 Matt Pieri |  Javon Mead |
NEW ORLEANS — Matt Pieri and Javon Mead are the first from Xavier University of Louisiana to be chosen Capital One Academic All-America® twice. Both were named Monday (June 24) to the college division men's track and field/cross country team, and they're in the same positions as a year ago — Pieri on the second team, Mead on the third.
Pieri and Mead are among five from Xavier selected in 2012-13, including second-teamers Catherine Fakler and Devinn Rolland in women's track and field/cross country.
The College Sports Information Directors of America has sponsored the Academic All-America program since 1952. The college division consists of NAIA, National Junior College Athletic Association and Canadian members.
XU is one of 10 schools with two or more males honored. Forty-five student-athletes were selected.
"To make Academic All-America two years in a row speaks highly of Matt, Javon and Xavier University," XU coach Joseph Moses said. "Matt and Javon have worked very hard in the sport and in the classroom to reach this position. They're both deserving of this honor again. I am proud of them."
Pieri, from New Orleans and a graduate of Brother Martin High School, is a pharmacy major at XU with a 3.62 grade-point average. He was All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference four times in cross country and was the league individual champion in 2012 and 2010. He was a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete twice. Xavier won the GCAC men's cross country team title in each of his four seasons and qualified for three NAIA National Championships. His time of 26 minutes, 39.71 seconds at the 2012 Azalea City Classic was XU's fastest for 8,000 meters since 1998.
Pieri finished his XU cross country career with a GCAC men's-record 13 Runner of the Week awards, three in 2012. He had 17 career top-10 finishes, four as a senior, and never finished lower than fourth at the GCAC meet.
Mead, from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, is an accounting major with a 3.69 GPA. Mead is a three-time All-GCAC runner in cross country, finishing fifth at the league meet in 2012 and 2011 and third in 2010, and has helped the Gold Rush win three GCAC team championships and qualify for two NAIA National Championships. Mead in April was named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar for the second consecutive year, and in November he was named a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Mead has five career top-10 finishes and three top-5s. His best 8K time is 28:37.3. He was part of a student team which wrote the XU business school's code of conduct.
Academic All-Americans are starters or important reserves with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They also must have completed at least one full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility. Pieri and Mead were announced May 30 as Academic All-District 4, which automatically advanced them for national consideration.
Graduate student Monte Larsen of Morningside was a repeat selection as College Division All-America of the Year.
Xavier is one of three schools this year — the others are Doane and Embry-Riddle (Fla.) — with at least two men and two women named Academic All-America in track/cross country.
Xavier is a seven-time defending GCAC team champion in men's and women's cross country. Both squads qualified for the NAIA National Championships four of the past five seasons, including 2012. The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will begin the 2013 cross country season in late August or early September.
| 2012-13 Capital One Academic
All-America Men's Track and Field/Cross Country | ||||
| College Division First Team | ||||
| Name | School | Yr. | Hometown | GPA and Major |
| Cordell Baker | Oklahoma Baptist | Sr. | Sapulpa, Okla. | 3.95 Biology |
| Austin Basterrechea | College of Idaho | Jr. | Gooding, Idaho | 3.77 Biology |
