Track & Field | 6/4/2018 2:29:00 PM

PORTLAND, Ore. – Becoming the fourth athlete in conference history to earn back-to-back awards, Western Oregon's David Ribich was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's 2018 Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year on Monday.

This is Ribich's fifth overall GNAC Athlete of the Year award and the third this year. The senior swept the 2017-18 yearly awards after being named the GNAC Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year after his win at the GNAC Championships in October and was voted by coaches as the Men's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year in March. Ribich won both GNAC Athlete of the Year honors for track & field as a junior in 2017.

In addition to successfully defending his national title in the 1,500, Ribich set the NCAA Division II all-time record in the event when he ran 3:37.35 at April's Bryan Clay Invitational. The time dethroned a mark that had stood for more than 30 years.

Ribich won both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He became the first male athlete in GNAC history to win four consecutive titles in the same event with his win in the 1,500.

In addition to the conference honors, Ribich was named the USTFCCCA West Region Male Track Athlete of the Year and was selected to the Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-District Track and Field/Cross Country Team. He was named by coaches as the GNAC Championships Male Track Athlete of the Meet. In addition to his record in the 1,500 meters, Ribich's time of 1:48.09 in the 800 meters is No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List.

GNAC OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
2002 - Jason Walker, Humboldt State
2003 - Pro Escobedo, Western Oregon
2004 - Chris Randolph, Seattle Pacific; Justin Lawrence, Central Washington
2005 - Chris Randolph, Seattle Pacific
2006 - Chris Randolph, Seattle Pacific
2007 - Anthony Tomsich, W. Washington
2008 - David Registe, Alaska Anchorage
2009 - David Registe, Alaska Anchorage
2010 - Ryan Brown, Western Washington
2011 - Ryan Brown, Western Washington
2012 - Micah Chelimo, Alaska Anchorage
2013 - Cody Parker, Alaska Anchorage
2014 - Cody Thomas, Alaska Anchorage
2015 - Slater Hirst, Western Washington
2016 - Cody Thomas, Alaska Anchorage
2016 - Payton Lewis, Northwest Nazarene
2017 - David Ribich, Western Oregon
2018 - David Ribich, Western Oregon