DGN story at Homewood-Flossmoor Invite

Downers Grove North senior Gabbie Hesslau expected complications during her opening leg of the 3,200-meter relay at Saturday’s Homewood-Flossmoor Invitational, but nothing like this.

“While I was running, my uniform flipped up and it was full stomach exposure,” Hesslau said laughing. “I was taking the baton and trying to pull it down. I don’t know how it could have gone up and over, but it did.”

Hesslau has reason to smile again when it comes to track. She was just grateful to be compete for just the second time since she suffered a stress fracture in her foot that ruined her cross country postseason.

“For me, it’s hard to be upset with any race that I’m running. I’m happy with it,” Hesslau said.

She was among the Trojans’ six top-two finishes that collected most of their 62 points to finish fifth, just one point behind fourth-place Whitney Young. Rock Island (102), H-F (90.5) and Bolingbrook (90) took the top three spots in a format that added four junior varsity relays to the typical 18 events.

Senior Rebecca Ridderhoff won the 300 low hurdles in an impressive 48.35 seconds. Other victories came from the JV 3,200 relay (Rachel Krusenoski, Maci Schaub, Fiona Kelly, Michaela Nicholson in 10:33.49) and the JV 1,600 relay (Hannah Henry, Zayna Jan, Jessica Ridderhoff, Rachel Schuetz in 4:23.41).

Junior Stephanie Urbancik (800 in 2:22.92), freshman Grace Maletich (3,200 in 12:05.48) and the varsity 3,200 relay (Hesslau, Jan, Kaitlyn Bonfield, Meghan Bonfield in 10:06.79) were second. Other than that, the Trojans had five top-10 individual finishes with one coming from among the five field events they entered.

“I would have liked to have seen our compete factor a little bit higher (overall),” said Downers North head coach Tim McDonald. “We could have picked up places, picked up points and we didn’t. I felt like we were a little bit too much just there, as opposed to there to do something. I was a little bit disappointed in that, but I think that at the same time if you’re going to do it, I’ll take the first outdoor invitational.”

In her lone race, Hesslau led off the 3,200 relay with Jan, Kaitlyn Bonfield and Meghan Bonfield (10:06.79), which finished second to Young (10:00.51). Hesslau had a team-best 2:30.0 split.

The past three seasons, Hesslau has been the opening leg of the Trojans’ top-nine, all-state 3,200 relays at the Class 3A state meet, including the 2011 state championship lineup in a school-record 9:09.61. The Trojans were sixth last year.

“I think I was most comfortable running first, just because it’s what I’m used to, but it was a little intimidating with who I was up against (Young’s Shianne Baggett). She was pretty fast,” Hesslau said. “I’d like to emphasize that she was a very intimidating runner. I tried to use her as a big old (wind) blockade, but I couldn’t really keep up with her so I ended up feeling much of it.”

There is no quit in Hesslau. Since cross country, she’s been working away, trying to get back and compete. With her mostly training on bike or elliptical machines and only running on alternating days, there certainly were times when just returning to compete wasn’t going to happen.

“I was so excited for her (to compete again). I think the whole team was,” said Urbnacik, a teammate on the last two state 3,200 relays. “Honestly, I don’t know how she does it after being out for so long. I’ve seen her in the weight room, work so hard, so I’m just so proud of her.”

The ultimate dream would be for Hesslau to earn a fourth all-state medal with the 3,200 relay. On April 3, she returned to action in the outdoor season opener at home with a decent fourth-place 2:30.9 in the 800.

She basically willed herself to the finish line.

“It was getting a little hard. I was thinking to myself, ‘I could totally back off right now. No one would blame me, no one would be mad at me, no one would even care. I was like, ‘Why? ‘ ” Hesslau said.

“(At H-F), the big thing that I kept saying was, ‘It was awful, it was so hard, but it was so much fun. I was so happy to be back. All of the pain I felt afterwards, I truly thought I was going to die. I was in the locker room heaved over the garbage can. I tasted blood, my heart was racing, my head was spinning, but I was so happy. I wish I would have been more competitive with (Baggett), but I couldn’t be upset.”

Rebecca Ridderhoff hardly ran the 300 hurdles last year because of injury, but she might be doing the event a lot now. Even with the conditions, she was only 1.41 seconds from the 46.94 state-qualifying standard and won by 2.64 seconds.

McDonald was disappointed he didn’t see the race because he left the invite early to attend a family function.

“(The coaches) called me right after it happened. (They said) she looked so good. She just blew everybody out of the water,” McDonald said. “Into the wind, it didn’t even affect her. She just kept cruising. That’s a pretty decent time with that whole stretch, that last 100, right into the wind.”

In the 800, Baggett also proved to be a nemesis for Urbancik, who felt little wind resistance.

Baggett (2:22.36) edged Urbancik for the title by just .56 after she closed on Baggett coming into the final stretch. Baggett was 11th at the 2012 state meet in the 800 (2:16.18) behind six seniors.

“With 200 left, I started gaining on her, but I couldn’t (pass). She was very tall, super long legs, the longest strides ever,” Urbancik said. “I was pretty happy (with my time). That was my first outdoor 800, and I feel like I’m ahead of where I was last year.”

The invite format allowed the Trojans to exploit their depth, especially with 800 runners and allowed underclassmen to compete for the JV or varsity.

Scheutz, a varsity regular as a sophomore, anchored the JV 1,600 relay to victory after competing with the varsity 400 relay and the JV 800 relay.

The Trojans won the JV 1,600 relay by 4.37 seconds over H-F after Schuetz zipped into the lead soon after receiving the baton from Jessica Ridderhoff, who ran a team-best 1:02.2 split in her first time in the event.

“My favorite (event) is the 4-by-400. It’s just the longest sprinting race and I don’t think everyone can do it. (And) I like running last,” Schuetz said.

Last season, Schuetz was a regular on the frosh-soph 1,600 relay, usually running the third or fourth leg. She’s run 1:04 splits this season, including 1:04.5 Saturday, with hopes of challenging the 60-second mark.

Besides becoming a varsity regular, Schuetz is coming off her first cross country season in the fall.

“I gained some endurance for the longer runs,” Schuetz said. “I think I was ready for (varsity). In fact, I just really long for it.”

The JV 3,200 relay won going away, 14.17 seconds over Young. Krusenoski got the Trojans off to a great start with a team-best 2:32.8 on the first leg as she continues to battle spasms and tightness in her back.

“I was really proud of my performance and I hope that it motivates me and pushes me to the next races that are coming up,” Krusenoski said.

“I feel like it is really discouraging and frustrating to be dealing with an injury, but having my team there for me and just pushing through is what’s really driven me. My family is really supportive, and I have really good doctors that help me with it.”

Maletich was a strong second to Barrington’s Rachel Simon (11:53.65). Emma Burkhardt was seventh (13:25.13).

Kaitlyn Bonfield (5:38.25) and Meghan Bonfield (5:58.92) were fourth and eighth in the 1,600.

The varsity 1,600 relay (Urbancik, Maletich, Rebecca Ridderhoff, Barbara Armstrong in 4:12.18) was fifth, the JV 400 relay (Schuetz, Henry, Mercedes Gonzalez, Mary Bedalov in 55.75) was seventh and the varsity 400 relay (Sophie Temple-Wood, Rebecca Ridderhoff, Armstrong, Mary Rounce in 52.97) was 10th. Grace Marek tied for 10th in high jump (4 feet-6 inches).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            -- by Bill Stone

Homewood-Flossmoor Invitational

Team scores: 1. Rock Island 102.5, 2. Homewood-Flossmoor 90.5, 3. Bolingbrook 90, 4. Young 63, 5. DOWNERS GROVE NORTH 62, 6. Barrington 59.5, 7. Rich South 51, 8. Lane Tech 50, 9. Kankakee 39, 10. Hillcrest 35, 11. Lincoln-Way North 24, 12. Thornton 20.5, 13. Morton 20, 14. Rich Central 18, 15. York 17.5, 16. Simeon 16, 17. Urbana 15, 18. Crete-Monee 13.5. 19T. Joliet Central and Richards 5

Downers North results
Junior varsity 3,200 relay: 1. Rachel Krusenoski, Maci Schaub, Fiona Kelly, Michaela Nicholson 10:33.49
Varsity 3,200 relay: 2. Gabbie Hesslau, Zayna Jan, Kaitlyn Bonfield, Meghan Bonfield 10:06.79
JV 400 relay: 7. Rachel Schuetz, Hannah Henry, Mercedes Gonzalez, Mary Bedalov 55.75
Varsity 400 relay: 10. Sophie Temple-Wood, Rebecca Ridderhoff, Barbara Armstrong, Mary Rounce 52.97
3,200: 2. Grace Maletich 12:05.48, 7. Emma Burkhardt 13:25.15
100 high hurdles: 30. Elizabeth Heyler 22.53
100: 36. Bedalov 14.99, 40. Henry 15.51
800: 2. Stephanie Urbancik 2:22.92
JV 800 relay: 9. Bedalov, Angela Budach, Aysia James, Gonzalez 2:02.97
Varsity 800 relay: 11.Schuetz, Temple-Wood, Armstrong, J. Ridderhoff 11. 1:55.13
400: 19. Arianna Calleja 1:08.91
300 low hurdles: 1. R. Ridderhoff 48.35
1,600: 4. K. Bonfield 5:38.25, 8. M. Bonfield 5:58.92
200: 39. Gonzalez 32.09
JV 1,600 relay: 1. Henry, Jan, J. Ridderhoff, Schuetz 4:23.41
Varsity 1,600 relay: 5. Urbancik, Maletich, R. Ridderhoff, Armstrong 4:12.18
High jump: 10T. Grace Marek 4-6, 16. Emily Wilson 4-4
Long jump: 13T. Temple-Wood 14-9, 16. J. Ridderhoff 14-6
Triple jump: 22. Evangeline Tuohy 30-1 1/4
Shot put: 11. Alize Chester 29-8 3/4, 18T. Cassidy Santen 28-4
Discus: 12. Megan Sybeldon 74-7, 30. Chester 46-5