NEW ORLEANS — Xavier
University of Louisiana's
Drew Chatters and
Brianna Pace were named Thursday to the College Sports Information
Directors of America Academic All-District™ 2 women's track and field/cross country team
in the college division for 2016-17.
Chatters, a junior from Lake Charles, La., and a graduate of St. Louis Catholic High School, is a biology / pre-medical
major with a 3.78 cumulative GPA at XULA. She made Academic All-District
for the second straight year, making her the sixth XULA athlete to receive the
honor more than once. Chatters is a 3-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference
champion in the javelin throw; she holds school and GCAC meet records in that event.
Pace, a sophomore from Junction City, Kan., and
a graduate of Junction City High School, is majoring in computer science at XULA and has
a 3.87 cumulative GPA. Pace scored a team-best 26 points April 22
to help the Gold Nuggets win the GCAC team championship. She scored in five events
that day, including second in the 800-meter run and 3,200 relay, and
was All-GCAC in four events. In October she finished third at the GCAC
cross country meet and helped the Nuggets win the team championship.
District 2 consists of non-NCAA colleges in Arkansas, Illinois,
Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee. Nominees must be a starter or important reserve
with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They also must have completed at least one
full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
Chatters and Pace are the only athletes from the GCAC
to make an Academic All-District™ track/cross country team this year.
They are among eight from HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges or Universities)
to be honored, regardless of gender.
First-team Academic All-District™ members advance to the Academic All-America™ ballot. The College Division
Academic All-America™ team will be announced June 20.
During the past nine years, XULA has produced 22 Academic All-District™ selections,
all but one on the first team.
