Story: DGN team captains

Senior Micah Pftoenhauer appreciated being named one of four captains for the 2012 Downers Grove North girls cross country team.

The selection process was pretty basic.

”Junior year, (Downers North coach Tim McDonald) was just like, ‘Micah, you’re going to be a captain. Are you all right with that?’ ” Pfotenhauer said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, sure. That’s great. Thank you. That’s awesome.”

Before this season, things became a little more complicated, but Pfotenhauer and senior Sandra Di Pauli both have returned as captains along with juniors Alyssa Blashill and Lauren Taylor.

For the first time, McDonald required any athletes interested in becoming a captain to submit responses to a few questions.

“I put little parts like that in there, like ‘I really enjoyed doing it last year so I’d love to do it again,’ ” Pfotenhauer said. ”I think (McDonald) just kind of wanted to make sure he was choosing people who really were passionate about the team and stuff like that.”

McDonald said he adopted the captains’ essay idea from Hinsdale Central coach Mark McCabe, one of several coaches who has his potential candidates “apply” for consideration.

”Initially for the captainship, you always chose these kids because they’ve been around. I thought that (essay) will kind of test who actually cares and shows if they spend some time on it,” McDonald said.

”It worked out well, I thought. I really liked it. We got some kids you could tell were really serious about it just by their application. They were given four questions and you get some kids who write extensively and talk about things very clearly and other kids write like two-words answers. I thought it was an effective way to do that.”

Being a captain is a leadership role in itself, but Pfotenhauer and Di Pauli hoped they could progress upon the experience they had last year as captains with graduated Gabbie Hesslau and Jane Coughlin.

”It’s a big responsibility, but I really like it,” Di Pauli said. “I like being a leader and I also like talking to other people. It just gives me a chance to meet a bunch of other girls on the team because I feel a duty to get to know them more.”

The plan must have worked in some regard. Several Trojans this season have expressed how much they’ve enjoyed the team because of greater group unity and support. It’s often translated into better individual and team performances.

”I think we’ve definitely made a good step forward in that direction (for our goals as captains). I think everyone is really supportive of each other,” Pfotenhauer said.

”I know just bringing the team together and having good friendships are important. The better the chemistry on the team, it helps us run faster, which sounds crazy but it really is true in that way. In years past, when there’s more drama, it seems like it’s harder to run together as a team.”

The Trojans need to be as unified as ever as they try to reach the state meet as a team after missing in an injury-filled 2012. They are projected to be on the bubble for the last of the five team berths at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Katherine Legge Memorial Park.

”I would say a year ago, everything in my mind was all results oriented. It was nothing about team, about enjoying the journey,” McDonald said.

“This year, it just feels like it’s a group of kids. They’ve got to run well (to reach state). If they don’t run well, that’ll happen no matter what. But if they do, I won’t be surprised because I feel like once it’s on the line, what is boils down to (for them) is, ‘I can’t let these other six girls down.’ In that moment, they will do everything they can to have their best race.”

-- by Bill Stone

Photo: Downers Grove North 2013 team captains Micah Pfotenhauer (left), Lauren Taylor, Sandra Di Pauli and Alyssa Blashill