Xavier does it one more time in NAIA coaches polls

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana received one point in both of the NAIA Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 polls for the third straight week. But a bigger national stage awaits the Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush next month.

On Saturday the Nuggets and the Rush won Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team championships and the GCAC's automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 19 at Vancouver, Wash. It was the sixth straight year that both XU teams won the GCAC titles and the third time in four years that both qualified for nationals.

"We won't race again until nationals," seventh-year coach Joseph Moses said. "We can use the break. It'll give us enough time to rest and heal and prepare for nationals."

There will be one more poll before the national meet — it will be announced Nov. 6 — followed by a postseason poll Nov. 23.

NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses) Rank Team Points Last 1 Oklahoma Christian (21) 591 1 2 Shorter 567 2 3 The Master's 533 3 4 Southern Oregon 527 4 5 Shawnee State 513 7 6 Friends 512 5 7 Lewis-Clark State 485 6 8 Cal State San Marcos 454 8 9 Aquinas 417 12 10 Oklahoma Baptist 407 17 11 College of Idaho 393 9 12 Bryan 376 13 13 Concordia (Ore.) 353 11 14 Westmont 348 14 15 St. Francis (Ill.) 327 15 16 Southwestern (Kan.) 311 19 17 Wayland Baptist 294 10 18 Olivet Nazarene 276 18 19 Concordia (Neb.) 265 16 20 Eastern Oregon 237 20 21 Biola 216 21 22 British Columbia 175 22 23 Siena Heights 166 23 24 SCAD Savannah 151 25 25 Morningside 134 24 Others receiving votes: Cornerstone 74, Cumberlands 65, Graceland 43, Milligan 41, Vanguard 38, Great Falls 34, Huntington(Ind.) 32, Rocky Mountain 16, Dordt 13,Berea 12, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 12, Baker 8,Point Loma Nazarene 4, Xavier 1, Goshen 1,Carroll (Mont.) 1, Dakota State 1, LubbockChristian 1. NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses) Rank Team Points Last 1 Azusa Pacific (18) 649 1 2 Cal State San Marcos (5) 636 2 3 British Columbia 592 3 4 College of Idaho 583 4 5 Friends 573 5 6 Olivet Nazarene 567 6 7 Northwest Christian 523 7 8 Biola 507 8 9 Concordia (Ore.) 475 9 10 Carroll (Mont.) 470 10 11 Morningside 450 11 12 Westmont 407 16 13 The Master's 370 12 14 Lewis-Clark State 361 14 15 Concordia (Neb.) 358 tie-19 16 Shawnee State 338 RV 17 Indiana Wesleyan 324 18 18 Aquinas 291 24 19 Roberts Wesleyan 257 21 20 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 238 15 21 Saint Xavier 221 13 22 Southern Oregon 219 tie-19 23 Dordt 189 23 24 Taylor 188 17 25 Milligan 132 25 Others receiving votes: Rocky Mountain 106, Eastern Oregon 101, Viterbo 84, Spring Arbor 61, Point Loma Nazarene 50, Wayland Baptist 25, Northwestern (Iowa) 24, Trinity Christian 19, Texas Wesleyan 11, Cornerstone 6, Huntington (Ind.) 3, Shorter 3, Xavier 1, Park 1, Cumberlands 1, Vanguard 1.

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

Magic City Classic a fierce rivalry

Birmingham, Alabama -- There are a number of rivalries in college football on every level. However, there are very few if any like the one between Alabama State and Alabama A&M.

Alabama State is in Montgomery. Alabama A&M is in Huntsville. The two school get together annually in Birmingham at Legion Field for the Magic City Classic. When Alabama State clashes with Alabama A&M on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU, 10:30 p.m. ET on tape delay), this will be 70 years for this legendary black college classic. Moreover, they're expecting 70,000 fans at the game.

This is actually, the 75th meeting between the rivals, the 70th in the Magic City Classic. Alabama A&M leads the overall series 36-35-3. The Bulldogs also lead the series in the Magic City Classic, 35-31-3. Last season, Alabama State ended a five-game losing streak to Alabama A&M with a 31-10 victory.



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Highlights - NCCU VS. HAMPTON (Oct. 22, 2011)

Durham, North Carolina -- Check out the highlights of NCCU's 22nd Matchup against Hampton as the Eagles nearly ruined the Pirates homecoming weekend, dropping a tough 30-27 overtime decision on Saturday, Oct. 22. In the loss, Michael Johnson passed Brad McAdams(92-96) for 5th all-time in touchdown passes with 43 in his career.

NCCU takes on Bethune-Cookman for its homecoming contest this Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2:00 p.m. from O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

ASU Football: Magic City Classic may go down to the wire

Birmingham, Alabama -- One team starts off fast, then cruises to victory in the final period. Their opponent starts off slow, then scores points in a fourth-quarter flurry. Don't walk away from the 70th Magic City Classic in the third quarter on Saturday. It may not be settled until the final play.

Alabama State has taken the Southwestern Athletic Conference by storm, running out to a 6-0 conference record with a fast-strike offense and a defense that ranks among the nation's best in forcing turnovers.

Quietly, Alabama A&M has been one step behind, overcoming an early loss to Southern with four consecutive conference wins, three coming in the final minutes of each game.

"They're making plays at the end," ASU football coach Reggie Barlow said. "They're playing the type of football that coach (Anthony) Jones wants them to play. They're running it well, they're playing good defense and special teams and they're not making a lot of mistakes."



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Alabama A&M football: Fuller playing up to his potential

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Jamaal Ware and Johnny Baldwin quickly come to mind when Alabama A&M fans talk about the Bulldogs' best inside linebackers since joining the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Ware and Baldwin are first and second all-time in tackles and Baldwin led A&M to the 2006 SWAC championship and was a fifth-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 2007.

Willie Fuller hoped to put his name alongside that elite list when he showed up four years ago. While Fuller's numbers won't come close to those of Ware and Baldwin, his play this season is one of the reasons A&M is in the hunt for the SWAC Eastern Division championship.

"Willie has stepped up and provided great leadership for this team," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "When you assume leadership, you also assume responsibility. When you say follow me, all eyes go to you. When you make mistakes, everybody sees it. When you misstep, everybody sees it.

"Willie is a quiet guy, but ...



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