All-Academic Individuals & Scholar Athletes of the Year – NCAA DII Men’s Track & Field

NEW ORLEANS – Rami Gharsalli of Northwood University, Corey Reid of Azusa Pacific, David Ribich of Western Oregon and Florian Obst of Texas A&M-Commerce were named the Male Scholar Athletes of the Year in NCAA Division II Track & Field on Friday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Combining their accomplishments in the classroom and in competition during the recently completed academic year, these four men were the most exceptional among a group of 301 men who earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.

Scholar Athletes of the Year were selected as the highest finishing performers at the NCAA Division II Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships who achieved All-Academic status. Those who won individual championship titles ranked higher in the tie-breaking process and cumulative GPA is weighed as the final advantage.

Separate awards are given to track athletes and field athletes for the indoor and outdoor seasons, hence the four categories.

Gharsalli, a sophomore majoring in Business Administration, maintained a 3.75 GPA and was named the Male Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year. The native of Sousse, Tunsia, finished runner-up in the 60 hurdles at the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. Gharsalli is the first male athlete from Northwood (Mich.) to receive this honor.

Reid, a sophomore majoring in Computer Science earned a 3.717 GPA and was named the Male Indoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. The native of Carson City, Nevada, finished runner-up in the heptathlon at the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships after putting up a combined score of 5382 points. Reid is the first male athlete from Azusa Pacific to bring this honor home.

Ribich, a junior majoring in Communications, earned a 3.41 GPA and was named the Male Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year. The native of Enterprise, Oregon, won the 1500 at the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Ribich is the first male athlete in program history to earn this honor.

Obst, who is getting a Master’s in Business Administration, earned a 3.87 GPA and was named the Male Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. The native of Emmering, Germany, won the decathlon title at the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a score of 7576 points. He is the first male athlete from Texas A&M-Commerce to earn this honor.

All-Academic Individuals

Including the Scholar Athletes of the Year, a total of 301 men earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors during the 2016-17 track & field seasons.

To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have reached a provisional or automatic qualifying standard for the NCAA Championships in either the indoor or outdoor seasons.

Tiffin had the most individuals honored with 13.

There were 12 men who earned cumulative GPAs of 4.0 or better.