HAMMOND, La. — One week before the start of their league championship, the women and men of Xavier University of Louisiana produced 14 XULA PRs and six team-best marks of 2018 in the Southeastern Strawberry Relays track and field meet Friday.
     Most notably, sophomore Justyce Riggs ran the Gold Nuggets' fastest 100-meter dash time in two years: 12.04 seconds. Riggs finished fifth in that event and was one of three from XULA with top-five finishes.
     The Gold Nuggets' other PRs were by Ry-Anne Riley (25.18), Riggs (25.26), Janelle Jones (25.60) and Martina Latting (25.92) in the 200, Riley (12.17), Latting (12.23) and Junine Goodsion (12.93) in the 100, Jones in the 400 (58.16), Raven Davis in the 100 hurdles (15.26) and Hillary Smith in the long jump (4.98 meters/16 feet, 4 1/4 inches). Riley's 200 and Davis's 100 hurdles were XULA's best marks of the season, as was Ireyon Keith's 5.49 meters/18 feet, one-quarter inch in the long jump.
     For the XULA men, freshman Evan Simmons produced the best Gold Rush mark in shot put — 10.48 meters/34 feet, 4 3/4 inches — since the program was revived in 2010. Simmons also produced the Rush's first hammer mark since the restart: 35.26 meters/115 feet, 8 inches.
     Freshman Jaland Green ran a XULA PR in the men's 400 hurdles of 1:06.00.
     Simmons placed third in the discus (41.14 meters/134 feet, 11 inches), and Smith was fourth in the triple jump (10.62 meters/34 feet, 10 1/4 inches).
     In team scoring, the Gold Nuggets finished eighth out of 11 women's teams with 20 points. The Gold Rush tied for eighth out of 10 men's teams with 11 points. Host Southeastern Louisiana swept the team titles, with its women scoring 152 points and its men producing 213.
     It was XULA's final meet before the two-day Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans. The meet will begin next Friday with the men's and women's hammer and javelin at 4 p.m. The remaining events will be competed the following day (April 21), starting at 10 a.m. with the long jump, high jump and discus. The final event, the women's and men's 1,600-meter relay, is scheduled for 4:45 p.m.
     The Gold Nuggets, ranked 15th nationally, are the defending GCAC women's champion. They seek their sixth league title in eight years.
     Here are all the XULA results from the Southeastern Strawberry Relays:

Women
     100:  Justyce Riggs, 5th in 12.04; Ry-Anne Riley, 8th in 12.17; Martina Latting, 9th in 12.23; Junine Goodison, 17th in 12.93
     200:  Ry-Anne Riley, 8th in 25.18; Justyce Riggs, 9th in 25.26; Janelle Jones, 11th in 25.60; Martina Latting, 16th in 25.92; Junine Goodison, 23rd in 28.32
     400:  Janelle Jones, 6th in 58.16
     100 Hurdles:  Raven Davis, 10th in 15.26
     400 Hurdles:  Raven Davis, 7th in 1:09.14
     Long Jump:  Ireyon Keith, 6th in 5.49 meters/18 feet, one-quarter inch; Hillary Smith, 8th in 4.98 meters/16 feet, 4 1/4 inches
     Triple Jump:  Hillary Smith, 4th in 10.62 meters/34 feet, 10 1/4 inches

Men
     200:  Kyle Logan, 16th in 23.31
     400 Hurdles:  Ayinde Abanu, 8th in 59.59; Jaland Green, 9th in 1:06.00
     Discus:  Evan Simmons, 3rd in 41.14 meters/134 feet, 11 inches
     Hammer:  Evan Simmons, 7th in 35.26 meters/115 feet, 8 inches
     Shot Put:  Evan Simmons, 7th in 10.48 meters/34 feet, 4 3/4 inches