Sunday, October 23, 2016

XULA continues title streaks, qualifies for nationals


JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Xavier University of Louisiana, led by individual winnersChristopher August and Taylor Price, repeated as men's and women's team champions Saturday in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships.
     
Both XULA teams stretched their streaks of winning GCAC titles to 10 consecutive seasons apiece. XULA tied the GCAC men's record for consecutive titles set by Mobile from 1990-99. The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets qualified automatically for the NAIA National Championships Nov. 19 at Elsah, Ill.
     
August, a senior from Spring, Texas, and a graduate of Klein Collins High School, ran 8,000 meters in a season-best 28 minutes, 32.23 seconds. Although August won by 45 seconds, the Gold Rush won the men's title by a point, 35-36, over host school Edward Waters. XULA's No. 5 runner, Ammiel Williams, locked up an outright team title by finishing 16th and 2.89 seconds ahead of Darrell Martin of Edward Waters. Had Martin caught Williams at the finish, the Gold Rush and Tigers would have shared the title.
     
Price, a freshman from Missouri City, Texas, and a graduate of Ridge Point High School, ran the women's 5K in 20:07.89 and was nearly 35 seconds faster than the runner-up, teammate Maliya Vaughan. The Gold Nuggets had the first four finishers and cruised to the team title with 21 points. Edward Waters was second with 54 points.
     
The top 10 men's and women's finishers were named All-GCAC. Joining August on the men's all-conference team were teammates Clydarius EverettOji Wells and Darrick Williams. In addition to Price and Vaughan, the women's all-conference team included XULA's Brianna Pace and Dionysia Love of XULA.
     
XULA won the men's individual title for the seventh consecutive season. August earned his fourth all-conference award and his third in the GCAC.
     
XULA's Joseph Moses was voted women's GCAC Coach of the Year for the seventh consecutive time and the ninth time in 10 seasons.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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