Luke Combs

Photo by: Jim Daves, University of Virginia

Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos

Photo by: NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Anderson, Ind.
Squadron:
33 Loose Hawgs
High School:
Lapel

AIR FORCE HIGHLIGHTS

Mountain West Champion, Distance Medley Relay (2022)

Mountain West Freshman of the Year, Cross Country (2020)

JUNIOR YEAR | 2022: Raced in three meets, including the NCAA Championships…posted a personal-best 10K time of 29:55.4 to place 70th out of 255 runners at the national meet…helped Air Force to a program-best seventh-place finish as the team’s No. 4 runner...Falcons’ No. 2 finisher at the Nuttycombe Invitational…clocked a career-best 8K time of 23:35.8 to finish 29th out of 245 runners and help Air Force to a fourth-place finish…opened the season with a 20:23 four-mile race at the Air Force Classic (ninth).

SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2021: Competed in six meets, including all three postseason competitions…second-team all-conference honoree…clocked a personal-best 8K time of 23:45.4 to finish ninth at the Mountain West Championships and help Air Force repeat as conference champions…scored for the Falcons at the NCAA Mountain Regional, placing 37th with a career-best 10K time of 30:56.1…added a 30:59.1 finish at the NCAA Championships (180th)…was the Falcons’ No. 5 runner at the Nuttycombe Invitational, posting an 8K mark of 24:14.9 to place 72nd out of 246 runners…clocked a 24:06.8 at the Bill Dellinger Invitational to finish 44th out of 149 runners…opened the season with a four-mile time of 20:15.8 at the Air Force Open.

FRESHMAN YEAR | 2020: Mountain West Freshman of the Year…first-team all-conference honoree…clocked an 8K time of 23:51.5 to finish sixth at the MW Championships and help Air Force win the conference title…posted a career-best time of 23:46.2 as the Falcons’ No. 3 runner at the Silver State Collegiate Challenge…added a scoring finish at the NCAA Championships, posting a 10K debut of 31:48.0 (121st) to help Air Force finish 19th in the team standings.

MAJOR TRACK AND FIELD HIGHLIGHTS: Led off the distance medley relay that won the 2022 Mountain West Indoor title following an Academy Record time of 9:31.62…also earned all-conference honors in the 3000-meter run after finishing second at that meet…clocked the fifth-fastest time in program history (7:56.71) at the Iowa State Classic that year…debuted in seventh on the Academy’s 5000-meter standings during the 2022 outdoor season, running a 13:50.59 at the Drake Relays…also led off the 4x1600-meter relay that posted the fourth-fastest time in program history (16:46.51) at that meet.

HIGH SCHOOL: Lapel High School...finished third in the 1600-meter run at the 2019 IHSAA Track and Field Championships after clocking a time of 4:13.7...also earned a third-place finish in the Indiana Cross Country Championships as a senior...collected a pair of top-15 finishes at the Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional (13th as a junior, 14th as a senior)...member of the National Honor Society...named to the school’s Academic Hall of Fame.

PERSONAL: Full name is Luke William Combs...nicknames are “Smokey”, “Smokes”, and “Smokeshow”…son of Daniel and Angela Combs...father is a captain in the Navy...both parents ran cross country and track at Anderson University...has four sisters (one older, three younger)...also has one younger brother...majoring in management…future plans include becoming an acquisitions or intelligence officer…named to the Athletic Director’s List...hobbies include playing golf with Lil Bob (Sean Maison), eating at Hoagie Hanger with the boys on Sunday evenings, and sitting in his dorm room, staring at the wall...connoisseur of sparkling water…advocate for breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth…member of Cadet Squadron 33.