BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University senior Bethany Drake has been honored as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Female Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season as the 2017 GNAC track & field awards were announced Tuesday afternoon by the conference office.

Drake (Sandy, OR) concluded a remarkable collegiate career with her second national championship in the javelin at the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held May 25-27 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Her top mark at the national championships of 51.81m/170-0 was over 12 feet further than the 2nd-place finisher as she captured her second national title after also being crowned the national champion in 2014 and finishing as the runner-up in 2016. Drake was also the GNAC javelin champion during the 2017 outdoor season prior to competing at the national championships.

Drake becomes the fourth two-time recipient of the GNAC Female Athlete of the Year honor since 2002, joining Danielle Ayers-Stamper (SPU – 2003, 2005), Jessica Pixler (SPU – 2007, 2010) and Ashley Puga (NNU – 2008, 2009). She is the second WWU student-athlete to earn the honor after Sarah Porter was a co-recipient of the accolade in 2011.

In 2017, Drake’s top season mark came at the GNAC Outdoor Championships with a throw of 52.40m/171-11. She placed 1st or 2nd at each meet except for one during her senior season, including 1st-place finishes at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, Bryan Clay Invite, GNAC Outdoor Championships and NCAA Division II Championships.

A four-time outdoor national championships participant, three-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-American and two-time national champion, Drake concludes her collegiate career with a career-best mark of 54.18m/177-9 ranking as the conference record as well as No. 2 in WWU history. Among an illustrious list of accolades and honors during her collegiate career, Drake’s senior season alone has included the following honors:
• 2017 NCAA II javelin national champion
• USTFCCCA First Team All-American
• USTFCCCA All-West Region
• GNAC javelin champion
• Two-time GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
• College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 8
• GNAC All-Academic Team
• WWU Female Athlete of the Year (Co-Recipient)
• WWU Female Scholar Athlete of the Year (Co-Recipient)
• HERO Sports Division II HERO of the Year Finalist

(WWU Athletics)