Xavier again sweeps GCAC Runner of the Week awards
September 28, 2009

     NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's cross country teams added to their Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Runner of the Week honors Monday when Ebony Harding and Matt Pieri earned the awards for Sept. 21-27.
     Harding, a senior from Baton Rouge, La., won the women's award for the second time this season and the fourth time in two years. Pieri, a freshman from New Orleans, is a first-time men's winner.
     Xavier has won all four men's GCAC Runner of the Week awards this season. Freshman Mark Dotson won the first three. It's the second time this season that Xavier won both awards during the same week.
     Harding ran 5,000 meters in 21 minutes, 2.22 seconds Saturday to finish 32nd out of 115 women at the LSU Invitational in her hometown. Pieri, competing in the same meet, ran 8,000 meters in 28:20.01 to finish 35th out of 112 men.
     Both Xavier teams will compete Saturday in the Gulf Coast Stampede at Pensacola, Fla. The women will run 5,000 meters at 7:30 a.m., and the men will run 8,000 meters at 8 a.m. It will be the fifth competition of the season for the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets.