DGN story at Silver Meet

Downers Grove North junior Stephanie Urbancik is a top-notch track runner who already has two all-state medals with the 3,200-meter relay, including the 2011 Class 3A state title.

When it comes to individual races, however, she’s becoming accustomed to finishing second, including at the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet.

Urbancik snapped the trend in a big way at the Silver Meet Friday at Lyons Township.

After she and the Trojans finished second in the 3,200 relay despite a season-best time, Urbancik captured her first individual conference title by winning the 400-meter dash in a personal-best 58.42 seconds fully-automatic time.

“Especially in the last 120 (meters), I could hear at least two girls right behind me so I just tried to stay strong all the way towards the end,” Urbancik said. “Last year, I was second in everything, and then freshman year, too. I’m really happy with it. And then next week we have sectionals so hopefully we can do well there, too.”

Urbancik added to her success by leading off the 1,600 relay to victory with seniors Barbara Armstrong and Rebecca Ridderhoff and sophomore Jessica Ridderhoff in a season-best 4:02.38.

Rebecca Ridderhoff also captured the 300 low hurdles in a personal-best 46.53.

The Trojans finished an impressive third as a team with 95 points behind Lyons Township (134.75) and Glenbard West (122.75) after finishing fourth at the indoor Silver Meet March 15 with 70 points, five shy of third. LT swept the outdoor and indoor Silver titles for the second year in a row.

Downers North hopes to continue the momentum at the 3A Lockport Sectional Friday. Entries with top-two sectional finishes automatically qualify for the state meet May 17-18 at Eastern Illinois University, as well as entries that achieve state-qualifying standards at the sectional.

At the indoor Silver Meet, the Trojans swept the 3,200 and 1,600 relays in 9:42.15 and an indoor school-record 4:06.29. On Friday, junior Meghan Bonfield, freshman Grace Maletich, senior Gabbie Hesslau and Urbancik posted a season-best 9:27.48, but the 3,200 relay finished second to Glenbard West’s 9:25.21.

Urbancik received the baton with a slight lead for the anchor leg, but Glenbard West senior Emma Reifel ran a 2:14.4 split. Reifel later won the 800 for the second year in a row in 2:21.48.

In the 400, Urbancik won by .33 the over the second-place Reifel.

“I was so happy because I felt like I kind of let my team down in the 4-by-800 so it just felt good to come back with a much stronger race,” Urbancik said.

“When I was doing strides for the 4-by-800, (my legs) didn’t feel so great. I did my best, but I wasn’t happy with it. When I was doing the 400, I felt a lot better.”

Urbancik was a 2012 state qualifier in the 400 as well the 3,200 and 1,600 relays, but at the 2012 Silver Meet, Urbancik was second in the 400 to Rebecca Ridderhoff (59.39 to 59.19) by .2 before going on to win the sectional by .2 with Ridderhoff second (58.98 to 59.18).

Thanks to Urbancik’s victory, it’s the first time the Trojans ever have won the varsity 400 conference title in back-to-back seasons.

This year, Ridderhoff has focused on the following event, the 300 hurdles. Entering as the No. 2 seed to Glenbard West sophomore Emma Gambol (46.29), Ridderhoff became only the Trojans’ second conference champion in that event, joining Courtney Parker from 1999. Gambol, the 100 and 200 Silver champion, was second Friday in 48.60.

“This is my last conference meet. It’s great. And then to win the 4-by-400, too, it’s just the cherry on top. I’m just really happy right now,” Ridderhoff said.

“I was actually surprised (to win the 300 hurdles. Gambol) had a much better seed time so I was really nervous going into it. It’s a little different (than last year’s 400 title), a similar feeling. I’m just feeling really happy about it.”

For Armstrong, the 1,600 relay was her first varsity conference title and the first time the Trojans won the event outdoors since 2007. The only setback was that Armstrong was experiencing leg pains after the race.

