Tuesday, January 16, 2018

NEW ORLEANS – Western Oregon’s David Ribich has not slowed down at all since the cross country season, running an NCAA Division II all-time best at the UW Preview to earn Division II Male Athlete of the Week honors from the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The senior from Enterprise, Ore., finished second in the 1,000 meters at the UW Preview in a time of 2:21.38. The performance bettered the old record of 2:21.94 which was run by Joseph Kemei of West Texas A&M in 1977. The performance, however, does not count as an official record by the USTFCCCA because the race was run on Washington’s oversized 300-meter track. The GNAC does not recognize a record at 1,000 meters since it is not an official NCAA Championships distance.

The performance showed that Ribich is already in fine form. The defending national champion outdoors at 1,500 meters finished less than a second behind Drew Windle of Brooks, who clocked in at 2:20.95. Windle competed for the United States at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in the 800 meters.

The start to the indoor season is only a continuation of an outstanding senior season for Ribich. The GNAC and NCAA West Region cross country champion, Ribich placed 30th at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships to earn his first All-American trophy in the discipline. He was a two-time national champion in 2017. In addition to his 1,500-meter title, Ribich was part of Western Oregon’s champion and national-record setting distance medley relay team at last year’s Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Following the outdoor season, Ribich was selected to compete in the 1,500 meters at the USA Track & Field National Championships, where he placed ninth.