By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University runner Kimber Mattox (Bend, OR/Bend HS/Cornell Univ.) has been chosen NCAA Division III West Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year for the 2011 season, as selected by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). It is the second time in three years that Mattox has received the award.

This spring, Mattox achieved NCAA qualifying times in three events. She was an automatic qualifier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 10:23.34, an automatic qualifier in the 1,500-meter run at 4:28.11 and a provisional qualifier in the 5,000-meter run at 17:10.28.

Her times in the steeplechase and the 1,500 set Willamette women's track and field records. In the steeplechase, her top time also ranked first in the nation in NCAA Division III during the regular season.

Mattox will be competing at the 2011 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28 at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.

On Friday, she is scheduled to run in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 9 p.m. (EDT)/6 p.m. (PDT). On Saturday, she is slated for the 5,000-meter run, which will start at 4:40 p.m. (EDT)/1:30 p.m. (PDT). She will not compete in the 1,500-meter run in order to focus on the steeplechase and the 5,000.

She will be competing at the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive season. She received All-America honors by placing sixth in the steeplechase in 2009 with a time of 10:41.32. She took 12th in the 5,000-meter run in 2009 and was ninth in the steeplechase in 2010.

In 2009, Mattox was named West Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year for the first time. She was an automatic qualifier for the 2009 NCAA Championships in the 5,000 (17:12.28 qualifying time) and the steeplechase (10:38.05). She was a provisional qualifier in the 1,500-meter run (4:38.25), but did not compete in that event at the 2009 NCAA Championships.

Mattox has won a total of seven Northwest Conference individual championships in track and field. She placed first in the 1,500-meter run, 5,000-meter run and steeplechase this spring.

In 2010, she won the 1,500 and the steeplechase. In 2009, she took first place in the 5,000 and the steeplechase. In addition, she earned third place in the 1,500 in 2009 and the 5,000 in 2010.

She was named NWC Women's Track Athlete of the Meet in 2009 and 2011. She earned All-NWC honors in track and field a total of nine times (in three events each in 2009, 2010 and 2011).