Story: DGN at Palatine Invite (junior varsity, frosh-soph)

Junior varsity race

The often collective effort of the Downers Grove North girls cross country team’s junior varsity runners is by design.

Many Trojans have committed themselves to becoming more productive ever since the early days of offseason training.

”I think it was more during summer running where we talked about it, how last year wasn’t what everyone wanted it to be,” junior Jenna Murphy said. “We definitely felt like we could have done better. Over summer running, I think we all decided we were going to take a step forward initially and by doing that, our team took a step forward.”

On Saturday, Sept. 28, Murphy led another collective effort by the Trojans in the junior varsity race at the Palatine Invitational.

Murphy took 14th on the 3.0-mile course and just missed breaking 20:00 (20:00.1) and was 10 seconds from the top 10.

Junior Olivia Vander Leest (20:41.7) and senior Sandra Di Pauli (20:42.2) were 27th and 28th. Senior Micah Pfotenhauer (21:02.6) and junior Shannon Kennedy (21:08.9) were 37th and 41st, followed by Sydney Wagner (64th, 21:38.8),  Rachel Schuetz (75th, 21:59.5), Alex Hohnsen (87th, 22:12.1) and Lauren Taylor (314th, 26:38.9).

The Trojans (147 points) finished fifth, seven points ahead of sixth-place Lyons Township. 

”Our team dynamic has helped us push each other more. Last year, I was a little less close with everyone so it just helps you motivate each other if you’re closer,” Vander Leest said.

”We’ve talked about it before, not necessarily today, but we know that we run consistently together. If we try to stay together, we can just use each other to push ourselves to go faster, beat more people.”

Murphy was the Trojans’ lone runner who earned an individual medal for a top-20 finish. Vander Leest and Di Pauli needed to drop more than another 30 seconds to contend for the last spot.

Murphy, who ran at state for the team in 2011, and Vander Leest are among the Trojans who have made the biggest strides from an all-around frustrating 2012. By the postseason, the varsity was beset by injuries and limped along to a sectional berth.

”Last year was a little bit slow for everyone,” Murphy said. “This year, Olivia and I have gotten so much more motivated. In practice, we’re less negative. It’s been a lot more positive and a better year so far.”

”It’s a lot better than last year. (Downers North coach Tim McDonald) said I took a season off,” Vander Leest said.

The differences are showing. In the 2.5-mile frosh-soph race at last year’s Palatine Invite, Murphy was 22nd and Vander Leest was 94th. Last year’s JV girls race also was 2.5 but increased to 3.0 miles Saturday.  

Attitude is not the only way to improve. Di Pauli is having a significantly stronger senior year through a better diet, which includes smaller portions of pasta, one of her favorites.

”I tried to slim down, stop eating carbs. I just tried to cut weight a little bit and I work harder in practice, try to stick with the varsity girls,” Di Pauli said. “It’s definitely a big difference (for me from last year). I want to get better than 19:35 (from the Lake Park Invite Sept. 14), maybe 19:20 would be nice.”

Di Pauli did pretty well in last year’s open race, too, (37th), but she was 10 places higher Saturday with the longer distance.

She said she received a lift in this race from the Trojans’ pack mentality.

”I like running with them so I know I’m about where I want to be,” Di Pauli said. “We always run together because we now we’re like about the same pace. We always try to stick with each other.”

In dual action Thursday, Sept. 26, the Trojans lost to host Lyons Township 29-30 and York 18-43.

Downers North actually had all seven runners beat the Lions’ No. 4 runner, but LT went 1-2-3 to mathematically clinch the victory.

Murphy was fourth (19:37 for 2.6 miles), seven seconds from second, and Rachel Krusenoski (19:40) fifth overall. Di Pauli (19:48), Zayna Jan (19:52) and Vander Leest (19:55) were seventh through ninth and Pfotenhauer (20:09), Angela Budach (20:14) and Kennedy (20:19) were 11th through 13th. Krusenoski and Jan competed for the JV Saturday but did not complete the race.

Frosh-soph race

For Downers Grove North sophomore Fiona Kelly, the most challenging part of the Palatine Invitational Saturday, Sept. 28, was before the race even started.

Kelly wanted to visit the group of portable washroom stalls one last time before the frosh-soph race and made her way over with a reasonable amount of time.

”The line took a really long time and so I actually never got to go because I had to run back to my race,” Kelly said. “The guy yelled, ‘Fifteen minutes until the sophomore-freshman race,’ so I was like, ‘Oh, I should just go back (to the starting line) then.’ ”

Kelly joined her teammates in the starting box about eight minutes before her race, still with enough time to do stride outs and prepare. She then ended up being the Trojans’ top finisher by taking 24th in 16:27.4 over the 2.5 miles and earned an individual medal by placing among the top 25.

Freshman Brigid Miller (16:32.4) and sophomore Maci Schaub (16:36.1) were 27th and 28th, followed by Meghan Kelly (42nd, 16:48.8), Abby Pfeiffer (56th, 17:00.6), Gina Kowalewicz (60th, 17:07.2). Arianna Calleja (84th, 17:28.3), Emma Rotz (94th, 17:35.8), Emma Doak (139th, 18:19.4), Lauren Isenman (162nd, 18:39.0) and Becky Donnelly (165th, 18:42.5).

“I guess I went stronger in the start because I had less to run,” Miller said. ”(Downers North coach Tim McDonald) just said to start faster, don’t start as if it were a 3.0-mile race. So I changed my start, and I guess it helped.”

Fiona Kelly also liked the shorter distance. She agreed that 2.5 miles, compared with most races of 3.0 miles, was beneficial for her middle-distance abilities from track.

At last year’s invite, Kelly was 70th in the 2.5-mile frosh-soph in 16:58.3.

”It was a good race (Saturday). It’s shorter than normal races so originally I thought I was going to have a lot more left (to race),” Kelly said. “It turns out we didn’t so I just had a lot left over at the end so I just decided to go faster and that helped. A lot of girls were really spread out so I definitely improved my time by sprinting but I don’t know if I passed a significant amount of girls.” 

Fiona Kelly was one second ahead of 25th place and five ahead of 26th. Miller and Schaub missed the last medal place by 3.6 and 5.3 seconds.

Miller said she received a lift from Kelly’s performance and also Schaub, both of whom she ran with Saturday. It also built upon another strong race for her Thursday, Sept. 26 at Lyons Township with York.

”(At Palatine), some of the corners got a little tight, but other than that, it was good,” Miller said. “Every race keeps boosting my confidence. It’s going to be a good season, I guess.”

Fiona Kelly also was battling the clock after her race. This was homecoming week and she was among the Trojans preparing for the dance that evening. Her hands already were prepared with black and white fingernail polish that complemented her dress.

”It’s not a distraction. I would say it probably helped me because I just want to get done with it and run fast so I can get home earlier and get ready,” Kelly said.

In their West Suburban Conference Silver Division duals Thursday, Sept. 26, the Trojans lost to York 16-44 and host Lyons Township 18-43.

Schaub (19:29 for 2.6 miles) was third overall behind two LT runners and Fiona Kelly (19:57) was seventh. Miller (20:32), Kowalewicz (19:37) and Meghan Kelly (19:39) were 18th, 21st and 22nd.

-- by Bill Stone