Bulldog Spotlight: Max Smydra

Max Smydra is a sophomore from Farragut, Tennessee, and a transfer from East Tennessee State University. He is majoring in Mechatronics Engineering with minors in mathematics and computer science, and competes on the UNC Asheville track and field team. Learn more about Smydra below as part of our Bulldog Spotlight series.

Q: What events do you compete in?
A: Mainly horizontal jumps, so triple jump and long jump. Sometimes I'll do the 100 and 200.

Q: What's your favorite event to compete in?
A: Triple jump. I was recruited out of high school because I had one of the highest verticals on my basketball team, and my track coach encouraged me to try it. I started with long jump because we didn't have any triple jumpers, but once I got into triple jump, I quickly fell in love with how technical and challenging it is. Seeing progress through hard work made me love it even more.

Q: How did you discover your passion for these events?
A: I started track pretty late, during my junior year of high school. I missed out on qualifying for state by a couple inches, and that really motivated me to hone in on it. I competed with a local AAU team over the summer, became a district and regional champion, and qualified for nationals. That experience, and becoming one of the top jumpers in the nation at the time really solidified my passion. After that, I decided to stop playing basketball and focus on track full-time. When my high school coach left, I had to train myself in a very technical event, which only deepened my passion.

Q: Did you play other sports growing up?
A: I started swimming when I was three years old while living in Ukraine and continued after moving to the United States. I also competed in cross country, basketball, and soccer. I stuck with swimming and basketball through most of high school before focusing solely on track my senior year.

Q: Why did you choose UNC Asheville?
A: When I entered the transfer portal, the UNC Asheville coaches were some of the first to reach out. I already knew a few people on the team and had great interactions with them at meets. So I did some more research, and realized it was the place for me, not only because of how high-level the coaching is here and the relationships that are built, but also the academic programs as well. At my old college I was a mechatronics major as well, but it was just with that college. Whereas here it's a joint program, so I also get a degree from NC State and I thought that was pretty cool. The fact that it's close to home, the small campus vibes, the coaching, and the track and field facilities, just felt like a really good fit for me.

Q: What's something people should know about you outside of being a student-athlete?
A: I'm involved in programs related to aerospace engineering. My passions include technology, space, cars, and anime. I'm also focused on building my personal brand and taking that as far as I can. I have a big drive for achieving the most I can.

Q: What is something unique you bring to Asheville?
A: I bring a very driven mentality, and I think that helped get me selected as a team captain. I believe I've been a good example to my teammates in staying driven and focused through any challenges — whether that's being disciplined about getting to practice on time, eating the right foods, or maintaining a positive mindset when things get tough. I try to lead more by example rather than teaching anything specific.

Something unique about me is that part of my family on my mom's side is from Italy, so I have Italian roots, along with some Ukrainian cultural influences. Overall, I think staying disciplined and setting a positive example as a team captain is the biggest thing I've been able to contribute to this team.

Q: If you had a full weekend off, how would you spend it?
A: I would do a bunch of engineering work, finish my homework and drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Watch some anime, talk to my family at home and think of some things I can do to promote Asheville and my personal brand on social media.

Q: Do you have a favorite memory competing here?
A: A couple of weeks ago, at our opener, we had three triple jumpers in the triple jump: Blake Hawks, Eli Oescher, and me, and we all made finals. It was the Big South vs. SoCon Challenge so it was a scored meet, so contributing points was important. I also hit a personal record that day, which made it even more special.

Q: What are your plans after graduating?
A: I want to take track and field as far as I can and also pursue a career in aerospace engineering, ideally working with organizations like NASA, SpaceX, or Blue Origin.

Q: What's been your favorite class at Asheville
A: My first favorite class would be Calculus III, which I am taking currently. Everything has really clicked and I have an A in the class after struggling with math in the past. My other favorite classes are Joint Engineering Mechatronics Lab and Electrical Circuits, because they focus on hands-on applications like coding and building systems.

Q: What's your favorite phone app?
A: Instagram, and also Stellarium. It lets you point your phone at the sky and identify stars and planets, which is really cool since I'm into aerospace.

Q: What's your go-to car ride snack?
A: Coconut Gatorade and caramel popcorn-flavored Popchips.

Q: Who's your favorite athlete?
A: In track and field, Christian Taylor. Outside of track, Michael Phelps.

Q: Do you have a favorite reality TV show?
A: River Monsters. I used to watch it with my dad growing up.

Q: What's your comfort show?
A: Dr. Stone. I like how it explains science through the main character, Senku.

Q: Who's your favorite artist?
A: Drake. "God's Plan" was the first song I ever downloaded on Apple Music.

Q: What's your go-to motivational quote?
A: "Most people treat failure like a period. Champions treat it like a comma." — Emmanuel Acho

That quote reminds me to stay disciplined and keep pushing forward, no matter what challenges come up.