XU's Pieri equals GCAC mark with his 8th weekly award

Gold Rush Matt Pieri

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Matt Pieri equaled a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference mark Monday when he was selected GCAC Runner of the Week in men's cross country for the eighth time in his career.

Pieri is a junior from New Orleans, a graduate of Brother Martin High School and the defending GCAC individual champion. He matched the mark of Kate Imwalle, who won eight women's awards for former member Spring Hill from 2008-09.

The GCAC instituted its cross country awards in 2008. Pieri won it once in 2009, five times in 2010 and twice this season.

Pieri ran 8,000 meters in 29 minutes, 18.5 seconds to finish 29th out of 97 runners Saturday in the LSU Invitational at Baton Rouge, La. He led the Gold Rush to seventh place out of 13 colleges and eighth place out of 14 teams overall. Xavier finished ahead of three NCAA Division I schools.

The XU men are 4-for-4 this season in winning the GCAC award — freshman Kwame Jackson earned the other two — and have won 11 consecutive times dating to 2009.

Xavier's men and women will compete Saturday morning in the Gulf Coast Stampede at Pensacola, Fla.

Most GCAC Runner of the Week Awards in a Career
Men 8 — Matt Pieri, Xavier (2009-11) * 5 — Mark Dotson, Xavier (2009) 4 — Ray Walston, Xavier (2008-2010) * 3 — Patrick Aucoin, Spring Hill (2008) 2 — Kwame Jackson, Xavier (2011) * 1 — Kieran Harper, Loyola (2009) 1 — Will Kirkikis, Spring Hill (2009) 1 — Michael Sinkey, Mobile (2008)	Women 8 — Kate Imwalle, Spring Hill (2008-09) 5 — Ebony Harding, Xavier (2008-09) 3 — Zahri Jackson, Xavier (2011) * 3 — Sherri McIntosh, Mobile (2008) 2 — Monicah Jepkemboi, SUNO (2009-10) * 1 — Anna D'Souza, Xavier (2010) * 1 — Yazmin Ramirez, Xavier (2010) 1 — Hannah Reese, Belhaven (2009)
* active GCAC runner

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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