Matt was a cross country runner and coach at Baruch College. He ran as a Bearcat from 2005 to 2007. He was one of the first people to help transition the cross country program from a club to varsity sport in 2006. During his undergraduate time at Baruch, he finished in first place individually at the 2006 CUNYAC Finals. In 2008, he was named the CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Male Honorable Mention. He would later coach the men’s cross country from 2009-2016 with his wife Mercedes Zegarra-Soja, who he first met at Baruch at a cross country practice. This interview took place on Thursday, February 11, 2021.