EIU Showdown story (all levels)

There's a logical explanation why Ashley Johnson has waited until junior year to join the Downers Grove North girls cross country program.

"I actually hated running until probably sophomore year. I dreaded running," Johnson said.

"I (played) softball and it was the worst part. I hated it so much, but now it's so funny. I just love running every day. I started running last year (on my own) and I decided to try out this year."

Johnson is off to a fast start. In the season and home opener Wednesday, Aug. 27, she was seventh overall and the Trojans' No. 4 finisher in the varsity race to help them win the EIU Showdown at Greene Valley Forest Preserve.

Downers North sophomore Emma Moravec pulled out third (18:57 for 3.0 miles) in a varsity race that featured two returning 2013 Class 3A individual all-staters.

Juniors Angela Budach (19:28), Grace Maletich (19:39) and Johnson (19:41) were fifth through seventh, and senior Jenna Murphy was ninth (20:05). Junior Maci Schaub (20:37) and senior Rachel Krusenoski (20:42) were 12th and 13th, seniors Zayna Jan (21:09) and Alex Hohnsen (21:19) were 16th and 17th and junior Fiona Kelly (21:31) was 20th.

The Trojans (30 points) finished well ahead of second-place Jacobs (42) took second with its finishers 1-4-8-11-21, followed by Plainfield North (64), Burlington Central (110) and Shepard (139).

Moravec, Budach and Maletich return from last year's state lineup along with junior Kaitlyn Bonfield, who sat out the meet as she recovers from shin splints. Bonfield resumed running workouts Aug. 25 and is expected to compete at the Fenton Invitational Saturday, Sept. 6.

"The thing that jumped out to me was it's a nice pack," Downers North coach Tim McDonald said. "That's kind of what we knew we had and now the goal is to steadily move up. Even without Kaitlyn, we were only about a 1:08 split 1 to 5. That's a nice thing to have. I thought we'd have a little depth on the varsity and I think we do."

The Trojans return their top four finishers at state with Maletich placing a team-best 36th. The returning trio received a big test Wednesday as Jacobs senior Lauren VanVlierbergen (17:26) and Plainfield North junior Rachael Lau (18:47) dominated from the start.

Lau would have been near 18:00 but nearly collapsed from fatigue 50 meters from the finish chute and struggled to finish under her own power.

"We don't really see these girls anywhere else (but state) because they're not in our conference, but it's a good race to kick off the season," Budach said.

At the 2013 state meet, VanVlierbergen was fourth (17:07 for 3.0 miles) and Lau was 24th (17:32) as her school’s first state qualifier in the sport. At the state track meet in May, Van Vlierbergen won the 3A state championship in the 800 (2:10.14) and was seventh in the 1,600 (5:01.72).

Moravec won Wednesday’s race within the race, the battle for third, by 13 seconds over Jacobs senior Molly Barnes (19:10).

"Having her right behind me kind of pushed me to finish the race and I think as a whole our team raced awesome today. Even if it wasn't our best just as a team, we were running together and pushing each other," Moravec said.

"I wasn't really thinking much (goal wise). I just wanted to run for North and my teammates. I feel like I raced really well for the first meet of the season. I'm just ready to go, improve from there."

Johnson enjoyed her first racing experience with help from the Trojans' pack and Jacobs sophomore Kathryn VanVlierbergen.

Johnson spent the early part of the race just behind Murphy near the back of the top 10. During the second mile, Johnson moved into seventh, well behind Budach and Maletich but with Kathryn VanVlierbergen right with her.

Johnson eventually finished ahead of the eighth-place VanVlierbergen by 13 seconds.

"It was a lot of fun," Johnson said. "I expected it to be a lot more hard. I wanted to make it harder than it really was to push myself a lot. I think I did pretty well, considering it was my first race. I know there's stuff I can still improve on and maybe get a little faster time, but since it's my first race, I think I did pretty well."

On Wednesday, Budach and Maletich were in a tough position, holding down fifth and sixth with large gaps ahead and behind them. They spent their races mostly working together -- and passing each other a couple of times.

"We've been running together for the summer so we knew it was kind of going to happen, but it's just kind of whatever happens, happens during the race," Budach said.

"It's nice to have someone to run with, to push you and know that you can run together. When someone goes, you know that you can go with them," Maletich said.

