XU's Jacksons, Moses receive All-Louisiana recognition

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana siblings Kwame and Zahri Jackson both received Freshman of the Year honors on the 2011 All-Louisiana collegiate cross country teams announced late Friday, and XU's Joseph Moses was chosen Coach of the Year on the women's team for the fourth time.

The Jacksons, from Kingwood, Texas, and graduates of Kingwood Park High School, also were chosen All-Louisiana.

Kwame Jackson was the first freshman in at least 13 years to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's individual championship. He posted five top-10 finishes in eight races, including three in the top five, and recorded the No. 2 four-mile time in XU history, 21 minutes, 46.1 seconds, at the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational in September.

Zahri Jackson became the first XU female freshman to win a GCAC individual championship, and her 5,000-meter time of 19:20.40 was second fastest in 11 years by a female at GCAC meet. She recorded the three fastest 5Ks in XU history and set XU records of 16:27.58 for 4K and 19:15.18 for 5K in her first two meets.



From left: Xavier's Joseph Moses is Coach of the Year on the 2011 All-Louisiana
women's cross country team. Kwame Jackson was chosen to the seven-member All-Louisiana men's team and Freshman of the Year. Kwame's sister Zahri earned the
 same honors on the women's team.
(Click photo to enlarge)

Both the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets won GCAC team championships for a sixth consecutive year and qualified for the NAIA National Championships for the third time in four seasons.

Moses guided XU's women to a 13-6-1 record against NCAA Division I opponents and a school-record 41 victories. Three of his freshmen — Zahri Jackson, Catherine Fakler and Hali Yarmush — combined for eight of the 12 fastest 5K times in Xavier history, including the three fastest. The top two 6K times were run this year.

Moses also won the state coaching award on the women's team in 2006, 2008 and 2009 and on the men's team in 2006, 2007 and 2008. He is the only Louisiana coach to win the women's award more than twice.

Zahri Jackson is the second XU female to be Louisiana Freshman of the Year. Anna D'Souza shared the award in 2008. Kwame Jackson is the fourth Gold Rush runner in 10 years to be the men's Freshman of the Year, joining Prince Mumba (2002), David Salmon (2007) and Mark Dotson (2009).

A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel selected the teams.

2011 All-Louisiana Women's Cross Country Team
Paige Callahan, freshman, Tulane
Katherine Crabtree, junior, Tulane
Zahri Jackson, freshman, Xavier
Monica Jepkemboi, junior, SUNO
Leigh-Ann Naccari, junior, LSU
Fionnuala Ross, junior, McNeese State
Amy Talbot, sophomore, McNeese State

Runner of the Year: Paige Callahan, Tulane
Newcomer of the Year: Amy Talbot, McNeese State
Freshman of the Year: Zahri Jackson, Xavier
Coach of the Year: Joseph Moses, Xavier

2011 All-Louisiana Men's Cross Country Team
Alex Bruce-Littlewood, graduate, McNeese State
Silah Chumba, junior, Louisiana-Monroe
Cullen Doody, senior, LSU
Kwame Jackson, freshman, Xavier
Joseph LeGrange, sophomore, Southeastern Louisiana
Mark Manion, freshman, Tulane
Daniel Mutai, junior, Louisiana-Monroe

Runner of the Year: Daniel Mutai, Louisiana-Monroe
Newcomer of the Year: Alex Bruce-Littlewood, McNeese State

Freshman of the Year: Kwame Jackson, Xavier

Coach of the Year: James Malone, Louisiana-Monroe

By Ed Cassiere, SID

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU's Didavi, Taylor take aim at national event for small colleges

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will take another significant step in its modern era of men's tennis when Loic Didavi and Zach Taylor compete Thursday in the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships at Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.

It's the first time that Xavier has competed in this event. Didavi will play Embry-Riddle's top-seeded Chris Freeman in the opening round of NAIA men's singles. Didavi and Taylor are seeded second in NAIA men's doubles and will play their first match against Olivet Nazarene's Sebastian Esquetini and Diego Gonsalvez.

