DGN girls win Silver title!

The Downers Grove North varsity girls track and field team made program history at the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet Saturday, May 9, at Glenbard West.

The Trojans shared the outdoor team title with Oak Park-River Forest to become the first team in school history to win the outdoor and indoor championships in the same season.

Conference champions were senior Rachel Schuetz in the 400-meter dash (58.84 seconds fully automatic time), sophomore Emma Moravec (800 in 2:17.75), freshman Isabel Maletich (16 feet-9 1/2 inches in long jump), the 800 relay of sophomore Faith LaMantia, senior Hannah Henry, sophomore Alysa Johnson and senior Sophie Temple-Wood (1:44.77) and the 3,200 relay of Schuetz, senior Zayna Jan, junior Kaitlyn Bonfield and Moravec (9:33.23).

Downers North and OPRF (113 points each) edged Lyons Township (109 points), the three-time defending outdoor champion. Glenbard West (82), Hinsdale Central (68), York (42) and Proviso West (30) were fourth through seventh.

This is the Trojans' first outdoor title since 1992 and third overall since the meet began in 1973. The indoor title was the Trojans' first since 1993 and second overall. 

Juniors Jaida Green (5-5 in high jump) and Grace Maletich (3,200 in 11:44.73) and Isabel Maletich (36-3 1/4 in triple jump) and the 1,600 relay of Schuetz, Henry, Isabel Maletich and Jan (4:02.44) were second.

Schuetz, who won by .13, was the Trojans’ third 400 champion over the past four seasons. Moravec won the 800 by 1.99 seconds after winning the 800 and 400 titles indoors.

Isabel Maletich won long jump by one inch after winning the indoor title with 16-0 1/2. She also had a personal best in triple jump by nearly two inches and is closing on the all-time school record of 36-5.

The 800 relay used Johnson in place of Schuetz so she could contribute team points in the 400 after winning the 300 indoors. The Trojans still won the 800 relay by .92 over top-seeded OPRF (1:45.69) and ran under the state-qualifying standard of 1:45.74 for the second time this season. The usual 800 relay lineup with Schuetz ran a school-record 1:43.96 at Glenbard North's Weber Invitational May 1, breaking the previous record of 1:44.64 FAT-converted from 1997.

The 3,200 relay dominated its race and won by 9.85 seconds. Green cleared an outdoor personal best in high jump to take second to LT senior Emma Haugen, the two-time 3A state champion in the event who cleared a meet-record 5-7.

Grace Maletich pulled out second in the 3,200 by .57 behind Glenbard West junior Grace Rogers (11:34.26). OPRF earned an overall tie by winning the 1,600 relay (4:01.22) with Downers North (4:02.44), 3.50 seconds ahead of third-place LT.

Junior Samantha Wilson (34-11 1/4 in shot put) and Jan (800 in 2:22.74) were third.

Temple-Wood was fourth in the 200 (26.74) and fifth in long jump (16-5).

Junior Giselle Downs was fourth in the 100 high hurdles (17.78). Senior Peyton Wilson (100-1) and junior Imani Jenkins (94-7) were fifth and sixth in discus, and junior Emily Wilson (4-5 in high jump), junior Angela Budach (3,200 in 11:54.59) and the 400 relay of  LaMantia, Johnson, Henry and Green (50.79) also were fifth.

Sophomore level recap

Sophomore Gina Kowalewicz and freshman Naomi Boyd captured individual titles at the sophomore West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet Saturday, May 9, at Glenbard West.

Kowalewicz made a late charge to defend her title in the 400-meter dash (1:03.22 fully automatic time) by .56. Kowalewicz became the first athlete to win the event twice on the sophomore level since that level was added in 1979.

Boyd won shot put by throwing a lifetime-best 34 feet-1 1/4 inches in the finals on her sixth and last throw overall. Boyd won by nearly three feet over Hinsdale Central freshman Ngozi Ihemeson (31-4 1/2).

The Trojans finished sixth (64 points), just four points shy of fifth. Lyons Township won an unprecedented fifth consecutive outdoor sophomore title comfortably with 149 points. Glenbard West was second (108.5 points), followed by York (92), the Red Devils (73.5), Oak Park-River Forest (68), the Trojans and Proviso West (0).

