MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Paced by senior captain Lauren Lesniak (Dracut, Mass./Dracut HS) and freshman Ashley Nichols (Kenmore, Wash./Inglemoor HS), the Bentley University women's cross country team opened its season by winning the Shacklette Invitational Saturday morning at Saint Anselm College.

Bentley, with a team score of 33, finished 29 points in front of second-place Southern New Hampshire (62). Merrimack College and the host institution tied for third in the seven-team meet with 66 points.

Lesniak finished third with a 5,000-meter time of 19:57.1, and Nichols, making her collegiate debut, followed in fourth (20:15.4). Junior Emma Lundberg (Southern New Hampshire) and freshman Katharine Meinertz (Saint Anselm) ran 1-2, with times of 19:17.4 and 19:35.2, respectively.

Bentley had four of the top seven, with sophomore Caitlin Fahey (Bridgewater, Mass./Coyle-Cassidy HS) sixth in 20:19.0 and freshman Leah Schiller (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe HS) seventh (20:28.8).  Rounding out the Falcons' top five was junior Evelyn Marrero (Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam HS), who was 13th in 21:00.7.

The next meet for Bentley is the Codfish Bowl in two weeks.

SHACKLETTE INVITATIONAL

At Saint Anselm College

Team Scoring: 1. Bentley 33; 2. Southern New Hampshire 62; 3. Merrimack 66; 3. Saint Anselm 66; 5. Saint Rose 136; 6. Norwich 172; 7. Assumption 179.

Top Individuals: 1. Emma Lundberg, SNH, 19:17.4; 2. Katharine Meinertz, Saint Anselm, 19:35.2; 3. Lauren Lesniak, Bentley, 19:57.1; 4. Ashley Nichols, Bentley, 20:15.4; 5. Bianca Ciuffredo, Saint Anselm, 20:15.8.

Other Bentley Runners: 13. Evelyn Marrero, 21:00.7; 22. Brittany Roderman, 21:48.1; 34. Erica Normandeau, 22:31.3; 37. Frannie Kloza, 22:31.3; 46. Heather Hallstrom, 23:19.5.