Zach Taylor

Loic Didavi

Also competing are men's and women's regional singles and doubles winners and at-large selections from NCAA Division II and III and the junior colleges. Survivors of all the brackets will meet this weekend to determine overall champions.

"It's like a Super Bowl of small-college tennis," Xavier coach Alan Green said.

All singles players and doubles teams will play a minimum of three matches, and Green says he wouldn't be surprised if Didavi and Taylor spent all their time in the winners bracket.

"Loic has a great shot to win in singles because he's left-handed and because it's humid down here," Green said. "When left-handers hit, the ball spins in the opposite direction compared to a right-hander's hit. Right-handers have to really be careful when playing a left-hander. In doubles Loic and Zach's chemistry is not 100 percent yet, but what's making it work is that they're both talented. Both have pretty good hands around the net. The more familiar they become with each other, the more lethal they'll be."

Didavi, a junior from Cotonou, Benin, and a transfer from Auburn Montgomery, is 8-0 in singles and 5-1 in doubles through two fall tournaments. Both he and Taylor, a senior from Monroe, La., were second-team NAIA All-Americans this past season, and both had top-10 NAIA doubles rankings.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

White Out Night: Thursday fashion statement for Xavier Nuggets

Xavier will attempt to go 2-0 at home this season in a match against Judson (Ala.) at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Barn.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

NEW ORLEANS — The Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball team is looking for uniformity in its next home match.

The Gold Nuggets have proclaimed their 7 p.m. Thursday contest against Judson (Ala.) as White Out Night. Fans are encouraged to wear white shirts to The Barn.

White Xavier shirts would be perfect for the occasion," XU coach Christabell Hamilton said. "But any white shirt will work."

It will be the second appearance at The Barn this season for the Gold Nuggets, who defeated Mobile in five sets in their home opener last week.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

XU Rush to play 15 at home, exhibition at Vandy, 2 with UNO

Gold Rush Head Coach Dannton Jackson
(Photo Courtesy: Xavier University Sports Information)

NEW ORLEANS — Fifteen home games, back-to-back road exhibitions against NCAA Division I opponents and eight matchups against city schools are among the highlights of the 2011-12 Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball schedule.

Ninth-year head coach Dannton Jackson announced the schedule Friday.

Xavier, 27-6 last season and No. 17 in the final NAIA Division I coaches poll, will begin its 74th season Nov. 2 against Carver College at The Barn. It will be the 18th consecutive season that the Gold Rush open at home, and the XU men will attempt to win their opener for the 16th straight season.

XU's men will play six of their first eight regular-season games at home and another stretch Jan. 10-Feb. 1 with eight of nine at The Barn. But during that early period — immediately after the Carver game — the Gold Rush will travel to play NCAA D-I opponents Western Kentucky on Nov. 5 and Vanderbilt on Nov. 7. It will be the third straight season that Xavier visits the Hilltoppers and the first time that the Rush meet an SEC team in an exhibition.

The schedule contains the annual Gulf Coast Athletic Conference home-and-away matchups with city rivals SUNO and Dillard — Dillard will visit Xavier on Jan. 28 for the Crosstown Classic, part of Rush/Nuggets Alumni Weekend — and there will be two games apiece against Loyola and the University of New Orleans.

UNO, still classified as Division I but transitioning to NCAA Division II, will play host to the Gold Rush on Jan. 4 and visit The Barn on Feb. 1. It will be the first time that XU and UNO meet in the regular season since Feb. 11, 1976, and it will be the Privateers' second visit to The Barn — the first was on Feb. 15, 1974.

Loyola will visit Xavier on Nov. 29 and play host to the Gold Rush on Dec. 17.

For the second straight season there will be consecutive games against longtime rival Wiley, starting with a Nov. 19 matchup during Xavier's homecoming. The Rush also will play home-and-away non-conference series with Mobile, St. Thomas (Fla.) and William Carey. Xavier will play twice in south Florida between Christmas and New Year's Day for the third straight season.

The GCAC schedule will include Xavier's first-ever league matchups with Edward Waters and Fisk, which joined the league in 2010, and with Philander Smith, which joined in July. Talladega, the other GCAC school to join in July, returns after a three-year stint from 1999-2002. The conference will employ its traditional double round-robin scheduling after an unbalanced league schedule last season. Edward Waters and Jacksonville, Fla., will play host to the GCAC Tournament for the second straight year.