“It’s a very good feeling, actually (to win),” Armstrong said. “I will be, hopefully (ready for sectionals), a lot of heating, a lot of resting.”

The 400 relay of sophomores Rachel Schuetz and Sophie Temple-Wood, Armstrong and junior Mary Rounce finished second (season-best 51.81) to LT (50.72).

Temple-Wood’s personal-best split in the relay was only part of a great night for her.

Temple-Wood ran personal-best times in the 200 prelims and finals to finish third (26.73) and equaled her lifetime-best of 16-4 3/4 for third in long jump. The 800 relay of Jessica Ridderhoff, Temple-Wood, Armstrong and Rounce also was third (1:48.87).

“By far (my best meet),” Temple-Wood said. “(Usually) I’m always injured.”

The past three meets, Temple-Wood finally seems to have resolved an ankle injury that began last season. It eventually turned into swollen bone marrow and she had to wear a protective boot that eventually led to shin splints in her other leg.

“At conference last year outdoors, I re-injured it because I was being stupid and ran a bunch,” Temple-Wood said.

Besides Urbancik, Bonfield and Hesslau have been part of the Trojans’ past two all-state 3,200 relays. Bonfield and Maletich also was part of the indoor 3,200 relay title while Hesslau still was recovering from a stress fracture.

Bonfield, who gave the 3,200 relay the early lead Friday with a 2:21 opening leg, came back strong for third in the 800 (2:23.57) behind two seniors, Reifel and York’s Maddie Fabry (2:23.30). Downers North sophomore Zayna Jan was a strong fifth (2:24.69).

“Usually when I do that 4-by-800, 800 combo, it’s really hard. Usually I don’t do as well in my open 800 and today I ran really similar times so I was excited about that,” Bonfield said. “I was hoping we were going to win the 4-by-800, but we got so close so we were happy with it, I think, and our time was a lot better than it was ever before for this season.”

Junior Cassidy Santen and senior Alize Chester enjoyed strong meets in the throws. Santen achieved a lifetime best for the second straight meet to take third in shot put (33 feet-4 inches), and Chester was fourth in shot (31-6 1/2) and discus (personal-best 94-0).

This is the first season of track for Santen, who threw 33-0 Tuesday in a quad at Glenbard West to earn the No. 2 seed. She nearly pulled out second Friday but she barely fell short. Her 33-4 on her third and last throw in finals came immediately after York junior Samantha Harrell threw 33-6, nearly two feet beyond her seed.

“I was like, ‘Oh man, I need to beat her. I need to get her.’ It didn’t feel good. It felt like it was a really short throw and then I saw it soaring past the 30 (foot) line,” Santen said.

“I’d like to hit at least 34.35 (at sectionals), but what happens, happens. I’m glad that I’m ending this year on a solid note. Whatever happens, I’m just glad that I was able to hit my 33 this year and be able to build off it for next year.”

Chester surprised herself in discus as her first throw surpassed her previous best of 88-0 from April 30. She hopes to reach 100 feet at sectionals as well as what would be a personal-best 33 feet in shot.

“(Downers North throws coach Tom Saam) kept telling me, ‘You’ll get 100, I’ll bet.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I probably won’t,’ and then I PRed and I was happy,” Chester said. “I know I can do it if I just correct my errors in getting my form down. For shot put, I plan on working on my glide more.”

Rebecca Ridderhoff also was third in the 100 high hurdles (16.01) behind two returning state qualifiers, and senior Lauren Dawson was sixth (18.47). Freshman Kaitlyn Bonfield (3,200 in 11:38.20) and Maletich (1,600 in 5:22.81) also finished sixth.

Senior Megan Sybeldon placed seventh in her two events despite two strong lifetime-best efforts. Her 91-7 for discus, five inches from sixth, topped her 87-0 April 30. Her 33-0 1/2 triple jump, 1 3/4 inches from sixth, surpassed her 11th-place 32-6 3/4 at the 2012 Downers North Sectional.

