TAFT, CA – After being heralded 2023 Defensive Player of the Year in the Central Valley Conference, sophomore Diego Mireles of Taft College Men's Soccer has signed a NCAA Division I National Letter of Intent to continue his career at California State University, Bakersfield.

A native of Lancaster, California and graduate of East High School, Mireles graduated from Taft College with a 4.0 grade point average. Mireles started 16 of 16 overall games and helped lead the Cougars to 11 shoutout games throughout the season. 6'1" defender Mireles will be playing under CSUB Roadrunners Head Men's Soccer Coach Adam Grant. The Roadrunners start off the preseason with highly competitive matches involving UCLA and Loyola Marymount, both of which were participants in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Taft College Head Men's Soccer Coach Angelo Cutrona commented, "Diego is a top class student-athlete and an example to all his teammates. His discipline, drive, and leadership on and off the field is a gold standard. He has earned and deserves the opportunity to play at a Division 1 University. I'm thankful that CSUB is willing to give him the opportunity to play on. Diego is a very good student, a great player, and an even greater human being. Lastly, I would like to thank Diego for taking on the role of leading the 2023 soccer team as a captain and always representing the Taft College soccer program with respect and honor. I'm very proud of him."