Saturday, September 15, 2012

Xavier Gold Nuggets receive most points in NAIA poll since 2008

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, a 21-point victor in its season opener, received four points Wednesday in the NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 poll. The Gold Nuggets are tied for 37th place with four points, and it's their most points and highest ranking since the 2008 preseason.

The poll is the first since the preseason rankings Aug. 22 and the second of 10 this season.

The XU women earned their first victory in an opener since 2006 by defeating eight opponents Saturday in the Loyola Wolf Pack Invitational at Metairie, La. Sophomores Zahri Jackson and Catherine Fakler finished 2-4 in the field of 66 runners, and freshman Briana Simms placed ninth. Xavier scored 33 points, followed by Mississippi College with 54.

This is the first time since 2003 that the Nuggets received votes in consecutive seasons. A year ago they received one point in four consecutive polls Oct. 12-Nov. 6. No Xavier cross country team, female or male, has reached the top 25.

Three-time defending champion Cal State San Marcos retained its No. 1 ranking. Five teams, led by No. 10 Concordia (Calif.), made their first appearance this season in the top 25.

Xavier's next meet will be the Azalea City Classic at Brookley Gulf Pines Golf Course in Mobile, Ala., on Saturday morning. The men's 8,000-meter race will start at 7:30, and the women's 6K will begin at 8:05. Scheduled to compete are the women of UAB, Delta State and Jackson State and the men and women of Alabama State, Auburn, Auburn Montgomery, Millsaps, Mobile, Southeastern Louisiana, South Alabama, Spring Hill, Tougaloo, Troy, Tulane, West Florida and William Carey. South Alabama, the host, won the men's and women's team championships in 2011.



NAIA Women's Cross Country
Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)

RankTeamPointsLast
1Cal State San Marcos (21)5911
2British Columbia5722
3Olivet Nazarene5493
4College of Idaho5304
5-tieCarroll (Mont.)5056
5-tieBiola5057
7Northwest Christian4715
8Lewis-Clark State4368
9Concordia (Neb.)42710
10Concordia (Calif.)399RV
11Milligan38511
12Southern Oregon36713
13Westmont3529
14Aquinas34717
15Dordt32515
16The Master's29212
17Cornerstone26920
18St. Francis (Ill.)267RV
19Embry-Riddle (Fla.)26416
20Rocky Mountain26221
21Huntington (Ind.)25523
22Taylor210RV
23Illinois Tech123RV
24Cumberlands113RV
25Indiana Wesleyan10618

Others receiving votes: Northwest 103; Oklahoma Baptist 96, Doane 81, Saint Xavier 78, Spring Arbor 43, Central Methodist 34, Shawnee State 29, Trinity Christian 23, Eastern Oregon 10, SCAD Savannah 10, Mount Mercy 5, Xavier 4, Lee (Tenn.) 4, Baker (Kan.) 3.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

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