 Taylor Reuther |  Kwame Jackson |  Zahri Jackson |
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana sophomores Taylor Reuther, Zahri Jackson and Kwame Jackson won Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards for Sept. 3-9. Reuther did it in volleyball, and the Jacksons earned theirs in cross country.
It's the sixth GCAC award in a career for Zahri Jackson and the fourth award for Reuther. Both are XU records in those sports. Kwame Jackson, Zahri's brother, has four awards.
Reuther, an outside hitter from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans, produced three kill-dig double-doubles in four matches to lead Xavier to a 4-0 record and the championship of the Belhaven Tournament at Jackson, Miss. It's the Gold Nuggets' first regular-season tournament title. Reuther served all nine of her aces in the third set against Rust, with eight of them coming consecutively. Those nine aces are the most in a match by an XU player since the school resumed intercollegiate volleyball in 2010. Against Belhaven in the championship match, Reuther had a career-high 21 kills and became the first XU player since the program resumed with a 20-20 kill-dig match.
Both Jacksons are from Kingwood, Texas, and graduates of Kingwood Park High School. This is the fourth time they've won GCAC awards in the same week.
Zahri Jackson ran 5,000 meters in 20 minutes, 8.05 seconds to finish second out of 66 runners in the season-opening Loyola Wolf Pack Invitational. She set an XU women's record for the fastest 5K by a sophomore, and she posted the highest finish of the past 12 seasons by an XU female in a season opener. Zahri led Xavier to its first team championship in an opener since 2006. The Gold Nuggets placed first out of nine schools. It was Jackson's sixth top-10 finish in nine collegiate meets and her fifth time in the top five.
Kwame Jackson ran his 5K in 16:36.72 to finish second out of 72 runners at the Loyola meet. His finish was the highest of the past 12 seasons by an XU male in an opener. It was his sixth top-10 finish in nine collegiate meets and his fourth time in the top five. The Gold Rush placed third out of nine schools.
Both XU cross country teams will compete Saturday morning in the Azalea City Classic at Mobile, Ala. Starting times will be 7:30 for the men's race and 8:05 for the women's. The next XU volleyball match will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Mobile at The Barn.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
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