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ALMA MATER
In the Mississippi Valley,
In the Crescent Bend
Stands our loved and noble Xavier,
Far her praises send.
Refrain:
Wave her colors bear them onward
Gold and white so true
Hail to thee, all hail, dear Xavier
Hail, all hail, X.U.!
Xavier, ever be our guide
And lead us on the way,
Through life's journey, onward, upward
To the eternal day. (Refrain)
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2012 Xavier University of Louisiana Women's Cross Country Preview
Young, talented Gold Nuggets want to pick up the pace
See also:
Schedule
Roster
Quick Facts
Women's Cross Country Home Page
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For the first time in 11 years, there are no seniors
on the Xavier University of Louisiana women's cross country team. But that's
not a problem for eighth-year coach Joseph Moses.
"Our freshmen were so talented last season," said Moses,
who coached the XU women to a school-record 43 victories, including 13-6-1
against NCAA Division I opponents, and was voted Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and
Louisiana Coach of the Year.
"I expect them as sophomores to do a great job leading the way again."
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About the Gold Nuggets
• Head Coach: Joseph Moses (LSU 1994), eighth season; 201-322-1 at Xavier
• 2011 Overall Record: 43-43-1
• 2011 GCAC Finish: 1st place out of 6 schools
• 2011 NAIA Finish: 30th place out of 32 schools
• Letterwomen: 5 returning, 3 lost
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Zahri Jackson, Catherine Fakler and Hali Yarmush combined
for eight of the 12 fastest 5,000-meter times in Xavier history a year ago as
freshmen, with Jackson recording the three fastest times. Jackson also set the
school record for 4,000 meters, and Fakler set the 6K record. All three runners
return in 2012 to help the Gold Nuggets bid for a seventh consecutive GCAC
championship and a fourth trip in five years to the NAIA National
Championships.
"We'll be better this year," Moses said. "Zahri,
Catherine and Hali have all looked great in preseason workouts. Zahri's in
the best shape of her life. She's going to drop a lot of time. She's ready to roll."
Jackson, who entered college a year early and did not turn 18 until April, set the XU
5K record of 19 minutes, 15.18 seconds in her second collegiate meet.
But she didn't stop there, winning back-to-back races at the University of
Dallas Invitational and the GCAC Championships. She pulled away in the final
175 yards at the conference meet to dethrone SUNO's Monicah Jepkemboi,
and she posted the second-fastest time in 11 years by a female at that event.
Like her brother Kwame, the GCAC men's champion, Zahri was Louisiana
Freshman of the Year and All-Louisiana.
"I've been running harder every day and trying to
make my workouts harder," Jackson said. "I'm putting forth more effort."
Fakler's 19:32.56 at conference was a personal best and the fastest by
a GCAC third-place runner in the last 11 seasons. She set the XU 6K record
of 24:10.3 at the LSU Invitational. Fakler and Jackson were the first XU females
to finish in the top 20 at LSU.
"We think we can win conference again and do really
well at nationals," Fakler said. "We have to get a better place at nationals than last
year (30th). It's all about getting a better place."
Yarmush, All-GCAC after finishing seventh, has a 5K
best time of 20:03.6, which ranks 11th at XU and is fourth on the list of
the program's top performers — behind Jackson, former GCAC champion
Ebony Harding and Fakler. Yarmush's brother Aaron is a freshman on the XU men's team.
Also returning are juniors Donyé Coleman, a two-time
All-GCAC runner, and Paige Rochelle, who also collected GCAC regular-season
and tournament championships in basketball a year ago.
Completing the roster are freshmen Briana Simms
and Hannah Finnegan. Three times Simms ran 5,000 meters in less than 19:45 in 2011,
with a personal best of 19:22.86. Finnegan broke 20 minutes for three miles each
of the past two seasons at the Illinois High School Association championships,
and her best at that distance is 19:43. Moses says both newcomers could capably
replace the graduated Anna D'Souza, a four-time All-GCAC runner and the
Nuggets' fastest finisher at nationals in 2011.
Hurricane Isaac canceled Xavier's scheduled opener,
Aug. 31 at Mississippi College. The XU women and men will get
their first chance to compete Sept. 8 in the Loyola Wolf Pack Invitational.
The GCAC Championships will be Oct. 20 in Clinton, Miss., and team champions there
will qualify automatically for the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 17 in
Vancouver, Wash. If Jackson successfully defends her GCAC title, she'll be the first
female to accomplish that since XU's Katrina Davis in 2003.
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The Xavier Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets compete in Division I of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) as a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC).
Xavier fields men's teams in basketball, cross country, tennis and track and field and women's teams in basketball, cross country, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
Xavier University of Louisiana
1 Drexel Drive
Campus Box 92
New Orleans, LA 70125
(504) 520-7329 phone
(504) 520-7934 fax
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