LAKE CHARLES - Freshman Emily Charlesworth and senior Jessica McLeod led the way for the Nicholls women and Kaseyh Kaiser and Blaine Gisclair paced the Colonel men as the Nicholls State University men's and women's cross country teams opened the 2010 campaign at the McNeese Relays in Lake Charles on Friday evening.

The McNeese Relay boasts one of the more unique formats for a sanctioned NCAA cross country meet with multiple two-person teams from each school competing and each member of each team running half of the 6K course.  Nicholls, Southland Conference rival Southeastern Louisiana, in-state rival Southern and host McNeese made up the field

The Nicholls women boasted two of the top three teams as Charlesworth and McLeod teamed up for a time of 20:39, just 15 seconds off the winning pace of McNeese duo Alvy Carragher and Amy Guinn.  Seniors Lauren Jones and Kadi Whisnant werent' too far behind in third as the Colonel upper classmen clocked in at 20:45.  Entering the weekend ranked 13th in the South Central region by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the Colonels hope taking two of the top three spots will help convince voters to bump Nicholls ahead of No. 12 ranked McNeese.

On the men's side, newcomers Kaiser and Gisclair led the way against some of the best distance runners in the region.  The duo clocked in at 18:30 for seventh place.  Meanwhile, Tyler Folse and Justin Babin (ninth, 19:35), Ross Mullooly and Joseph Fryou (12th, 20:47) and Nic Benoit and Dylan Williams (21:55) rounded out the field for the Colonels.

Nicholls cross country will return to action on Sept. 18 with a trip to the University of Alabama for one of the biggest regular season cross country meets of the season, the 2010 Crimson Classic.