HANOVER, N.H. – Posting her best-ever 6,000-meter time, Bentley University junior Tara Dooley (Lee, Mass./Lee HS) made her 2013 cross country debut in impressive fashion, finishing second in the Dartmouth Invitational at the Hanover Country Club.

Dooley covered the course in 21:03.36, trailing only 2012 NCAA Division I runner-up and All-America Abbey D'Agostino of the host institution. D'Agostino claimed her third straight Dartmouth Invitational title by 51.02 seconds over Dooley, whose time would have been good for a top-20 finish at last year's NCAA Division II Championships.

Bentley's number two runner was graduate student Amy Varsell (Burlington, Conn./Lewis S. Mills HS). She placed 37th overall in the predominantly Division I meet, posting a time of 22:14.81

Senior Ashley Nichols (Kenmore, Wash./Inglemoor HS) was the next Falcon across the finish line, with her 23:06.04 putting her 53rd overall.

Bentley was sixth of seven in the team standings with a score of 163. Georgetown University, two years removed away from the Division I national championship, earned the team title with a score of 46, besting regional powers Syracuse University (54) and Dartmouth (63). Also finishing in front of the Falcons were Northwestern University (107) and Brown University (141).

Next Saturday, Bentley will compete in the Central Connecticut State Ted Owens Invitational.

DARTMOUTH INVITATIONAL
At Hanover, N.H.

Team Scores: 1. Georgetown 46, 2. Syracuse 54, 3. Dartmouth 63, 4. Northwestern 107, 5. Brown 141, 6. Bentley 163, 7. Keene State 196.

Top Individuals: 1. Abbey D'Agostino, Dartmouth, 20:12.34; 2. Tara Dooley, Bentley, 21:03.36; 3. Jessie Petersen, Syracuse, 21:04.43; 4. Haley Pierce, Georgetown, 21:04.69; 5. Sarah Delozier, Dartmouth, 21:06.20.