion in the one-meter and earning a second place in the three-meter board his senior year.

INSTEAD of going straight through with his school and diving career, Mark dove for one year and then took off a couple of years after coming to John Brown University to help with the family finances as his wife earned her college degree. After those two years, Mark came back to complete his degree and finish his collegiate diving career.

VERY intense in his practice habits, Mark always wanted to get more and more from his practice to improve his diving skills. Mark was a team leader in every sense of the word and was a motivation to his teammates as they observed his workout habits and his ability to focus in competition. Mark continued to improve and his senior year proved to be the best one of his career as he seldom took second place behind his competition.

EACH time Mark took the board in competition, he showed the confidence that had come from hours of hard work. Mark entered the NAIA national meet knowing that few could compete at his level, but also realizing that he would have to perform at his best. Showing the true family man that he is, excited about becoming a national champion, Mark took his five-month-old daughter to the awards stand to share in the moment of victory.