Story: DGN at Glenbard West

Downers Grove North senior Stephanie Urbancik is used to running success, but mostly during the track season.

After her third all-state performance with the 3,200-meter relay in May, Urbancik has continued the momentum with her best cross country season so far.

”I think we trained pretty hard over the summer,” Urbancik said. “I’ve had a lot of fun this season. I think our team is really close, which is fun. This is definitely one of my favorite seasons so far.”

On Thursday, Oct. 3, Urbancik was the Trojans’ No. 3 finisher in their 20-37 dual loss to Glenbard West at Camera Park in Glendale Heights.

Sophomores Grace Maletich (17:54 for 2.92) and Kaitlyn Bonfield (18:40) were third and fifth behind two of the Hilltoppers’ three all-staters from 2012.

Urbancik (19:13) and freshman Emma Moravec (19:15) were eighth and ninth, and senior Katie Portman (19:46) and junior Jenna Murphy (20:13) were 12th and 13th.

”Last year, I mostly ran (junior varsity) and before that I was always just frosh-soph so it’s weird to be on varsity, and then it’s even weirder that I was third for our team. That’s never happened to me,” Urbancik said.

”It’s fun, though. I’m just motivated right now to do well because I want us to make it to state more than anything. Hopefully that’ll keep us motivated and pushing through.”

Glenbard West was third in Class 3A last season and remains ranked among at least the top four this week. The Trojans are ranked among the top 20.

After a strong start by the Trojans, two of Glenbard West’s three 2012 all-staters took command of the race. Sophomore Lindsay Graham (17:31) and junior Lisa Luczak (17:43) were first and second with sophomore Grace Rogers fourth (18:27). Senior Madeline Perez, the defending 3A state champion, still has yet to compete this season.

Urbancik received plenty of racing help Thursday not only from Moravec but senior and good friend Meghan Bonfield.

Bonfield was the top finisher in JV race, held at the same time, as the Trojans dominated 15-50.

Bonfield won that race in 19:14, one second behind Urbancik, with teammates Micah Pfotenhauer (19:50), Zayna Jan (19:58), Olivia Vander Leest (20:13), Sandra Di Pauli (20:16), Rachel Krusenoski (20:18) and Shannon Kennedy (20:29) sweeping second through seventh.

Meghan Bonfield has been running varsity since she was a freshman but said she was coming off a disappointing race at the Palatine Invite Sept. 28.

Murphy has been among the JV frontrunners most of this season.

”I didn’t think about (running JV). I was kind of upset that I got moved down, but I didn’t really think about it because I knew we were going to be running together, and it didn’t matter what level I was on. I could still run a good time.”

Urbancik said she often runs in races with Portman, another first-year varsity contributor as a senior, but she and Meghan Bonfield often have had complementary performances.

”We both ran well at (Lyons Township Sept. 19), we both ran well (Thursday). We both ran bad at Palatine,” Urbancik said. “Definitely, whenever I have my teammates there pushing me, I run a lot better.”

For Meghan Bonfield, Thursday was her second-best time of the season to her race at LT (18:44), which is 2.96 miles. The Trojans only lost 26-29 while beating York 20-36.

Urbancik and Bonfield said they both like LT’s course with its flat terrain and track-like configuration of three laps.

Meghan Bonfield called the course a home away from home. She and Urbancik were the team’s No. 4-5 finishers in a race where Maletich (18:02), Kaitlyn Bonfield (18:15) and Moravec (18:29) formed a strong pack behind LT’s 1-2 finish.

”I’ve had a little bit of a rough season so far, but I’m trying to be more consistent with my races and (Thursday) was a starting point so I’m hoping to do that again,” Meghan Bonfield said.

”I was just going to go out and run. I wasn’t really thinking about it too much, which I think helped me because sometimes I get too nervous and think about it too much. It worked out because my team was there for me. We had a good little pack of North people.”

The pack was aggressive early. After one mile, the Trojans actually led the varsity race 27-30 as Maletich was stride for stride with Graham, Kaitlyn Bonfield was third and Meghan Bonfield, Urbancik and Moravec were in a pack of fifth through seventh.

By the two-mile mark, Maletich and Kaitlyn Bonfield were second and fourth, but the Hilltoppers owned five of the top seven positions.

