Note: This story was updated after the winners of the OC Sports Awards were announced on Thursday, June 18th event at Angels Stadium

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Concordia University Irvine runner Noah Plaza has become the most decorated male distance runner in the school's NCAA DII era.

He was also one of three finalists for Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year at the 2026 OC Sports Awards!

The Orange County Sports Awards is a premier event that brings together the best of high school, collegiate, and professional sports across our region. It's a prestigious night in sports celebrating the individuals and organizations that make Orange County a standout sports destination.  The program was held on Thursday, June 18th at Angels Stadium and all Award winners were announced during the program.

Joining Plaza for this special recognition as finalists in this category were UC Irvine men's basketball player Kyle Evans and Vanguard University men's basketball standout Erik Howlin. Ultimately, Evans from UCI was introduced as the winner from that outstanding trio that represented Orange Country so well in the collegiate scene.

A kinesiology major with a 3.4 GPA, Plaza has shined both individually in cross country races and on the track throughout his collegiate career, and he capped off his senior year with his best overall season yet with multiple school records and team achievements. This included being named the Concordia Male Athlete of the Year at the school's annual senior banquet which is now called the "Marty Awards."

The Gilbert, Arizona native consistently has been the top finisher with the men's XC program and a weapon to earn points in the distance races during track and field season. During his time at Concordia, the men's XC and track and field teams have tied their highest finish in the PacWest Conference meets.

During the past school year, Plaza became the first CUI men's cross country runner to compete at the NCAA DII Men's Cross Country Championships. He finished in the top quarter of the field, 60th overall out of 250+ competitors.

The Williams Field High School alum was also the first CUI MXC runner to earn First Team All-PacWest honors in back-to-back seasons (by placing in the Top 7 of the conference meet). As a senior, Plaza placed second overall at the 2025 PacWest Conference meet & went on to be First Team All-Region with a Top 6 finish later in the season.

In indoor track and field, Plaza has also set four school records, including the 3k race which had stood for 13 years. He was the top West Region runner in 3 different events: the 3k, the 5k & as a key member of the Distance Medley Relay (DMR) team. His school record in the 5k had also stood for 20 years, and he is on pace to be named Academic All-PacWest for the fourth straight school year.