NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's men's and women's tennis teams will open their fall schedule Thursday in the HBCU National Championships in the Atlanta suburb of College Park, Ga.
        The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will begin their two-mile run at the University Center. It will be the teams' final workout before the Nicholls Invitational Saturday morning at Thibodaux, La.
        The campus run is free. Participants should wear running shoes and bring water.
        Nicholls Farm will be the race venue Saturday. The women's 5,000-meter race will start at 8 a.m., followed by the men's four-mile race at 8:30. It will be XULA's second meet of the season.
        XULA added an Oct. 22 meet to its schedule — the Mississippi College Fall Festival at Choctaw Trails in Clinton, Miss. It will be XULA's final meet before the Red River Athletic Conference Championships Nov. 4 in the San Antonio suburb of Windcrest, Texas.