Freshman Patrycia Suliba was third in the 100 high hurdles (18.44), fourth in the 300 low hurdles (51.95) and sixth in triple jump (29-3 1/2).

Freshman Lillian Janowicz was third in shot (30-9) and sixth in discus (69-11).

Sophomore Zoe Covey (800 in 2:28.44) and the 1,600 relay of Kowalewicz, Covey, sophomore Hannah Thomas and freshman Annie Panico (4:22.82) also were third. The 400 relay of freshmen Anna Main, Grace Lohrmann, freshman Bianca Briones and Rachel Sprague (54.72) and 3,200 relay of Kowalewicz, freshman Emma Panico, sophomore Meghan Kelly and freshman Madison Venckus (10:31.86) both were fourth and the 800 relay of Main, Lohrmann, Thomas and Sprague (1:56.97) was fifth.

Lohrmann (4-9) and Main (4-5) were fifth and sixth in high jump. Sprague was sixth in the 200 final (28.94).

West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet

Varsity results

Team scores: 1T. DOWNERS GROVE NORTH and Oak Park-River Forest 113, 3. Lyons Township 109, 4. Glenbard West 82, 5. Hinsdale Central 68, 6. York 42, 7. Proviso West 30

Downers North top-six finishers

First place
Isabel Maletich: Long jump (16-9 1/2)
Rachel Schuetz: 400 (58.84) by .13
Emma Moravec: 800 (2:17.75) by 1.99
800 relay: Faith LaMantia, Hannah Henry, Alysa Johnson, Sophie Temple-Wood (1:44.77) by .92
3,200 relay: Rachel Schuetz, Zayna Jan, Kaitlyn Bonfield, Emma Moravec (9:33.23) by 9.85

Second place
Jaida Green: High jump (5-5)
Grace Maletich: 3,200 (11:44.73)
Isabel Maletich: Triple jump (36-3 1/4)
1,600 relay: Rachel Schuetz, Hannah Henry, Isabel Maletich, Zayna Jan (4:02.44)

Third place
Zayna Jan: 800 (2:22.74)
Samantha Wilson: Shot put (34-11 1/4)

Fourth place
Giselle Downs: 100 high hurdles (17.78)
Sophie Temple-Wood: 200 (26.74)

Fifth place
Angela Budach: 3,200 (11:54.59)
Sophie Temple-Wood: Long jump (16-5)
Emily Wilson: High jump (4-5)
Peyton Winters: Discus (100-1)
400 relay: Faith LaMantia, Alysa Johnson, Hannah Henry, Jaida Green (50.79)

Sixth place
Imani Jenkins: Discus (94-7)

Sophomore results

Final team scores: 1. Lyons Township 149, 2. Glenbard West 108.5, 3. York 92, 4. Hinsdale Central 73.5, 5. Oak Park-River Forest 68, 6. DOWNERS GROVE NORTH 64, 7. Proviso West 0

Downers North top-six finishers

First place
Naomi Boyd: Shot put (34-1 1/4)
Gina Kowalewicz: 400 (1:03.22)

Third place
Zoe Covey: 800 (2:28.44)
Lillian Janowicz: Shot put (30-9)
Patrycia Suliba: 100 high hurdles (18.44)
1,600 relay: Gina Kowalewicz, Zoe Covey, Hannah Thomas, Annie Panico (4:22.82)

Fourth place
Patrycia Suliba: 300 low hurdles (51.95)
400 relay: Anna Main, Grace Lohrmann, Bianca Briones, Rachel Sprague (54.72)
3,200 relay: Gina Kowalewicz, Emma Panico, Meghan Kelly, Madison Venckus (10:31.86)

Fifth place
Grace Lohrmann: High jump (4-9)
800 relay: Anna Main, Grace Lohrmann, Hannah Thomas, Rachel Sprague (1:56.97)

Sixth place
Lillian Janowicz: Discus (69-11)
Anna Main: High jump (4-5)
Patrycia Suliba: Triple jump (29-3 1/2)
Rachel Sprague: 200 (28.94)