It's not uncommon for life experiences to shape an individual's career path.
 
For CMS cross country and track coach Marina Muncan, those early life experiences were a little different than most.
 
Muncan was born in 1982 in what was then the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1991, tensions between the six federations of Yugoslavia erupted into war.
 
For the next decade, Muncan grew up in a country that was at war with itself.
 
While the effects of living in a war zone can be unimaginable for many, Muncan used it as fuel to become one of the top middle-distance runners in Serbia.
 
She competed in the 2006 European Indoor Championships and 2009 European Indoor Championships. She also ran for Serbia in the 2007, 2009, and 2010 World Championships and was a member of the Serbian 2012 Olympic team.
 
Now a CMS coach, she uses those early life experiences, as well as the success she had as an athlete, to guide her coaching philosophy.
 
"What really helps is that I have been at the exact point that every one of the athletes I coach is," Muncan said. "I know the steps to take to get to the next level."
 
Muncan's coaching philosophy is also influenced by her post-collegiate coaches, Marcus O'Sullivan and Frank Gagliano.
 
"They are legendary coaches with two very different systems and philosophies," Muncan said. "Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and my being able to combine those two philosophies has helped to shape my own approach."
 
Muncan's approach is especially valuable given the challenges that come with coaching two sports and two genders.
 
For example, Muncan doesn't have athletic scholarships to either offer or take away like some Division I programs.
 
This means her athletes compete for CMS because they want to, not because they have to.
 
"Our expectations and commitments are aligned on together as a team," Muncan said. "Yes, there are clear consequences if people aren't living up to what is expected of them or what they committed to, but ultimately, being on this team is a choice."
 
Muncan also must navigate the unique landscape of coaching student-athletes who attend highly selective liberal arts institutions.
 
"The great thing about coaching at CMS is that the schools themselves teach incredible discipline and values that will help them in their training and competing," Muncan said. "I am acutely aware that I coach student-athletes, and that being a student comes first. While getting the best out of themselves on the track is, of course, what I want for all my athletes, I feel it is more important that they graduate having gotten the best out of their time at CMS academically."
 
With students hailing from three different colleges, it can be challenging to create a sense of belonging on the track and cross-country teams. Given the size of the team of over 50 athletes, Muncan relies on her assistant coaches to also help in building team culture and ensuring everyone feels connected and able to get/receive feedback and support.
 
At the start of each season, Muncan holds a team meeting where they align on goals, plans, and expectations. She then follows up with one-on-one interviews with each student-athlete to discuss individual goals and hopes for the season.
 
They repeat this process midway through the season and again at the end of the season as a debrief.
 
"I have an open-door policy and am at every practice talking with athletes every day," Muncan said. "I make sure we have regular feedback sessions so we can tweak training or racing schedules to accommodate the unexpected, whether that be injury or people improving faster than expected."
 
One of the more common mistakes Muncan sees her athletes make is burning the candle at both ends.
 
"We practice early, and college life often means late nights," Muncan said. "It can take a toll. I see the signs in people's training, people's eyes, people's attitudes. If I see signs of overwork and tiredness, I always counsel my athletes to take a break, focus on sleep, and focus on nutrition because overworking ultimately leads to decreased performance and potential injury."
 
Muncan's ability to get the best out of her student-athletes has resulted in a culture of excellence.
 
The Athenas have finished on the podium twice at the NCAA Division III National Championship since 2020 when Muncan joined as coach, with the Stags also finishing sixth in 2021, alongside multiple All-American winners and school records.
 
While these results are what many people on the outside use to measure success, Muncan has a slightly different perspective.
 
"Success for me and my athletes is when we set clear goals and apply ourselves to achieving them," Muncan said.
 
"When my athletes look back on the time they spent with me at CMS, I hope they look upon it as a positive and formative period that hopefully helped them in later life."