Track & Field | 5/25/2018 1:08:00 PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Behind seven All-American performances, including a repeat national title by senior David Ribich, Western Oregon University track & field men's and women's teams both landed in the top 15 while competing at the NCAA DII National Championships on Saturday.

Tying for 13th place in the team standings, the WOU men scored 18 points as Ribich and teammate Dustin Nading went 1-2 in the 1,500-meter run. The WOU women's team scored 15 points across five events to tie for 14th overall.  The Wolves were one of five programs to place both teams inside the top 15 at the NCAA DII National Championships. The WOU men finished with the top standing nationally among GNAC schools while the women were one of three GNAC squads to place in the top 15 along with Alaska Anchorage (T-8th) and Concordia (T-11th).

In the 1,500, Ribich and Nading grabbed the lead from the gun to form an impenetrable wall on the inside. The duo ran stride for stride with Nading taking frontrunner duties for the first half of the race. Approaching the final lap, the two switched positions with Ribich, the reigning national champion and NCAA DII all-time leader in the event, surging to the front. With 300 meters to go, Nading was briefly challenged by MSU Moorhead's Josh Young but held his ground.  

In command over the final lap, Ribich successfully defended his national title with a 3:45.34. Nading faced a slew of opposition in the final stretch but held off Adams State's Elias Gedyon for silver by .02--3:45.57 to 3:45.59. 

Ranked ninth nationally entering the weekend, Suzanne Van De Grift outperformed her seeding by several positions with a fourth-place finish in the women's 1,500. In eighth place after the first lap, Van De Grift moved up two spots by the halfway point in the race, but found herself sandwiched in the middle of the chase pack with 700 meters to go. Turning in the third fastest bell lap in the field, Van De Grift continued her surge over the final 400 to pick off yet another runner and cross the line with a school record time of 4:23.87. The race capped a season where Van De Gift lowered her career best in the event by more than eight seconds as she entered the year ranked No. 4 all-time in school history with a 4:31.95.

Van De Grift joined teammates  Grayson Burke, Megan Rose and Olivia Woods in an eighth-place finish in the 1,600-meter relay for another All-American honor. The foursome clocked a 3:44.58 after advancing to finals with a school record 3:41.80. The Wolves were ranked 14th out of 14 teams to start the meet. Like Van De Grift, Woods added an individual All-American honor to her work on the relay with a seventh-place finish in the open 800. 

Freshman Darian Wilson provided the lone team points in the field events with a seventh-place finish in the javelin. Wilson tossed a series-best 147-9 (45.04m) on her sixth and final throw to move up one position in the standings. Wilson qualified for finals in the javelin with a 145-2 (44.24m) on her second attempt of the day. Fellow Wolf Halie Korff placed 18th overall in the javelin with a 134-10 (41.10m).

All-Americans
1. David Ribich, 1,500
2. Dustin Nading, 1,500
4. Suzanne Van De Grift, 1,500
4. Kennedy Rufener, 10,000
7. Olivia Woods, 800
7. Darian Wilson, Javelin
8. 1,600 Relay (G. Burke, M. Rose, S. Van De Grift, O. Woods)

WOU School Records
800: Olivia Woods, 2:05.91
1,500: Suzanne Van De Grift, 4:23.87. 
10,000: Kennedy Rufener, 35:05.91
1,600 Relay, 3:41.80 (Prelims: Grayson Burke, Megan Rose, Suzanne Van De Grift, Olivia Woods).

NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Johnson C. Smith University
Irwin Belk Complex
Charlotte, N.C.

MEN'S TEAM SCORES: 1. TAMU-Kingsville, 65; 2. Ashland, 51; 3. Tiffin, 50; 4. St. Augustine's, 42; 5. Grand Valley State, 39; 6. TAMU-Commerce, 37; 7. Academy of Art, 34; 8. Pittsburg State, 31.5; 9. Angelo State, 26; 10. Chico State, 23; 11. Colorado Mines, 23; 12. CSU-Pueblo, 19; T13. Adams State, 18; T13. Western Oregon, 18; 15. West Texas A&M, 16; T40. Western Washington, 5; T44. Simon Fraser, 4; T44. MSU Billings, 4; T61. Saint Martin's 2.  

WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES: 1. Lincoln Memorial, 60; 2. St. Augustine's, 48.5; 3. Angelo State, 42.5; 4. Grand Valley State, 40.5; 5. Adams State, 39; 6. West Texas A&M, 31; 7. New Mexico Highlands, 26; T8. Alaska Anchorage, 25; T8. Western State, 25; 10. San Francisco State, 21; T11. Missouri Southern, 17; T11. Concordia, 17; 13. Pittsburg State, 15.75; T14. Fort Hays State, 15; T14. Western Oregon, 15; T5. Simon Fraser, 9; T40. Northwest Nazarene, 6; T50. Central Washington, 4; T50. Seattle Pacific, 4; T55. Western Washington, 3.  

WOU Men's Results
1,500 (Finals): 1. David Ribich, 3:45.34; 2. Dustin Nading, 3:45.57. 1,500 (Heat 1): 1. Dustin Nading. 3:51.65. 1,500 (Heat 2): 2. David Ribich, 3:51.01. Long Jump: 16. Alani Troutman, 23-8 3/4 (7.23m)

WOU Women's Results
800 (Finals): 7. Olivia Woods, 2:09.22. 800 (Heat 2): 2. Olivia Woods, 2:05.91. 800 (Heat 3): 3. Megan Rose, 2:08.08. 1,500 (Finals): 4. Suzanne Van De Grift, 4:23.87. 1,500 (Heat 1): 3. Suzanne Van De Grift, 4:30.03. 10,000: 4. Kennedy Rufener, 35:05.91. Javelin: 7. Darian Wilson, 147-9 (45.04m); 18. Halie Korff, 134-10 (41.10m). 1,600 Relay (Finals): 8. Western Oregon, 3:44.58. 1,600 Relay (Heat 1): 3. Western Oregon, 3:41.80 (G. Burke, M. Rose, S. Van De Grift, O. Woods).