SALISBURY, Md. – Shenandoah University continued its strong start to the 2010 cross country season with a pair of top five performances at the Salisbury Sea Gull Opener Saturday morning.

The SU men were fourth of nine teams in their 8000 meter event while the No. 7 Hornet women were fifth of 10 teams in their 6000 meter race.

The Shenandoah women were the third place Division III squad. Division I Loyola (Md.) won it with 32 points while Division II Slippery Rock came third behind long-time power Rowan College.

Host Salisbury was just ahead of the Hornets with 126 points.

Senior Jennie Ott led the women with a 22:58, third place finish. Sophomores Roni Frye (23:49, 20^th) and Tracey Swope (24:26, 37^th), senior Brandi Sobanko (25:35, 55^th) and freshman Ashley Stewart (26:24, 70^th) rounded out the qualifying runners.

Junior Amy Smith, who won the opener on Wednesday and is a two-time first team All-USA South honoree, did not run Saturday due to an academic commitment.

There were a total of 118 runners in the women's race.

Freshman Ryan Taylor and junior Josiah Renton, who crossed the finish line together on Wednesday to win the Hornets home meet, both shattered the previous school-best 8K time Saturday morning.

Renton came across in 26:29 and Taylor two seconds after that to beat the 26:52 that junior Kyle Gutierrez posted on the same Salisbury course last season.

Renton was eighth and Taylor 11^th of 103 runners in Saturday's race.

Junior Jake Garcia (26^th, 27:32), sophomore Tim Robinson (46^th, 28:37) and freshman Chris Clemmons (54^th, 28:58) backed up Renton and Taylor.

Slippery Rock won the men's event with Salisbury coming in second and Rowan third.

Shenandoah is now off until competing at the Dickinson Long/Short Invitational on September 18.

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