NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women have a title to defend, and the men will try to climb in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium.
     Admission is free to the meet, which has start times of 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday. The final event, the 1,600-meter relay for women and men, is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. Saturday. Tad Gormley Stadium is in City Park, about three miles from the XULA campus.
     For the first time the GCAC will contest this event over two days. Friday's events will be the hammer, javelin and 10,000-meter run. The latter event is making its GCAC meet debut.
     XULA's Gold Nuggets seek their fifth women's team title in six years. They outscored Edward Waters 183-177 for last year's championship.
     The Gold Nuggets have the GCAC's top time or distance this season in six events: Brianna Pace in the 800-meter run (2 minutes, 25.18 seconds), Raven Davis in the 100 hurdles (15.26), Ireyon Keith in the long jump (5.49 meters/18 feet, one-quarter inch), Alysia Terry in the triple jump (11.59 meters/38 feet, one-quarter inch), Calah Williams in the discus (35.90 meters/117 feet, 9 inches) and the 3,200 relay team of Pace, Maliya Vaughan, Taylor Price and Clarke Allen (10:05.15). Returning champions for the XULA women are Price in the 1,500 and 5,000, Drew Chatters in the javelin and Ry-Anne Riley in the long jump.
     Chatters, the school and conference meet record holder in her event, will attempt to become the fourth woman to win the same GCAC individual event four times.
     Three of the four Nuggets from last year's GCAC-champion 400 relay team — Martina Latting, Alexis Milton and Riley — also return, and they'll be joined by Justyce Riggs. Their time of 46.66 from five weeks ago is a XULA record and No. 3 in the NAIA this year.
     Price will not defend either of her titles. She'll run in the 10,000, 800 and 3,200 relay.
     XULA's men scored 83 points at the 2015 GCAC meet but dipped to 30 points in 2016 and scored 34 a year ago. Three Gold Rush freshmen — Damoy Boyd in the 1,500 (4:16.89), Brandon Matthews in the triple jump (14.31 meters/46 feet, 11 1/2 inches) and Edward Angel in the high jump (2.07 meters/6 feet, 9 1/2 inches) — have the GCAC's best marks this season. Returning to defend his triple jump title is Keairez Coleman.
     Matthews's and Angel's performances already have qualified them for next month's NAIA National Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. The Nuggets' NAIA qualifiers are Terry in the triple jump, Latting, Milton and Riggs in the 100, Kayla Quincy and Ariane Williams in the 400, the 400 relay and the 1,600 relay team of Janelle Jones, Quincy, Riley and Williams.
     Angel and Edward Waters sophomore Farrin Brownlowe (2.03 meters/6 feet, 8 inches) rank 3-9 nationally in the high jump. Brownlowe is the defending GCAC champion.
     XULA's women are 23rd in this week's NAIA Outdoor National Team Computer Rankings, which are complied by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Gold Nuggets were 15th the previous week.
     Edward Waters seeks its fourth consecutive GCAC men's team title and sixth in seven years. The Tigers scored a meet-record 303 points a year ago.
     The meet schedule:

Friday, April 20
Field Events
4 p.m.	Men's Hammer (women to follow)
4 p.m.	Women's Javelin (men to follow)
Track Event (in meters)
6:45 p.m.	Women's 10,000 (men to follow)
Saturday, April 21
Field Events
10 a.m.	Men's High Jump (women to follow)
10 a.m.	Women's Long Jump (men to follow)
10 a.m.	Women's Shot Put (men to follow)
1:45 p.m.	Men's Discus (women to follow)
1:45 p.m.	Women's Triple Jump (men to follow)
1:45 p.m.	Men's Pole Vault (women to follow)
Track Events (in meters)
10:15 a.m.	3,000 Steeplechase Women/Men
10:55 a.m.	National Anthem
11 a.m.	400 Relay Women/Men
11:20 a.m.	1,500 Women/Men
11:50 a.m.	100 Hurdles Women
Noon	110 Hurdles Men
12:15 p.m.	400 Women/Men
12:45 p.m.	3,200 Relay Women/Men
1 p.m.	Break
2 p.m.	100 Women/Men
2:20 p.m.	400 Hurdles Women/Men
2:45 p.m.	800 Women/Men
3:15 p.m.	200 Women/Men
3:30 p.m.	5,000 Women/Men
4:45 p.m.	1,600 Relay Women/Men

GCAC Championships Team Scoring
Men
Year	Champion	Points		Runner-up	Points
2004	XULA	92		SUNO	24
2011	Dillard	161 1/2		Edward Waters	136
2012	Edward Waters	217		Dillard	192
2013	Edward Waters	212		Dillard	188
2014	Dillard	178		Edward Waters	153
2015	Edward Waters	156		Dillard	121
2016	Edward Waters	200		Dillard	166
2017	Edward Waters	303		Dillard	149
Women
Year	Champion	Points		Runner-up	Points
2004	XULA	82		SUNO	10
2011	XULA	138 1/2		Dillard	133
2012	Dillard	218		(tie) Edward Waters, SUNO	142
2013	XULA	184		Edward Waters	175
2014	XULA	213		Dillard	168
2015	XULA	202		Edward Waters	158
2016	Dillard	176		SUNO	159
2017	XULA	183		Edward Waters	177