XU's Kitto selected second-team Academic All-America

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Brent Kitto has been selected second-team Academic All-America in men's track and field/cross country by the College Sports Information Directors of America. CoSIDA announced the honor Tuesday for its college division: student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions.
     
Kitto, a pharmacy major from Chalmette, La., and a graduate of Holy Cross High School, will graduate from Xavier next May. He has a 3.58 GPA. He competed for Xavier the past three seasons and was All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference twice in cross country (2013 and 2014) and twice in outdoor track and field (2014 and 2015). He was the 2014 GCAC outdoor track champion in the 1,500-meter run.
     
Beginning in 2008-09, seven XU student-athletes have earned a combined 11 berths on CoSIDA Academic All-America teams. Six of those student-athletes have competed in track and field and/or cross country. CoSIDA has sponsored the Academic All-America program since 1952.
     
"I loved to run in high school and knew I wanted to pursue it in college," Kitto said. "It's been challenging to be an athlete and in pharmacy school. Succeeding is all about time management and work ethic."
     
On Monday, Kitto and approximately 140 fourth-year pharmacy classmates — the P4s — began their series of clinical rotations. The P4s will apply their acquired knowledge in seven six-week rotations. They'll practice pharmacy in groups of two or three with a College of Pharmacy faculty member in each group to assist and guide. Kitto's first rotation is at NOELA Community Health Center in New Orleans East. Kitto will have four additional clinical rotations, one rotation at a hospital and another at a retail site.
     
"It's hands-on experience," Kitto said.
     
The rotations follow a three-semester course, Disease State Management. To be ready for P4 rotations, do well in DSM.
     
"The DSM course is the most challenging one in pharmacy school because it's the summation of all the information we have learned up to that point," Kitto said. "The course requires that we combine knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the body, pathophysiology of disease states, and pharmacology of drugs in order to deliver the best possible treatment. It's also the most rewarding course because it allows us to make that connection with everything we have learned."

Xavier's All-Time List of Academic All-Americans (chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America)
Year	Name	Sport	Team
2008-09	Joe Drexler-Dreis	Men's Track and Field/Cross Country	Second Team
2011-12	Matt Pieri	Men's Track and Field/Cross Country	Second Team
2011-12	Javon Mead	Men's Track and Field/Cross Country	Third Team
2012-13	Taylor Reuther	Women's Volleyball	Third Team
2012-13	Matt Pieri	Men's Track and Field/Cross Country	Second Team
2012-13	Javon Mead	Men's Track and Field/Cross Country	Third Team
2012-13	Catherine Fakler	Women's Track and Field/Cross Country	Second Team
2012-13	Devinn Rolland	Women's Track and Field/Cross Country	Second Team
2014-15	Catherine Fakler	Women's Track and Field/Cross Country	First Team
2014-15	Devinn Rolland	Women's Track and Field/Cross Country	First Team
2015-16	Brent Kitto	Men's Track and Field/Cross Country	Second Team

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold