Luke Combs

Photo by: Ginnie Coleman

Photo by: Brandon Lindner

Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos

Photo by: Chris Floyd

Photo by: Sierra Lyon

Class:
Senior
Events:
Distance
Hometown:
Anderson, Ind.
Height:
5-9
High School:
Lapel
Squadron:
33 Loose Hawgs

AIR FORCE HIGHLIGHTS

All-American, Cross Country (2023)

Mountain West Champion, Distance Medley Relay (2022)

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

JUNIOR YEAR | 2022-23: Did not compete.

SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2021-22: Member of the distance medley relay that captured the Mountain West title…two-time all-conference honoree…ran the opening leg of the DMR that posted a winning, Academy Record time of 9:32.62 (adjusted for altitude) at the MW Indoor Championships…also claimed runner-up honors in the 3000-meter run at the conference meet…posted a career-best time of 7:56.71 in that event at the Iowa State Classic…that is the fifth-fastest time in Academy history and a new Air Force Sophomore Class Record…competed in the mile once, clocking a time of 4:05.33a to win the Colorado Invitational…competed in the 5000-meter distance during three outdoor meets…recorded the seventh-fastest time in program history (13:50.59) during a runner-up finish at the Drake Relays…first debuted on the program’s Top 10 following a 13:53.43 performance at the Stanford Invitational (then No. 8 all-time)…also scored for the Falcons at the MW Outdoor Championships (seventh)…led off the 4x1600-meter relay that registered the fourth-fastest time in program history (16:46.51) at the Drake Relays.

FRESHMAN YEAR | 2020-21: Ran the second leg of the 4x1600-meter relay that clocked the third-fastest time in Academy history (16:48.60) at the Drake Relays…scored for Air Force in the 10,000-meter run at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships (eighth, 30:04.81)…clocked a 1500-meter time of 3:50.73 (adjusted for altitude) in outdoor debut to finish fourth out of 61 runners at the Spank Blasing Invitational…posted a career-best 5000-meter time of 14:04.25 at the Stanford Invitational…competed in the mile at the Air Force Invitational, clocking 4:15.21a to finish third.

MAJOR CROSS COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS: All-American…named the 2020 Mountain West Freshman of the Year after posting the best finish by a true freshman (sixth) at the conference championship meet…three-time all-conference selection (first-team in 2020, second-team in 2021, second-team in 2023)…member of the scoring lineup for two conference championship teams…Falcons’ No. 4 runner on the team that finished seventh at the 2022 NCAA Championships…captured All-Region and All-America honors as a senior…finished 28th at the 2023 national championships to lead Air Force to a 12th-place finish.

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 32.