XU's Pieri, Mead are Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes

MATT PIERI

JAVON MEAD

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's cross country standouts Matt Pieri and Javon Mead have been named 2012 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes, the NAIA announced Friday.

The XU runners are among 203 men to receive that honor this season. It's the second consecutive year that Pieri has received it, and it's Mead's first time.

Student-athletes are nominated by their institution's head coach, must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved junior academic status to qualify for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

Pieri is a senior from New Orleans and a graduate of Brother Martin High School. The pharmacy major is a two-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference individual champion (2010, 2012) and the GCAC career record-holder with 13 runner of the week awards. Mead, a junior from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, is an accounting major and a three-time All-GCAC runner. He finished fifth Oct. 20 at the GCAC Championships.

Both Xavier teams will compete Saturday in the season-ending NAIA National Championships at Vancouver, Wash. The 5,000-meter women's race will begin at 10:30 a.m. PST (12:30 p.m. New Orleans time), followed by the men's 8,000-meter race at 11:45 a.m. PST. This will be Pieri's third appearance at nationals and Mead's second.


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

READ RELATED ARTICLES
11/19/2012: Live stats/William Carey at XU men's basketball, 7:30 p.m.

11/19/2012: Live stats/LSUS at XU women's basketball, 5:30 p.m.

Gold Rush are 6-0 after overtime victory against Wiley

Georgetown eliminates Nuggets in NAIA opening round

 Griffins give Gold Nuggets a rare home defeat

 Fakler leads Xavier at NAIA National Championships

It'll be a busy Saturday for 5 XU teams, 3 in postseason