| Andy Coy | Dakota State | Sr. | Hill City, S.D. | 3.97 Biology |
| John Darmody | Saint Ambrose | Gr. | Everett, Wash. | 3.86 Master of Organizational Leadership |
| Luke Fischer | Northwest (Wash.) | Gr. | Kalispell, Mont. | 3.75 Business Administration |
| John Harris | Morningside | Sr. | Holstein, Iowa | 4.00 Engineering Physics, Mathematics |
| Brad Higgins | Doane | Sr. | Norfolk, Neb. | 3.67 Math, Physics |
| Benjamin Hinckfoot | Concordia (Neb.) | Jr. | Colorado Springs, Colo. | 3.91 Secondary Education / History and ESL |
| Bo Johnson | Concordia (Ore.) | Sr. | Toledo, Ore. | 3.82 Exercise and Sports Science |
| Luke Keogh | St. Gregory's | Sr. | Dublin, Ireland | 3.97 Criminal Justice |
| Vincent Krejci | Doane | Sr. | Crete, Neb. | 3.70 Biochemistry |
| Monte Larsen | Morningside | Gr. | Neola, Iowa | 4.00 Master of Arts in Teaching |
| Kyle Marshall | Arizona Christian | Jr. | Phoenix, Ariz. | 4.00 Secondary Education, Social Studies |
| Andy Reidsma | Trinity Christian | Jr. | Wyoming, Mich. | 3.90 Business Management and Marketing |
| Phil Rizzo | St. Francis (Ill.) | Sr. | Evergreen Park, Ill. | 3.88 History, Political Science |
| College Division Second Team | ||||
| Name | School | Yr. | Hometown | GPA and Major |
| Frank Adelman | Southwestern (Kan.) | Sr. | Yukon, Okla. | 3.41 Psychology, Biology |
| Michael Bellamy | Northwest Christian | Sr. | Eugene, Ore. | 4.00 Exercise Science |
| Mike Blaszczyk | St. Francis (Ill.) | Jr. | Novi, Mich. | 3.71 Marketing |
| Tim Boes | Madonna | Sr. | Westland, Mich. | 3.83 Social Work |
| Mitchell Brickson | Goshen | So. | Enon, Ohio | 3.94 Physics |
| Aaron Caldwell | Baker | Sr. | Overland Park, Kan. | 3.74 Exercise Science |
| Conner Carpenter | Wayland Baptist | So. | Farwell, Texas | 3.96 Religion |
| Doug Dawson | Siena Heights | Sr. | Roseville, Mich. | 3.70 Criminal Justice |
| Conner Drendel | Southwestern (Kan.) | Sr. | Haviland, Kan. | 3.98 Elementary Education |
| Garret Ehlers | Morningside | Jr. | Ida Grove, Iowa | 3.61 Religious Studies |
| Matt Huseman | Northwestern (Iowa) | Jr. | Sac City, Iowa | 3.41 Elementary Education |
| Tyler Norby | Saint Ambrose | Gr. | Dubuque, Iowa | 3.94 Master of Accounting |
| Casey Orndorff | West Virginia Tech | Sr. | High View, W. Va. | 4.00 Mathematics |
| Matt Pieri | Xavier | Sr. | New Orleans, La. | 3.62 Pharmacy |
| Brooks Swigart | Arizona Christian | Sr. | Phoenix, Ariz. | 3.82 Elementary Education, English |
| College Division Third Team | ||||
| Name | School | Yr. | Hometown | GPA and Major |
| Danny Bahret | St. Francis (Ill.) | So. | Channahon, Ill. | 3.91 Mathematics, Secondary Education |
| Aaron Belcher | Indiana Tech | Jr. | Mooresville, Ind. | 3.86 Accounting |
| Francisco Escobar | Monroe CC | So. | Cali, Colombia | 3.85 Business Management |
| James Fisher | Oliver Nazarene | Jr. | Wales, Mich. | 3.94 Geological Engineering |
| Alec Hernandez | Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | So. | North Canton, Ohio | 3.78 Aerospace Engineering |
| Zachary Kraus | Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | Jr. | New Milford, Conn. | 3.81 Aerospace Engineering |
| Colton McNinch | Southwestern (Kan.) | Jr. | Utica, Kan. | 4.00 Chemistry, Biology |
| Javon Mead | Xavier | Jr. | Baton Rouge, La. | 3.69 Accounting |
| Isaias Miranda | Lubbock Christian | Sr. | Clovis, N.M. | 3.49 Youth and Family Ministry |
| Colin Morrissey | Concordia (Neb.) | Sr. | Omaha, Neb. | 3.82 Secondary Education |
| Trent Roemmich | Jamestown | Jr. | Linton, N.D. | 3.65 Math (Education) |
| Peter Stacy | Biola | Sr. | Issaquah, Wash. | 3.70 Biochemistry |
| Zach Wittenberg | Northwestern (Iowa) | Jr. | Pella, Iowa | 3.73 Biology / Health Professions |
| Zane Zeigler | Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | So. | Pittsburgh, Pa. | 4.00 Aerospace Engineering |
| Nick Zink | William Woods | So. | Iberia, Mo. | 3.90 Biology Education |
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