XU Rush, Nuggets work quickly at Gulf Coast Stampede

Gold Nuggets Zahri Jackson

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Freshman Zahri Jackson ran 5,000 meters in 19 minutes, 19.7 seconds Saturday to lead a slew of Xavier University of Louisiana cross country runners with notable times in the Gulf Coast Stampede.

Jackson, who finished 18th out of 122 runners, ran the second-fastest 5K in XU women's history. She set the school record of 19:15.18 three weeks earlier.

Freshman Catherine Fakler was 24th in a career-best 19:43.8, the fifth-fastest time in XU history. Another freshman, Hali Yarmush, was 31st in 20:03.6, No. 9 on the Gold Nuggets' all-time list. And senior Anna D'Souza, a three-time All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference performer, was 42nd in 20:31, her best time as a collegian.

Prior to this season only one XU female, Ebony Harding, had covered a 5K in less than 20 minutes. She did it four times. Jackson and Fakler have done it twice each this season.

Gold Rush Matt Pieri

In the 8K men's race, junior and defending GCAC champion Matt Pieri placed 21st out of 98 runners in 26:51.1. It was the fastest 8K by a Gold Rush runner since Farris Gransberry set the school record of 25:54 at the 1998 GCAC meet.

Kwame Jackson was 27th in a career-best 27:27.1 and was seventh out of 34 freshmen.

The Gold Nuggets scored 153 points to finish sixth out of 16 schools and improve to 32-14-1 through five meets. They were 22-27 a year ago. The XU women finished ahead of city rival Loyola by 71 points after losing to the Wolfpack in the first two meets this season.

The Gold Rush were fifth out of 13 teams and are 29-16 after finishing 18-22 in 2010.

Individual champions were Stephanie Ledgerwood (17:54) of Southern Miss in the women's race and Harding's Philip Biwott (25:20.1) in the men's. Harding won both team titles, scoring 49 points in the women's division and 20 in the men's.

Xavier's next event will be the University of Dallas Invitational in Irving, Texas, next Saturday. It will be the final race for the Rush and Nuggets before the GCAC Championships on Oct. 22 at Clinton, Miss.

Results:  Men    Women

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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