Tuesday, February 13, 2018

NEW ORLEANS – For the third time this season, Western Oregon senior David Ribich has been named the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USTFCCCA) Division II Male Athlete of the Week.

Ribich was honored for another Division II record performance, this time in the 3,000 meters at Saturday’s Husky Classic. Ribich placed fourth with a time of 7:50.81, which stands as an all-time, all-conditions record. Grouped in an event laden with Division I competitors, Ribich hit an NCAA Championships automatic qualifying mark while finishing ahead of close to 100 other runners.

Ribich’s time is nearly a second ahead of the previous all-conditions Division II best of 7:51.68, set by Aaron Braun of Adams State at Dempsey Indoor in 2010, and is six seconds faster than the official Division II (compliant track) record of 7:56.88 set by Adams State’s Sydney Gidabuday last year. Ribich leads the current season’s Division II performance list by nine seconds.

Ribich also won the USTFCCCA honor back on Jan. 30 after he became the 501st U.S. athlete to break the four-minute barrier in the mile. His time of 3:58.88 at the UW Invitational leads Division II and is also an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships. Ribich earned his first national indoor honor of the season on Jan. 16 after he set the Division II all-time, all-conditions best in the 1,000 meters at the UW Indoor Preview with a time of 2:21.38. That time still ranks fifth in the world this year.

Ribich will be the favorite to repeat as conference champion in both the mile and 3,000 meters at this week’s GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, which takes place Friday and Saturday at the Jacksons Indoor Center in Nampa, Idaho.