DGN at Fenton Earlybird Invite

Sophomore Grace Maletich finished fifth in the varsity race and the Downers Grove North girls cross country team placed third at Fenton’s John Kurtz Earlybird Invitational Saturday in Bensenville.

The Trojans (110 points) only were beaten by rival Downers Grove South (56), which placed five in the top 11, and Oak Park-River Forest (69), which placed five in the top 20. Glenbrook South (133) was fourth.

Maletich covered the 3.0-miles in 18:31.8, just ahead of Downers South’s No. 2 runner, senior Meghan Bosman, (6th, 18:33.2).

Sophomore Kaitlyn Bonfield, making her season race debut, was 10th (18:56.3), just 1.5 seconds from eighth, followed by seniors Katie Portman (28th, 20:05.3), Meghan Bonfield (29th, 20:07.8) and Sandra Di Pauli (38th, 20:28.0), Micah Pfotenhauer (40th, 20:31.4) and Stephanie Urbanick (45th, 20:04.8).

Buffalo Grove sophomore Kaitlin Ko, an all-state 22nd at state in 2012, won in 17:45.8, followed by Downers South senior Haley Albers (17:58.8), Fenwick junior Olivia Ryan (18:53.7) and OPRF freshman Mary Blankmeier (18:09.5). Ryan, fifth at last year’s state meet, is the second-highest returning finisher to defending state champion Madeline Perez of Glenbard West.

The Trojans also won the junior varsity race and freshman Emma Moravec won the open race in 20:12.2.

The JV placed comfortably ahead of second-place Downers South 43-66 by placing three in the top 10 and all seven scorers among the top 22.

Freshman Hannah Thomas (20:36.8) and sophomore Maci Schaub (20:49.5) finished third and fourth behind Conant sophomores Zoe Shoro (20:00.2) and Natalia Lakomski (20:20.3).

Sophomore Angela Budach was ninth (20:05.7), followed by juniors Jenna Murphy (21:19.5) and Olivia Vander Leest (21:19.8) in 13th and 14th, junior Zayna Jan (20th, 21:38.7) and sophomore Fiona Kelly (22nd, 21:45.2).

Moravec won the open race by nearly 27 seconds over Buffalo Grove sophomore Natalie Lezama (20:36.9).

Junior Rachel Krusenoski was fourth in her season debut (21:50.3). Junior Shannon Kennedy (7th, 22:08.0) and freshman Brigid Miller (10th, 22:17.4) also placed among the top 10, and freshman Meghan Kelly (14th, 22:36.5), junior Rachel Schuetz (20th, 23:06.0), freshman Emma Doak (23rd, 23:11.4) and juniors Sydney Wagner (25th, 23:15.9) and Alex Hohnsen (27th, 23:22.1) and Megan Treichel (30th, 23:33.7) also were among the top 30. Senior Emma Welsh was 34th (23:41.6).