A 1995 graduate of Otterbein, Paluszak earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), all-district, and All-American honors three-straight years while playing golf for the Cardinals.

Paluszak was a crucial member of the 1993 Hall of Fame team that greased the wheels for future squads, becoming the first team in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships. He finished 13th individually at the NCAA’s that season to earn the first of his three All-American awards.

Mark earned medalist honors as a junior at the 1994 OAC Championships, shooting rounds of 73 and 75 to hold off John Carroll’s Matt Glovna by one shot. He then finished second individually at the NCAA’s his senior year after posting the low round (68) of the tournament. Over the course of his career, the Cardinals finished eighth, fifth, and second, respectively, at nationals.

Paluszak was hired in the summer of 2009 as head coach for both Otterbein men’s and women’s golf teams. He later earned OAC Coach of the Year on both sides after guiding each team to a league title.