>>> USTFCCCA Release

NEW ORLEANS – The best in the West Region reside in the GNAC with conference athletes and coaches picking up five of this year's U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) West Region indoor track and field honors.

Western Oregon senior David Ribich was named by the body as its West Region Male Track Athlete of the Year while Seattle Pacific sophomore Scout Cai was tabbed as the West Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year.

The awards were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.

Ribich has put together a historic season for the Wolves. The senior set a Division II all-time all-conditions record in the 3,000 meters at the Husky Classic in a time of 7:50.81. The mark is the best in Divison II by nine seconds. Earlier in the season, Ribich became the 501st athlete in U.S. history to break the four-minute mile with a time of 3:58.88 at the UW Invitational. In addition, he ran the Division II best in the 1,000 meters at the UW Indoor Preview in 2:21.38.

Ribich was named the GNAC Championships Male Athlete of the Meet after he won both the mile and the 3,000 meters. He is entered in this weekend's NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in the 3,000 meters and as part of the Wolves' defending champion distance medley relay.

Cai scored 28 points for the co-champions Falcons at the GNAC Championships. She defended her conference title in the pentathlon with a score of 3,610 points. She also went on to win the pole vault and place second in the high jump with all of those events taking place on the same day. Cai will compete at the national meet in the pentathlon, where she has the fifth highest point total entering the meet (3,709) and the pole vault, where she has a best of 12 feet, 4.75 inches.