At last year's Showdown, Maletich finished second to Lauren VanVlierbergen by three seconds (18:29 to 18:32). Budach and Moravec improved significantly from their first high school races that day, when they finished fourth and sixth in the frosh-soph race in 22:09 and 22:23.

"We pretty much finished right in a row and every time I turned around, all I would see was North kids," Maletich said. "I feel like we were really working together. Honestly, teamwise it was a great race."

Frosh-soph race

For her first high-school girls cross country race Wednesday, Aug. 27, Downers Grove North freshman Katie Cantlin took a positive but somewhat conservative approach.

"It's a whole new experience. Because I've never gone from school to a meet, (I thought) it's going to be different so I'll just do the best I can," Cantlin said. "I was surprised. I didn't think I was going to do as well as I did."

Once the race started, Cantlin wasn't afraid to assert herself. She was rewarded with a second-place finish in the frosh-soph race that helped the Trojans capture the season-opening EIU Showdown at Greene Valley Forest Preserve.

Cantlin (20:52 for 3.0 miles) finished second to Jacobs’ Chloe Walsh (20:43) and just ahead of Shepard sophomore Kelli Callahan (20:55). Cantlin’s time would have placed 14th in the varsity race.

"When we got here, I was a little nervous. But once we started, I felt really good and I was really excited," Cantlin said. "I just wanted to run as well as I could. I was surprised when people told me my time. I was like, 'Did I really run that fast?' "

Sophomore Zoe Covey (21:11), in her cross country debut, was a solid fifth with sophomores Gina Kowalewicz (21:34) and Brigid Miller (21:49) sixth and seventh. Freshman Carli Nehls (22:13) and sophomore Lauren Isenman (22:18) were ninth and 10th, and sophomores Meghan Kelly (22:49), Abby Pfeiffer (22:49) and Emma Rotz (23:04) and freshmen Allison Padovani (23:05) and Claire Kovarik (23:05) were 15th through 20th.

Downers North (29 points) edged Jacobs (36), which finished 1-4-8-11-12. Plainfield North (82), Shepard (97) and Burlington Central (145) were third through fifth.

With three of the Trojans' top-five runners making their high-school debut, it can only mean good things considering the strong group of sophomores that return. The only sophomore to compete in the varsity race was third-place Emma Moravec.

"For a couple of kids, that was their first high school race. I thought they kind of responded to the race well," Downers North coach Tim McDonald said.

Covey is a sophomore but this is her first year running cross country. She competed for the track team in the spring and began running distance outdoors after starting out as a sprinter.

"Both of my parents were runners so they kind of got me thinking that maybe I should do something (with these sports)," Covey said.
"I just tried not to get nervous until the race started (Wednesday) and then I kind of used all of my nerves to just run and focus on that. I didn't really know how fast to run so that was kind of difficult but then I just followed everyone else and it was fine."

The Trojans' sophomore veterans played a key role in the race success. Jacobs had three runners surge to the lead with Callahan fourth. Kowalewicz led the Trojans in the early part with Covey behind her while another pack of Cantlin, Miller, Nehls, Isenman was nearby.

By the two-mile mark, Cantlin, Covey and Kowalewicz were within two seconds of third place.

"Jacobs took off and our group was kind of stunned initially and they just kind of steadily closed the gap," McDonald said. "At the frosh-soph level, a 3.0-mile race will take its toll and those girls who went out a little too hard up front came back to them and our girls kept plugging away. They just kind of stayed together and were able to kind of finish out strong."

Cantlin ran cross country for four years at St. Mary of Gostyn School, which has no track program. Covey competed in track as a seventh grader at Herrick Middle School and nearly joined the team last year.
Both of them participated in Downers North's summer running program.

"Because I ran cross country and I liked it in junior high I wanted to do it in high school," Cantlin said.
"I liked it when we started (racing). Zoe and Gina were both in front of me so I could see them. It was like, 'They're doing really well so I want to catch up to them and keep up.' Then it's really fun when you're right be them, being able to cheer them on and they can cheer you on."

After hoping to finish at least "maybe in the middle," Cantlin gained a lot of confidence from her performance.

Covey also has higher hopes after just hoping to finish respectably going into her debut.

"I couldn't believe there weren't that many people in front of me. I guess I'm doing pretty well," Covey said.
"(Fifth) was really cool. I didn't really think I would do very well. (Before the race, I felt) 'I don't think I'll do terribly but I'll probably just not be outstanding,' and then to do so well was really cool."

--by Bill Stone