”They were going to win,” Urbancik said. “If we won, it would be crazy so we just wanted to make sure not to give it to them easy and put up a good fight. That’s why we went out hard.” 

Meghan Bonfield also played off the momentum of a strong start. She still was 10th after two miles, seven seconds behind Urbancik and 11 seconds ahead of the rest of her JV teammates.

Another good indication of Bonfield’s performance came down the stretch. Glenbard West senior Annika Manning (19:23), the Hilltoppers’ No. 6 varsity runner, crept up on Bonfield’s shoulder, but she never let her pass.

”I think I could have pushed myself a little bit more in the second mile. I thought (my race) could use improvement, but it was still a good race overall,” Meghan Bonfield said.

“I can tell when I’m having a bad race right at the start. I’m feeling slow and I’m dying already and (Thursday) I just felt good and I was pushing myself throughout. When I’m having bad races, I just feel really tired. I was sick for one of them where I ran really horribly, but the other one was just I don’t know. I’m just feeling really drowsy and my legs really hurt, my breathing is all messed up and it’s just not good.”

Urbancik joined last year’s postseason lineup for the regional and was the Trojans’ No. 6 finisher (26th) after taking third in the JV race at the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet. This year she wants to be back there but also while performing her best week to week.

She hopes to end the streak of alternating performances in the final regular-season week before the Silver Meet Oct. 19 at Proviso West. The Trojans compete Thursday, Oct. 10, at Hinsdale Central and Saturday, Oct. 12, at the West Aurora Stampede, which has been moved to Marmion Military Academy.

”I’ve gone from the fourth runner on our team (in a race) and I’ll go up to seven, then I’ll go down to four and then 11th,” Urbancik said. ”I want to have more consistent races because it seems like every other race has been good and the next one has not been.”

Frosh-soph race

Meghan Kelly is just another of the talented freshman on the Downers Grove North girls cross country team from Herrick Middle School, located just across the street from the high school.

”For what we were training for, we were strong. (In cross country), we won conference eighth grade and eighth grade for track,” Kelly said. “It’s definitely much different here with the training and the races because there it was only 1 1/2 miles. (But) we were all up there.”

The Herrick connection was among a large group of success in the Trojans’ frosh-soph race against Glenbard West Thursday, Sept. 28, at Camera Park in Glendale Heights.

The Trojans swept fourth through ninth, but the Hilltoppers took the top three spots to pull out a 27-30 West Suburban Conference Silver Division dual victory.

Sophomore Maci Schaub led the Trojans’ lead pack in fourth (20:15 for 2.92 miles), followed by Angela Budach (20:26), Brigid Miller (20:26), Gina Kowalewicz (20:49), Fiona Kelly (20:53) and Meghan Kelly (20:54). Emma Rotz (21:42) and Arianna Calleja (22:03) were 12th and 13th, and Lauren Isenman (22:41) and Ana Scarlati (22:57) were 17th and 18th.
 
Regardless of the Trojans’ mass success, Glenbard West mathematically secured the dual victory with a 1-2-3 finish. Abby Shaver (19:08), Kate Dorsey (19:34) and Nicole Berneche (19:52), all broke 20:00.

When the teams met head-to-head at Peoria’s Richard Spring Invitational Sept. 21, the Hilltoppers were fifth and the Trojans 11th.

”They’re a really good team and they did really well in Peoria,” Meghan Kelly said. “We were close to them, though (Thursday). I know everyone ran their hardest, ran their best.”

Meghan Kelly and Miller are among the standouts from Herrick. Two others already have made their way to the varsity, Emma Moravec and Hannah Thomas, who sat out Thursday’s meet with a foot injury.

”I think we’re used to each others’ presence in the races, which is nice,” Meghan Kelly said. “We know each others’ strengths and weaknesses so we can help each other during the runs.”

On Thursday, Meghan Kelly actually ran most of her race with Fiona Kelly. While the two live near each other, they are not related.

”At the hills, I think we pushed it because we knew we had a downhill coming so that was good,” Meghan Kelly said. “That’s not my personal record (time) but it’s good for that course. It was hilly. I’d say it was definitely better than other (I ran) in the beginning of the season.”

-- by Bill Stone