Tuesday, May 22, 2018
NEW ORLEANS – After collecting regional athlete of the year honors in both cross country and indoor track and field, Western Oregon senior David Ribich has completed a regional triple-crown as he has been selected by the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as its Division II West Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year.
Ribich leads three GNAC athletes and coaches to be honored by the organization with regional awards. Alaska Anchorage junior Caroline Kurgat was selected as the Division II West Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year while Concordia assistant coach Jarred Rome was tabbed as the West Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
The regional awards are the second this season for both Kurgat and Rome. The NCAA Division II women’s cross country champion, Kurgat was named by the USTFCCCA as both the West Region and national Division II Female Athlete of the Year. Rome, meanwhile, earned the same regional award during the indoor track and field season.
Ribich, who will compete in the 1,500 meters at this weekend’s NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, set the Division II record in the event with a time of 3:37.35 at April’s Bryan Clay Invitational. At the time, the performance was No. 22 in the world this season. Ribich also ran the third-fastest time in Division II this season in the 800 meters at 1:48.09. Ribich won both the 800 and 1,500 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
With his win in the 1,500, Ribich became the first male athlete in conference history to win four consecutive outdoor conference titles in an event. He was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Meet.
Kurgat will run in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the NCAA Championships and enters the meet with two of the fastest times in Division II history. She clocked the second-fastest time in Division II history in the 10,000 meters with a time of 32:33.24 at the Stanford Invitational. A month later, she returned to Stanford and clocked the third-fastest time in Division II history in the 5,000 meters of 15:41.21 at the Payton Jordan Invitational.
Kurgat won both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Championships and placed second in the 1,500 meters. She was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet.
Rome, who focuses on work with Concordia’s throwers, led a women’s throwing corps that scored 87 of the Cavaliers’ 121 points at the GNAC Outdoor Championships. Concordia swept all eight places in the shot put and saw both Melissa Ausman and Christina MacDonald set meet records. Rome coached Ausman to the GNAC record in the discus and MacDonald to the conference record in the hammer. Concordia will send five women’s throwers to this weekend’s NCAA Championships.