“Considering the past few weeks, I haven’t been able to do well in anything so we got me back today. This was a lot better pretty much,” Sybeldon said.

“I was really relaxed. I didn’t think about what could go wrong or what I could do better. I was just going at it, kind of the way I feel instead. I kind of just took it easy.”

Sophomores

For a while Friday, Downers Grove North freshman Emily Wilson had a bigger challenge than trying to defend her sophomore-level West Suburban Conference Silver Division title for high jump from the indoor season.

“The weather was kind of awful because it started raining when I was jumping, but I kind of ignored it and kept going,” Wilson said.

Wilson still managed to shine. She cleared 4-feet-7 to win the title over Oak Park-River Forest sophomore Megean Valenti based on fewer misses.

The Trojans finished sixth with 55 points, just 1.5 behind fifth-place Glenbard West. Lyons Township (168 points) won its third straight title to complete a second straight undefeated outdoor and indoor season.

Wilson won the indoor Silver Meet March 15 by clearing her personal best of 4-8 for the first time.

“I thought it was great (to win again). I wasn’t really expecting it. I just thought I’d do my best and see what happens,” Wilson said.

Wilson has cleared 4-8 twice outdoors, but Friday’s competition used odd-numbered heights. Wilson cleared 4-3, 4-5 and 4-7 and missed her three attempts at 4-9.

“I was close on my second one. I feel like I could have made it, but I’m not quite there,” Wilson said. “I feel like indoors was better because I didn’t miss as many times. I only missed when I got up to 4-10. This time I missed a couple in the middle, but I still think I did pretty well.”

The Trojans collected 31.5 of their points in field events. Freshman Elisabeth Vlasak (15-0 1/4 in long jump) and sophomore Caroline Meier (31-2 3/4 in triple jump) both finished third as well as Maci Schaub in the 800 (2:29.77).

Sophomore Alexis Nystedt (83-2 in discus) and freshman Samantha Wilson (29-0 in shot put) each finished fourth. Vlasak and Wilson were the highest finishing freshmen in their events.

Both of the Trojans’ entries placed in two field events with Meier and sophomore Megan Scantlen (6th, 30-0 3/4) in triple jump and Emily Wilson and Meier (tied for 6th, 4-3) in high jump.

Samantha Wilson, who is not related to Emily, topped her previous best shot of 28-8 with her third throw in prelims.

“I’m constantly throwing better than I did before,” Samantha Wilson said. “I’ve been going faster lately (in the ring), have more confidence when I’m throwing. I guess it all came together at the right time.

“I was hoping (to place) somewhere up high, but not too high. I knew I wasn’t going to get first or second, but third? I kind of thought I would get fourth or fifth so third’s nice.”

Samantha Wilson especially is encouraged as she tries to follow in the footsteps of varsity throwers such as senior Alize Chester and junior Cassidy Santen. Wilson hopes to take advantage of the fact that as well as they’re throwing, this is only Chester’s second season of track and Santen’s first.

“(The future is) definitely bright, that’s for sure,” Wilson said. “(Downers North throws coach Tom Saam) has said, especially as a freshman, I’m throwing this well already. It can only get better from here.”

Sophomore Hannah Henry, freshman Angela Budach and sophomore MacKenzie Cady finished fourth in the 800 relay with sophomore anchor Mercedes Gonzalez (1:54.97) and fifth in the 400 relay with anchor sophomore Aysia James (55.36).

The 3,200 relay of freshman Fiona Kelly and sophomores Jenna Murphy, Alyssa Blashill and Alex Hohnsen (10:47.36) and the 1,600 relay of Henry, Budach, freshman Arianna Calleja and Schaub (4:24.42) also were fifth.

Cady was fourth in the 200 (29.01), Henry was fifth in the 100 (13.85) and James (300 low hurdles in 54.73) and Calleja (400 in 1:07.46) were sixth.


                                                                                                                                                                                           -- by Bill Stone