DGN story vs. Lyons Township, Oak Park-River Forest

Downers Grove North junior Stephanie Urbancik is a Class 3A girls track state meet veteran of the 3,200-meter relay.

In the Trojans’ triangular meet at Lyons Township Feb. 21, Urbancik again was part of the lineup but in an unfamiliar position. She was leading off the race.

“I’ve never done that. I liked it because I was starting right off with the competition and knowing where I was,” Urbancik said. “It was nice just to get control of the race right away.”

The Trojans went on to win the race and finished second in the three-team meet of West Suburban Conference Silver Division schools. The Trojans (55.5 points) defeated Oak Park-River Forest (24.5) and finished behind LT (87) while the sophomores (42.5) finished behind LT (75) and OPRF (43.5).

Downers North’s lineup of Urbancik, freshmen Grace Maletich and Kaitlyn Bonfield and junior Meghan Bonfield (10:00.06), competing for the first time together, won a tough battle with LT (10:03.00).

Also winning events were Urbancik (400 in 1:02.2), Meghan Bonfield (800 in 2:33.9), Maletich (1,600 in 5:27.6), senior Rebecca Ridderhoff (200 in 27.8) and sophomore Sophia Temple-Wood (15-7 in long jump).

Lyons Township not only is the defending Silver champion on both levels but finished first in every varsity meet last season until the 3A state meet.

“If you talk to most of us in the conference, they’re still the conference favorite,” Downers North coach Tim McDonald said. “(LT is) a tough team to run again, but that’s what you want, a chance to run against them and see what it’s like.”

McDonald, the Trojans’ distance coach, and LT girls cross country head coach and track distance coach Stetson Steele talked before the race to enter comparable lineups in their events.

“During cross country, we got kind of banged up at the end, but for the most part we were two teams that were pretty even,” McDonald said. “

In the 3,200 relay, the lead went back and forth before Meghan Bonfield put the Trojans in command for good with just more than two laps left behind a 2:26 anchor split.

“It was close and I just wanted to stay in front of (the LT runner). I knew she was right behind me so I just wanted to pace myself. Then at the end, I just tried to kick it as fast as I could to beat them,” Bonfield said.

“I think we were really excited to have our fastest girls line up against their fastest girls and see what we could do.”

Both relay teams are optimistic about returning to the 12-team state meet event finals. The Trojans were an all-state sixth at state in 2012 with a lineup that included Urbancik, Meghan Bonfield and senior Gabby Hesslau, who currently is injured. LT finished 12th with three underclassmen competing.

Urbancik ran the second leg at state last year after being the third leg for the 2011 state championship 3,200 relay as a freshman. Hesslau was the leadoff leg in 2012.

“I think we’ve already improved. At practice, we’ve looked better this year,” Urbancik said.

“I was excited (against LT) because we were having what looks to be our best 4-by-800. I think we did well for our first time. I know it was close to Glenbard West’s (9:55.0 Feb. 16) when they were (competing at Downers North), and I hope that’s what we do for conference. Even (with LT), it wasn’t that competitive. I think at a meet with even more competition, we could do really well.”

In the 400, Urbancik received some more competition and responded with a season-best time to still win by 1.6 seconds. When she ran a first-place 1:03.3 Feb. 16, Urbancik won by 2.5 seconds.

“I would like to be faster in my next quarters, but I was happy with that (1:02.2),” Urbancik said. “I put in spikes for the first time (this season) so I think that helped a little. I hope to go under a minute (60.0) in indoor.”

Meghan Bonfield and teammate Michaela Nicholson (2:35.1) finished 1-2 in the 800. Nicholson came back to anchor the 1,600 relay with Zayna Jan, Barbara Armstrong and Rachel Schuetz (4:26.3) that finished second to LT’s 4:16.3.

“I felt a little tired because there’s wasn’t too much of a break (after the 3,200 relay). I just tried to stay with Michaela and have a good finish, too,” Bonfield said.

“(The 3,200 relay) is my favorite event so I’m excited about it. Our times compared to last year are faster already. I think it’s good because if we’re improving now already, it just shows that we’re going to probably drop times when it comes to later on.”

Maletich won the 1,600 by .7 over LT senior Haley Prokaski (5:28.3), the Lions’ top individual finisher at the state cross country meet in November. Ridderhoff won the 200 by .4. Temple-Wood used her first long jump to win by 6 1/2 inches.

LT sophomore Emma Haugen, the defending 3A state champion in high jump, won that event (5-7) as well as triple jump (36-1/4) and the 55 hurdles (8.5).

Ridderhoff was second in the 55 hurdles (8.9), Evangeline Tuohy was second in triple jump (31-6) and Grace Marek and Tuohy shared third in high jump (4-4).

In shot put, senior Alize Chester used a lifetime-best 32-11 1/2 on her first throw to take third behind 2012 LT state qualifier Makayla Hubbard (36-1 1/2) and Laura Krivicich (34-2), also seniors.

In the 3,200, Micah Pfotenhauer (12:46.4) was second. In the 1,600, Kaitlyn Bonfield (5:32.9) was third while senior Maggie Smith ran a lifetime-best 5:47.8 and senior Emma Burkhardt was close behind in 5:51.4.

The 4-lap relay of Schuetz, Ridderhoff, Armstrong and Mary Rounce was third (1:30.4).

Downers North also showed distance strength on the sophomore level. The 3,200 relay of Margaret Schaub, Rachel Krusenoski, Jenna Murphy and Fiona Kelly ran 10:53.4 to win by more than 30 seconds over LT.

Murphy came back to win the 800 (2:44.7) by 8.4 seconds. Alexandra Hohnsen won an uncontested 3,200 in 13:38.9.

Megan Scantlen continued her strong jumping. Scantlen (14-11) and Elisabeth Vlasak (14-9) finished 1-2 in long jump, and Scantlen won triple jump (30-9) by nearly 18 inches with Lily Kollker third (27-9 1/2).

Sophomore track newcomers Emily Wilson and Peyton Winters came out impressively in high jump. Wilson was second (4-6) and Winters tied for third (4-4).

The 5-10 Wilson came following the girls gymnastics season, and the 6-1 Winters just joined the team after playing varsity girls basketball. On the first day of track practice, Winters also cleared 4-6.

“She’s a tall kid, pretty athletic for as tall as she is,” McDonald said. “Once she gets going, I think she’s going to be a pretty solid high jumper.”

In their second events of the meet, Schaub was second in the 400 (1:08.2) and Kelly was second in the 1,600 (5:46.5). The 4-lap relay (Mackenzie Cady, Hannah Henry, Aysia James, Kollker in 1:38.3) and the 1,600 relay (Henry, Sara Arnquist, Shannon Koegel, Arianna Calleja in 4:46.5) were third.