NEW ORLEANS — Seventeen current and former student-athletes received degrees Saturday at Xavier University of Louisiana's 2016 commencement at XU's Convocation Center.
     It was Xavier's 89th annual commencement. The total number of athletic-related degrees was 20.
     Student-athletes graduating (with high schools in parentheses) were:
     •  Vashni Korin Balleste, Rock Tavern, N.Y. (Washingtonville), women's tennis, bachelor of arts . . . honors in English.
     •  Jodi Simone Chatters, Lake Charles, La. (St. Louis Catholic), women's volleyball, bachelor of science . . . magna cum laude.
     •  Ryan Derek DeRousselle, Marrero, La. (Archbishop Shaw), men's basketball, master of arts.
     •  Brion J. Flowers, Lafayette, La. (St. Thomas More), women's tennis, bachelor of science.
     •  Whitney Monaté Gathright, New Orleans, La. (John Curtis Christian), women's basketball, bachelor of science.
     •  Emoni Anita Harvey, Memphis, Tenn. (Briarcrest Christian), women's basketball, bachelor of arts.
     •  Jodi De'Shae Hill, Prairieville, La. (Dutchtown), women's volleyball, bachelor of arts . . . cum laude.
     •  Zahri Iman Jackson, Kingwood, Texas (Kingwood Park), women's cross country/track and field, bachelor of science.
     •  Mario Alexander Myles, Stone Mountain, Ga. (Redan), men's tennis, master of arts in teaching.
     •  Simone-Alyse Nicole Elizabeth Newell, Detroit, Mich. (The Roeper School), women's tennis, bachelor of arts . . . honors in English.
     •  Franziska Antonia Pirkl, Munich, Germany (Theodolinden Gymnasium), women's volleyball, bachelor of arts . . . magna cum laude, honors in business.
     •  Xavier A. Rogers, Denton, Texas (Lake Dallas), men's basketball, bachelor of science.
     •  Alesha Noel Smith, Athens, Ga. (Clarke Central), women's basketball, bachelor of arts . . . cum laude, University Service Key Award.
     •  Briana Simms, Hendersonville, Tenn. (Station Camp), women's cross country/track and field, bachelor of science.
     •  Nikita Soifer, Beer Sheva, Israel (Hof Hasharon), men's tennis, bachelor of science.
     •  Jarvis Kelvin Thibodeaux, Houston, Texas (St. Pius X), men's basketball, bachelor of science . . . honors in theology.
     •  Cecily Cymone Williams, Houma, La. (Vandebilt Catholic), women's volleyball, bachelor of science.
     •  Kailey Marie Williams, Fort Worth, Texas (Martin), women's cross country/track and field, bachelor of science.
     Also graduating were:
     •  Omotolani K. Etti, men's basketball student manager, bachelor of arts.
     •  Jasmine Nicole Renard, basketball statistician, bachelor of science.
     •  Ahmad Abdul Azeem Siddiqui, men's basketball student manager, bachelor of science . . . honors in English.
     Xavier is one of 44 colleges listed as a "Best Buy School" in the 2016 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. Xavier's intercollegiate teams compete in the NAIA and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. (Cross country competed as a Red River Athletic Conference affiliate member in 2015.)
     NOTES:  DeRousselle is an XU men's basketball assistant coach . . . Balleste and Flowers will compete for Xavier next week in the NAIA National Tennis Championships at Mobile, Ala.