Virginia Beach, VA – The NCAA Division II National Championships would see Cougars Mateo Luna and Matthew Storer compete in the 5k and mile on the nations biggest stage. Storer would finish 18^th in the 5k, with Luna highlighting the meet, garnering his first All-American accolade with a 6^th place finish in the national mile.

Coming off of another excellent season, Storer would compete in his final indoor race of the season. The race would kick off extremely quick, Storer coming through his first mile in a scorching 4:32. The pace remained true, Storer coming through his second mile in a 4:35, hanging off the back of the pack. Giving it everything he had, Storer would come through the line in 14:38, an 18^th place national finish.

This marks Storer's third NCAA Indoor Championship in three years, with an 18^th place finish enough for an All-American Honorable Mention. CCU's most decorated athlete, Storer looks ahead to his final season as a Cougar, looking to leave his mark one last time at Outdoor Nationals.

Mateo Luna, the Cougars spotlight this indoor season, would leave his mark on the national stage for the first time in his career. Luna would open up in the 1^st heat of  mile prelims Friday, the top 3 milers in each heat automatically qualifying, with the next 3 fastest times from both mile heats also qualifying for the final.

Starting on the inside lane, Luna would open up the first 200 in 32 seconds, hanging off the back of the entire pack. Lap 2 would be no different for Luna, patiently running just a step or two off the back. Luna would come through 800 mark in a pedestrian 2:08, still sitting off the back of the pack. Anyone familiar with Luna this season knew what to expect, Luna gaining ground in almost every race this season in the final laps. Luna wouldn't disappoint. He would make his move with 400 meters to go, and not a second too soon. A trip in front of Luna would send an Adams State runner flying off the track, multiple runners having to slow down just to maintain their balance. Luna would squeeze between two runners, coming around the bend and flying past another. Luna would enter the last lap 5^th, managing to close in a blazing 27 final lap. Churning the legs, Luna would fly into 4^th coming around the final bend, crossing the line with a time of 4:05.48. 4^th in his heat, Luna would also be the 4^th fastest miler out of the two heats, qualifying for the final just 26 hours later.

The finals would be no less dramatic. Saturday, Luna would tow the line with 9 other racers, just 8 laps between heartbreak or glory. The gun would go off, the pack cruising through the first lap in a 31 high. After both packs would merge together, Luna would settle in second behind a leading NW Missouri runner. 300 meters into the race, the leader would swing wide, motioning for Luna to take the lead and pace the race. Unphased, Luna would lead the pack through the 800, strategically slowing the race down, bringing everyone through the half-mile in 2:15. Undecisive, the NW Missouri runner would surge to lead, picking up the pace ever so slightly. Luna would sit in the lead pack, roughly third or fourth when mayhem broke loose. Antsy, an Adams State racer would surge past Luna, shoving two racers aside to do so. Both racers would manage to keep their feet, but not without pumping the brakes hard in front of Luna, significantly cutting off Luna's momentum. Luna would sit in 6^th after the chaos, which was deemed infraction enough to DQ the Adams State runner. This would bring the pack to the final 400, a dead sprint for every racer. Luna would fall back to 9^th for the final lap, determination etched in his face. Once again, the final bend would see the capability of Luna, swinging three wide and fighting for every spot. Luna would beat out the last three runners by a mere second for a 7^th place finish with a final time of 4:12.87. Luna would manage to close his final 400 in a mind boggling 54.49, a true testament to the raw speed Luna possesses. After final review and the DQ'd runner, Luna claims the title of 6^th fastest miler in the nation.

 An incredible two races amongst chaos ensuing, Luna would walk off the podium with a First-Team All American title, his first All-American ever. Flooded with gratefulness and humility, the Florida native had this to say after the race:
"First and foremost I want to give all the glory to God, Jesus Christ. He is where my hope lies and where my strength comes from. I also want to thank all of my friends and family who have supported and encouraged me so much, I literally cannot thank them enough for believing in me and guiding me through my life. I want to say that I am so grateful for my coaches, Coach Verbal and Pierantoni, as well as my team for being such incredible people in my corner and being there day after day through the training and competition process. I also want to thank all of the older guys on my team and who came before me who inspired me to believe that we can really achieve some awesome things at CCU. The race itself was so crazy and exciting in the moment and my faith in God helped me stay grounded as I knew that no matter the outcome I was doing it for an ultimate audience of One and all I could control was my effort. I am so grateful to have been able to have made the National Championships and to come back with another All-American for our program is something I am truly humbled for. To God by the glory!"

Reflecting on the national meet as a whole, head coach Evan Verbal had the following to say "Mateo had an outstanding indoor season. After a great cross-country season last fall, we sat down and charted out exactly how we wanted this indoor season to go. Mateo worked incredibly hard in practice and rose to the occasion every single time he was on the start line. He deserved to be 6^th in the country and he's far from done.
We are so proud of Matt and all that he continues to accomplish. Division II is getting more elite by the year and Matt continues to make the national meet which is a testament to both his talent and hard work. We are excited for outdoor track as he gets to move up to the 10k and take another shot at being an All-American."

Storer will have one outdoor season to crack another All-American to add to his tally, while Luna has another full year to compete for a national title. Outdoor season for CCU begins at CSU-Pueblo on March 20^th to continue the historic year for the Cougs.