DGN roundup at St. Charles North Invite

The Downers Grove North varsity girls cross country team used a new strategy to enjoy its best varsity team race so far this season.
The Trojans finished sixth at the St. Charles North Invitational Saturday, Oct. 3, at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve.
Junior Emma Moravec (18:45.8) and senior Grace Maletich (18:53.5) were 15th and 18th on this year’s new 3.0-mile course to earn top-25 medals.
Senior Kaitlyn Bonfield was 29th (19:28.1), followed by juniors Gina Kowalewicz (19:56.6) and Zoe Covey (19:56.8) in 50th and 51st, sophomore Claire Kovarik (86th, 20:50.5) and senior Fiona Kelly (94th, 21:09.4).
Moravec went out slower than the Palatine Invite Sept. 19, where she finished 37th in a more competitive field with seven more teams. As a result, she and Maletich were able to run near each other throughout Saturday’s race. Kowalewicz and Covey also worked with each other during their races.
The Trojans (163 points) were 13 points behind fifth-place Metea Valley (150).
Batavia, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A by DyeStat Illinois, won with 69 points, followed by No. 5 Lyons Township (99), No. 14 Hinsdale Central (129) and No. 13 Geneva (137).
Geneva senior McKenzie Altmayer (17:44.8), 11th at the 2014 3A state meet, won the race by 7.8 seconds.

Varsity
Top 10 teams: 1. Batavia 69, 2. Lyons Township 99, 3. Hinsdale Central 129, 4. Geneva 137, 5. Metea Valley 150, 6. DOWNERS GROVE NORTH 163, 7. Schaumburg 193, 8. Lake Zurich 215, 9. Lemont 265, 10. St. Charles North 267

Downers Grove North finishers (3.0 miles): 15. Emma Moravec 18:45.8*, 18. Grace Maletich 18:53.5*, 29. Kaitlyn Bonfield 19:28.1, 50. Gina Kowalewicz 19:56.6, 51. Zoe Covey 19:56.8, 86. Claire Kovarik 20:50.5, 94. Fiona Kelly 21:09.4
* - Top 25 medal winners

Frosh-soph girls

Sophomore Emma Panico led the frosh-soph race by finishing 38th (21:30.9 for 3.0 miles).
The Trojans finished 12th (348 points).

Frosh/Soph Girls
Top 13 teams: 1. Lyons Township 17, 2. Hinsdale Central 76, 3. Geneva 138, 4. Batavia 140, 5. Downers Grove South 158, 6. Metea Valley 181, 7. Marist 188, 8. Jacobs 206, 9. St. Charles North 247, 10. South Elgin 286, 11. Jones 305, 12. DOWNERS GROVE NORTH 348, 13. Schaumburg 349

Downers Grove North top-seven team finishers (3.0 miles): 38. Emma Panico 21:30.9, 64. Annie Panico 22:26.8, 109. Madison Venckus 23:32.6, 120. Maggie Langland 23:44.9, 129. Lindsay Pluister 23:58.2, 139. Sophia Kartsounes 24:10.4, 142. Brooke Peters 24:18.1

Open girls

Junior Mary Laffey finished a team-best 30th in the open race (21:29.1 for 3.0 miles), 15.4 seconds from 25th and the last individual ribbon.
The Trojans finished seventh (186 points).

Open Girls
Top 10 teams: 1. Lyons Township 22, 2. Batavia 87, 3. Jacobs 145, 4. Geneva 165, 5. Hinsdale Central 167, 6. Marist 168, 7. DOWNERS GROVE NORTH 186, 8. St. Charles North 194, 9. Schaumburg 235, 10. Downers Grove South 241
Downers Grove North top-seven team finishers (3.0 miles): 30. Mary Laffey 21:29.1, 38. Hannah Thomas 21:44.6, 44. Meghan Kelly 21:55.6, 60. Emma Rotz 22:14.7, 68. Brigid Miller 22:25.0, 73. Arianna Calleja 22:35.0, 83. Becky Donnelly 22:45.5