Schedule Roster Quick Facts Men's Cross Country Home PageNEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Kwame Jackson will have a chance to run into the record book during the 2014 cross country season.
Jackson, a senior from Kingwood, Texas, will attempt to become the first runner, male or female, to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference individual championship three times. He finished first in the conference as a freshman in 2011 and again last season.
"Kwame has put in a lot of good miles for our program. He's worked hard in the classroom and has been successful there, too," 10th-year XU coach Joseph Moses said. "It would be great to see him get that third title. There's no doubt that he's capable of winning again. It would be a tremendous accomplishment for him and for Xavier. If Kwame is healthy on race day, he should be the favorite."
The Gold Rush also figure to be favored. XU's men will enter the season with active streaks of eight consecutive GCAC team championships, five consecutive GCAC individual champions and five straight 1-2-3 individual finishes at the GCAC meet.
Jackson, a two-time All-Louisiana selection, also will take aim at former teammate Matt Pieri's GCAC record of 13 Runner of the Week awards. Jackson has won nine times, including a GCAC-record-tying five times in 2013.
Four lettermen return from last season. The others are junior Brent Kitto, sophomore Christopher August and senior Emmanuel Detiege. Kitto and August finished 3-4 in the GCAC in 2013 in their debut seasons at Xavier, and Detiege has a pair of eighth-place finishes in the league.
Kitto produced four top-10 finishes last year and was Xavier's second-fastest finisher in the first four meets. August placed in the top 16 in 4-of-5 meets and beat 70 percent of the runners he faced.
"The top of our lineup is solid," Moses said. "We'll have a good chance to finish 1-2-3 in conference again."
The GCAC team champion will qualify automatically for the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 22 at Lawrence, Kan. Xavier's team reached nationals four of the past six seasons and sent an individual to that race last year. The GCAC meet will be Oct. 18 at City Park in New Orleans, and Xavier will be the host school.
Xavier will compete five times before the conference meet and begin the season Aug. 29 at City Park in the Xavier Big Easy Opener.
Ed Cassiere, Sports
Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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