NEW ORLEANS - For the fourth time in five weeks, Xavier University of Louisiana freshman Mark Dotson is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Runner of the Week in men's cross country.
     Dotson led the Gold Rush on Saturday in the Gulf Coast Stampede at Pensacola, Fla. He ran 8,000 meters in a personal-best 27 minutes, 17 seconds to finish 22nd out of 94 runners.
     Xavier freshmen have won all five men's GCAC Runner of the Week awards this season. Dotson earned the first three, then Matt Pieri won for Sept 21-27. Pieri was 29th Saturday in 27:49 - the first time that two Gold Rush runners ran 8K in less than 28 minutes in the same race.
     Xavier will be idle this week, then return to competition Oct. 17 in the Choctaw Open at Clinton, Miss.