This is the first of 12 articles highlighting the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Inductees and today's first article features former Pack men's cross country and track student-athlete Thomas Staines (2017-19)

Student-athletes at Colorado State University Pueblo have won 18 national titles since the start of four-year participation in the fall of 1963, when the school transitioned from junior college competition.

The one student-athlete who put the "most marks" on the list of national champions was Thomas Staines, who became the eighth men's track and field competitor to be inducted into the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame.

Of the eight, Staines tops the list with four individual national titles and one national championship on a relay team.

Staines was born in Epson, England, to Gary and Linda Staines. His parents ran for the British Olympic team and won world titles. The Staines' moved to the United States in 2004, impacting the local running scene by opening Runners Roost in Colorado Springs.

Competing in the 800- and 1,600-meters at Cheyenne Mountain High School, Staines scored his first career "mark" by besting a loaded field of runners at Mullen Runners Roost Invitational on April 9, 2016, including the defending 4A state champion.  He also placed second in the 800 at the 2016 state track and field championships.

As written in a Colorado Springs publication in February 2021, "Thomas Staines will leave an unbelievable impact on NCAA Division II Track and Field. Thomas will begin his professional career as a 5-time national champion, running the fastest 800-meter recorded on Colorado soil, owning the United Kingdom 600m national record, and many more accolades and records."

During his sophomore year in 2018, Staines captured his first three NCAA titles, starting with two firsts at the indoor championships in Pittsburg, Kan.  He set a D2 record by posting a time of 1:47.23 to win the 800-meter run, followed by anchoring CSU Pueblo's winning distance medley relay team with teammates Pueblo Patrick Scoggins, Shawn Horne, and Devundrick Walker.

In the spring of 2018, Staines duplicated his indoor title by winning the outdoor 800-meter run at the NCAA Division II Championships in Charlotte, N.C.  He validated his 2018 successes by defending his 800 titles in 2019 at the indoor meet again in Pittsburg and the outdoor event in Kingsville, Texas.

His "mark" at CSU Pueblo did not go unnoticed as the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame honored Staines as state's top male athletic of the year for 2019.  He was the second Pack to be honored by the Colorado Hall, with football player Ross Dausin garnering the top male athletic award in 2012.

"That was a huge honor for me," stated Staines when talking about the recognition of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.  "It was a shame that it was awarded during Covid, and I didn't get to celebrate it as I would have liked, but a huge honor nonetheless."

Staines said he chose Colorado State Pueblo since it "had the degree (automotive industry management) I wanted and a good track program.   It seemed to be the right fit for me."

After taking time off to train for the Paris Olympics, Staines is taking courses this fall to complete his degree.

As for the Paris Olympic bid, Staines said, "I spent most of this past season injured, so I missed the Olympic trials.  Right now, I'm just building myself back up and getting back in the rhythm of racing at key meets and preparing for next year. The long-term goal would be World Championships over the next couple of years and, hopefully, the LA 2028 Olympics."

Honored in both 2018 and 2019 as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's top Indoor and Outdoor Male Track Athlete, Staines said his "most memorable moments as a competitor was winning my first NCAA Title and the DMR a year later. It was exciting to win the DMR because I got to do it with my close friends and teammates."

Staines said his "most memorable moment from a teammate perspective was watching Marcelo Laguera win the NCAA Division II Cross Country title in 2018 and traveling to the Music City Distance Carnival in June 2018 and watching my training partner Devundrick Walker run a personal best of 1:47.91 in the 800 meters."

A four-time RMAC champion, Staines said he has been "fortunate to have a couple of good coaches in my career; my high school coach Stan Lambros first got me into running, as I wanted to play soccer. He got me to enjoy running and being competitive in the early stages before I was later developed at CSU Pueblo under Matt Morris."

Like most student-athletes in college sports, Staines said he "got to spend the better part of four years with teammates and friends I'll have for life."

And starting on the evening of October 4 at the Occhiato Student Center when he returns to be inducted into the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame, Staines will join Pack track and field greats like John (2009), and Jeff (2012) Martinez, Richard LeDoux (2015), Don Schmidli (2016), Mike Duran (2017), Myron Jefferson (2019) and Derrick Williams (2023) in finalizing his "mark" as one school's extraordinary student-athletes.