Girls cross country: No. 1-ranked Downers Grove North aiming for ‘special year’

Despite key injuries, the Downers Grove North girls cross country team finished second at the 2023 Class 3A state meet for its first top-three state trophy since 1988.

After this season’s first significant injury, the Trojans’ fortunes already appear to be brighter.

Senior Hannah Renner seemed destined for the sidelines after injuring her left arm, but the result was a dislocated elbow. On Aug. 31, the Trojans won their season opener – the six-team EIU Showdown at Neuqua Valley – with Renner competing and wearing a metal arm brace.

“Bionic woman is what I’m called,” Renner said.

The Trojans entered this season as the Class 3A preseason No. 1-ranked team by ILXCTF, MileSplitIL and Illinois Running News cross country websites.

Five of the Trojans’ seven runners from the 2023 state lineup at Peoria’s Detweiller Park return, including three top 25 All-Staters – junior Lily Eddington (10th, 17:13.37 for 3.0 miles) and seniors Alayna Todnem (14th) and Ava Gilley (24th). Renner (117th) and senior Audrey Casten (204th) were the No. 6 and 7 finishers on the state team. Senior Kenzie Willard was a front runner with Eddington before her high school season ended because of injury last October at Naperville North’s Twilight Invite.

“We’re excited to see how well we can do and how well we can improve from last year,” Todnem said. “I think we’d be very proud if we could do a little bit better. I think we can use last year as motivation, not just being healthy but doing the best we can.”

Downers North coach Tim McDonald jokes it’s almost like “a professional team.” The core group has competed at varsity cross country and track meets for three years. Now add to the mix freshman Macy Ermitage, last year’s 4A IESA state champion from Jefferson Junior High.

“They came (into this season) knowing this is their chance to do really well together,” McDonald said. “They love working with each other and they’re so close. The conversations you have now are so different than two years ago, the level of knowledge on their part. If we keep doing what we’re doing, stay healthy, it’ll be a special year.”

The Trojans captured one-class state titles in 1980 and 1985. Last season, the Downers North boys won state after being ranked No. 1 in the preseason.

“We’ve all seen how the guys took that. We’ve all learned, especially from last year, that you have to leave your all in every race,” Eddington said.

Eddington embodies the Trojans’ resiliency and smarts. She sat out regionals to rest an injury. At state, her top-10 finish was the school-record time for 3.0 miles. Willard held the record with a 17:18.9 showing Sept. 16, 2023, at Detweiller Park.

Willard felt what was diagnosed as a stress fracture in her foot during the Twilight Invite. Casten injured her hip at that meet. Although far from 100%, Casten competed at state. Willard rejoined her teammates for the Nike Cross Nationals on Dec. 2 in Eugene, Oregon, where the team finished 16th.

“(State) was a big excitement last year and since I didn’t get to do it, I’ve been looking forward for more than a year now to it,” Willard said. “As long as we do everything that we did last year and stay healthy, that would be a perfect season. We all just race together.”

Defending 3A state champion York is No. 4 or 5 in all three rankings. The Dukes return top 50 state finishers in juniors Maggie Quinn (28th) and Sophia Galiano-Sanchez (32nd) and senior GiGi Hill (49th). Freshman Karlin Janowski won the team’s season opener.

Wheaton North is top 10 in two rankings. Wheaton Warrenville South, Glenbard West and Hinsdale Central received top 20 rankings.

WW South senior Nicole Poglitsch (7th, 17:05.95) is the No. 3 returner from last year’s 3A state meet. Also back from the top 50 are Downers Grove South senior Holly Johnson (All-State 25th), Willowbrook senior Amelie Ojeda (37th) and Wheaton North senior Maddie Romaine (43rd).

St. Francis is ranked No. 3 or 4 in all three 2A polls. Lemont and Benet have one top 10 ranking and Nazareth is as high as No. 20 in one ranking.

Lemont senior Niki Tselios (9th, 17:42.39) and Fenwick sophomore Juliana Gamboa (14th) were 2A All-State. St. Francis sophomores Elena Mamminga and Erin Hinsdale were 26th and 27th, respectively, and Benet sophomore Payton Mathelier was 48th last year at state.

In 1A, Montini is ranked top 20 in the polls and IC Catholic Prep is No. 24 in one poll.

Montini junior Sydney Gertsen (10th), Westmont junior Kyla Babb (12th) and IC Catholic senior Grazi Narcisi (25th) were All-State last year. Montini junior Ashlynn Lindt was 37th at state.