Four XU runners in top 10 at Mississippi College Opener

 Matt Pieri 

CLINTON, Miss. -- Xavier University of Louisiana got top-10 finishes from Matt Pieri and Kwame Jackson in the men's race and Zahri Jackson and Catherine Fakler in the women's race Thursday at the Mississippi College Opener cross country meet.

Zahri Jackson and Fakler, in their collegiate debut, became the first XU females to run 4,000 meters in less than 17 minutes.

Yazmin Ramirez set the previous 4K mark of 17 minutes in 2010.

Xavier edged Loyola by two points for third place out of 11 men's teams.
The Jacksons are freshman siblings.

Pieri, in his 12th top-10 finish for the Gold Rush, ran 5,000 meters in a career-best 16:55.71 to place eighth. Kwame Jackson was ninth in 16:56.61.

Grambling's Darwin Price won the men's race in 15:48.61, but West Florida had the next four finishers and won the team title with 21 points, 72 fewer than runner-up Mississippi College. Xavier scored 114 points and finished ahead of four teams from the NCAA Division I Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Results:  Men    Women  

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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