Nicole Luna was born in the small community of Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico, home to the legendary Route 66. Luna began her journey at Western New Mexico University as a passionate student-athlete to a respected Graduate Assistant Coach.
Having graduated from Laguna-Acoma High School (Class of 2009), Luna carried her athletic drive and determination into her college years at Western New Mexico University. Her pursuit of excellence constituted not only athletics but also academic excellence.
In Spring 2014, Luna earned a dual Bachelor's degree – a Bachelor of Science in Public and Non-Profit Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management, with a minor in Marketing. Her commitment to education continued with her later returning to WNMU to pursue her Master of Business Administration (MBA), continuing to inspire others as both scholar and mentor.
Luna's name has since become synonymous with excellence in WNMU cross country. During her senior season, she led the WNMU Women's Cross Country Team to two open race titles early in the year and has set the tone for a record-breaking campaign.
She placed third at the George Kyte Classic (5k) with an impressive 18:46.4, contributing to the team title. The following week, she finished fourth at the Dave Murray Invitational(5k) with an even better time of 18:32.96, securing back-to-back victories for the Lady Mustangs. She continued this streak at the NMHU Jamboree (5k), where she timed 18:34.19. Luna went on to break the WNMU school record in the 6K, and then astonishingly broke her own record at the very next meet at the UC San Diego Triton Classic, with a time of 22:45.1.
Her consistency as a top-tier performer has earned her the recognition of WNMU Senior Student Athlete of the Year. She finished 26
th at the RMAC Championship, narrowly missing  an All-RMAC spot. Her finishing position at a national level is also a remarkable achievement. She has since been inducted into the WNMU Hall of Fame in 2018.
Following her decorated career, Luna has since seamlessly transitioned into coaching and was a Graduate Assistant Coach for the WNMU Cross Country teams, for both men and women. Now known as Coach Luna, she brings a deep understanding of the sport and genuine care for her athletes – mentoring them not just to run faster, but also to live with the same purpose and determination she embodies.
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After completing her education at WNMU, Nicole stayed in New Mexico for close to a year, where she worked with the Non-profit Silver City Arts and Cultural District to increase tourism in Silver City. She then moved to Prescott, Arizona, working in insurance handling small businesses and general liability. During this time, one of her teammates, Melina Tontino, offered her a broker position in the accounting firm Assurance Accounting, which she accepted before moving to Corona, California, where she has been since 2019, being involved in finances as a corporate accountant at a construction company, dealing with pavements, roads, and materials.
Outside of academics and finance, Luna finds joy in the simpler things in life: running half marathons, spending time with her family, nature, and '90s movies. Luna has dreams of running her first marathon, starting a family, and continuing to inspire others through coaching and community involvement.
