PORTLAND, Ore. - Western Oregon took three major awards from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field honors released Friday, as junior David Ribich, sophomore Dustin Nading and head coach Mike Johnson were honored by the league.
 
Ribich was tabbed as the Male Athlete of the Year, while Nading was selected as the Male Newcomer of the Year. Johnson was selected by his contemporaries as Men's Co-Coach of the Year.
 
Ribich was the highest scoring WOU male athlete at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. The two-time All-American ran the anchor leg of the men's distance medley relay team that won the national championship with a time of 9:40.144, a record time for the school, league and all of Division II. He also took third in the men's mile to account for 16 of the team's total 24 points. At the GNAC Indoor Championships, Ribich placed first in both the mile and 3,000 meters. His time of 4:10.01 in the mile set a new GNAC Conference Meet record.
 
Nading became the sixth WOU male athlete since 2007 to earn Newcomer of the Year after a spectacular debut season. He ran the lead leg of the men's DMR National Championship performance and finished fourth in the mile at the NCAA Indoors. The two-time All-American also finished second in the mile at the GNAC Championships behind his teammate Ribich. In the process, Nading now is part of the record-holding time in the DMR and is second on the WOU all-time list in the mile with a time of 4:05.22.
 
Johnson led Western Oregon to its second consecutive runner-up finish on the men's side at the GNAC Championships and to best team finish at the NCAA Indoor National Championships of any GNAC team.  Johnson, a 1972 graduate of Eastern Washington, has now won a total of 13 GNAC Coach of the Year awards also winning for men's indoor in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012;  women's outdoor in 2004, 2005 and 2008 and men's outdoor in 2004, 2008 and 2011.
 
2016 GNAC AWARDS – INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Male Athlete of the Year – David Ribich, Western Oregon
Female Athlete of the Year – Addy Townsend, Simon Fraser
Male Newcomer of the Year – Dustin Nading, Western Oregon
Male Freshman of the Year – Adam Brown, Concordia
Female Freshman of the Year – Scout Cai, Seattle Pacific
 
Male Coaches of the Year – Michael Friess, Alaska Anchorage and Mike Johnson, Western Oregon
Female Coaches of the Year – Karl Lerum, Seattle Pacific and Brit Townsend, Simon Fraser