The GCAC will crown a regular-season and tournament champion, and the latter will receive an automatic bid to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship at Kansas City, Mo. Xavier qualified for nationals last season as an at-large selection and reached the tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons.

2011-12 Xavier University Men's Basketball Schedule Click here for an alternative link to the basketball schedule Nov. 2 (Wed.):  CARVER, 7 p.m. Nov. 5 (Sat.):  at Western Kentucky, 7:30 p.m. (exhibition) Nov. 7 (Mon.):  at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. (exhibition) Nov. 11 (Fri.):  ST. THOMAS (FLA.), 7 p.m. Nov. 14 (Mon.):  at Mobile, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 (Sat.):  WILEY (DH), 2 p.m. (Homecoming) Nov. 26 (Sat.):  at Wiley, 2 p.m. Nov. 29 (Tue.):  LOYOLA (DH), 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 (Sat.):  CONCORDIA (ALA.) (DH), 4 p.m. Dec. 6 (Tue.):  MOBILE, 7 p.m. Dec. 13 (Tue.):  at William Carey, 7 p.m. Dec. 17 (Sat.):  at Loyola (DH), 4 p.m. Dec. 28 (Wed.):  Florida Memorial, 5 p.m. EST (St. Thomas Classic) Dec. 29 (Thu.):  at St. Thomas (Fla.), 7 p.m. EST (St. Thomas Classic) Jan. 4 (Wed.):  at New Orleans, 7 p.m. Jan. 7 (Sat.):  • at Philander Smith, noon Jan. 10 (Tue.):  • SUNO (DH), 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 (Fri.):  • EDWARD WATERS (DH), 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 (Sat.):  • FISK (DH), 7 p.m. Jan. 16 (Mon.):  • PHILANDER SMITH (DH), 7 p.m. Jan. 21 (Sat.):  • TALLADEGA (DH), 7 p.m. Jan. 23 (Mon.):  • at Tougaloo, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 (Sat.):  • DILLARD (DH), 7 p.m. (Crosstown Classic and Rush/Nuggets Alumni Weekend) Jan. 30 (Mon.):  WILLIAM CAREY, 7 p.m. Feb. 1 (Wed.):  NEW ORLEANS, 7 p.m. Feb. 6 (Mon.):  • at SUNO, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 (Sat.):  • at Talladega, 7 p.m. Feb. 13 (Mon.):  • TOUGALOO, 7:30 p.m. (Senior Night) Feb. 18 (Sat.):  • at Edward Waters, 4 p.m. EST Feb. 20 (Mon.):  • at Fisk, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 (Sat.):  • at Dillard, 7 p.m. (Allstate Sugar Bowl Bleu Devil Classic) March 1-3 (Thu.-Sat):  GCAC Tournament, Jacksonville, Fla. March 14-20 (Wed.-Tue.):  Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship, Kansas City, Mo. Home games in (in bold and CAPITAL LETTERS) are played at The Barn (capacity 1,300), Xavier University campus, New Orleans • Gulf Coast Athletic Conference game DH — doubleheader with Xavier's women TBA — To be announced All times are Central except where noted Call (504) 520-7329 for ticket information

Ed Cassiere

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Super Elite Summer League tips off for the third time

NEW ORLEANS — The third annual Super Elite Summer League, a boys high school basketball event, tipped off Wednesday at The Barn, Xavier University of Louisiana's gymnasium.

Xavier and O. Perry Walker High School co-sponsor the league, which includes teams from Brother Martin, Catholic (Baton Rouge), Ellender, Jesuit, Karr, McDonogh 35, O. Perry Walker, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Scotlandville and Riverside.

"I am excited to have some of the best teams in the area back at Xavier this summer," XU men's coach Dannton Jackson said. "Approximately 150 young men will participate, and I look forward to evaluating the local talent. This event once again will benefit local basketball, the community and Xavier."

Games will be played on six consecutive Wednesdays, with the finale July 6.



Schedule (PDF file)

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS