Topka, KS- The Cougars made the long drive to Washburn Univeristy, seeing many stellar performances in the Sunflower State. The two day meet saw a National Provisional, Indoor Debuts, and several PR's.

Joseph Lethlean, the true freshman, made his indoor debut on Saturday in the 3,000 (1.86 miles) race. Lethlean would cap an extraordinary performance, broadcasting a race that screamed composure and experience beyond his years. The race would open conservatively, Lethlean starting the race in the back of the field throughout the first 100 meters. Patiently waiting for the right time, Lethlean made a move 1k into the race as the pack started to thin out, strategically weaving in and out of traffic as he moved his way up. Getting faster every lap, the Australian quite literally started to ramp up his speed, getting faster and faster as those infront of him started dying hard. After passing the majority of the traffic, Joseph was trailing a pair of Tulsa runners with 400 left. Lethlean waited for 200 and gave everything left, passing the two Tulsa runners for a 3^rd place finish and final time of 8:30.

This leaves Lethlean 25^th on the RMAC Indoor list, an extremely impressive spot for a freshman amongst the competitive RMAC field. His first collegiate indoor track race, Lethlean has no doubt given us glimpses of the key runner he can become for the Cougars. Jay Wood ran the 3k as well, posting a time of 8:40, a 5 second PR in an extremely impressive race. A shorter distance than accustomed to, Wood displayed an impressive ability to pour on some speed when needed.

The highlight of the meet came from senior Mateo Luna, coming off of a national provisional last week in the 800. Luna, on the road to make the national mile race, knew the opportunity that the sea-level banked track had to offer. Racing in an extremely competitive heat, Luna got off the line sitting in the back third of the pack. The mile got off to a slower start, going through the first 800 in a 2:03. Unphased, Luna held his position in the middle of the pack, grit and fight etched across his face. Using the 6^th & 7^th laps to work his way up to the lead group, Luna wouldn't make a move until the last 100 meters, flying around to lane three out of the curve into the final strait away, making up ground for a 3^rd place finish and a 4:04 mile. Behind Head Coach Evan Verbal, this is the second fastest indoor mile to be run in the Cougars singlet, a National Provisional, and a PR in the mile for Luna by 11 seconds. The unconventional mile saw a negative split by 2 seconds, a testament to the mental fortitude and raw speed that Luna possesses.

Luna currently sits 6^th on the RMAC Indoor list, and 19^th on the National list. Gearing up for Boston in two weeks, Luna will have to pull off an even faster mile if he wants a chance on the national stage. With two National Provisionals in two weeks, Luna looks to keep rolling, aspiring to be the first Cougar to race the national mile on the men's side since 2023.

The men's side saw strong results the rest of the meet, as Klay Grant & Tyler Schwarz threw down 4:20 and 4:21 miles respectively. Clayton Ackley would also have a strong 3k, running an 8:44, an impressive time fighting through a bunchy and indecisive field.

Josh Pierantoni, CCU track legend, and current assistant coach highlighted the theme of momentum on the men's side, stating "Our men built up a lot of momentum this weekend led by two big performances. Joseph made his indoor track debut with a competitive time in the 3k showing that he has what it takes to compete at the college level. Mateo also competed with a lot of grit as he took a massive step forward with a PR and a national mark in the mile. This continues his streak of national level performances and shows that he is here to stay."

The Cougars will look to keep producing strong performances this next week as they return back to CU Boulder, a spot of high success recently for the Cougars.