Nuggets achieve highest-ever national team ranking

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women have achieved their highest position ever — 12th — in the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
     
The Gold Nuggets' previous high was 14th twice in 2014, the first year of the rankings.
     
Rankings are based only on performances during the 2018 outdoor season and the number of athletes a school has near the top of the descending order list in the various events and how highly they are ranked.
     
XULA's top-10 national event rankings are:

     •  The 400-meter relay team of Martina Latting, Alexis Milton, Justyce Riggs and Ry-Anne Riley, second in 46.66 seconds.
     •  The 1,600 relay team of Janelle Jones, Ariane Williams, Riley and Kayla Quincy, sixth in 3:55.26.
     •  The 3,200 relay team of Brianna Pace, Maliya Vaughan, Taylor Price and Clarke Allen, sixth in 10:05.15.
     •  Riggs (12.05) and Latting (12.11), 8-10 in the 100.
     •  Williams, 10th in the 400 in 57.26.
     •  Alysia Terry, 10th in the triple jump in 11.59 meters/38 feet, one-quarter inch.
     
The USTFCCCA ranks 134 men's teams and 129 women's teams this week. Among Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's teams, SUNO is 35th, Edward Waters is 57th, and Dillard is 118th. Among GCAC men's teams, Edward Waters is 20th, SUNO is 51th, XULA is 56th, and Dillard is 71st. Neither Philander Smith team is ranked.
     
Next for XULA will be the Southeastern Strawberry Relays April 14 at Hammond, La., then the GCAC Championships April 20-21 at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans.

NAIA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Team Rankings
1. Indiana Tech
2. Wiley
3. Friends
4. Wayland Baptist
5. British Columbia
6. Hastings
7. Doane
8. Concordia (Neb.)
9. USC Beaufort
10. Southern Oregon
11. Westmont
12. XULA
13. MidAmerica Nazarene
14. College of Idaho
15. Shawnee State
16. Olivet Nazarene
17. Cornerstone
18. SCAD Savannah
19. SCAD Atlanta
20. Lewis-Clark State
21. Columbia (Mo.)
22. Benedictine (Kan.)
23. McPherson
24. Point Park
25. Corban

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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