Three event wins enough for Downers Grove North at McCornack Invtational

ST. CHARLES – For Downers Grove North, the McCornack Invitational was anything but a downer.

The Trojans’ 129 points were enough to edge West Suburban Conference rival Hinsdale Central for the team title at the event hosted Saturday by St. Charles East.

The Trojans won only two individual events and one relay, but accumulated enough points underneath to take the team title. Philip Cupial won the 800 meters in 1:52.97, the top time in Illinois this year. John Curtis took down the high jump with a 1.7-meter leap, and the Trojans edged Neuqua Valley in the 800-meter relay after the Wildcats had some difficulty on exchanges.

Dominic Tresslar led Hinsdale Central, doubling in the 100 and 200 meters. He also took second in the long jump behind Neuqua’s Rajan Anthony. Ethan Tamas led a 1-3 Red Devils finish in the shot put. The Red Devils’ 125 points weren’t quite enough to get past Downers North.

Neuqua finished third overall with 89 points. The hosts finished sixth overall with 37 points

Cupial won a blazing fast 800 meters after dueling St. Charles East’s Samuel Wollak the whole way. Wollak made a big move to take the lead on the backstretch of the second lap, but Cupial had the finishing kick to regain the top spot. The top four finishers in the race recorded the top four times in the state this year.

“I saw him on my inside, and I was like, either I let him go now and catch him later or fight back,” Cupial said. “I didn’t have it right there, but once I made my second move, it felt like we were barely moving, but I just got him at the end. So I just trusted my training right there.”

Neuqua’s Eddie Mason took the 400 in 49.75, the state’s third fastest time this year. He edged Downers North’s Emanuel Murphy and his teammate Averi Smith. It was little surprise then that the Wildcats won the 4x400 relay as well.

In the field, Neuqua’s Jalen Vannoy won the discus with a 43.78-meter throw (143 feet, 7 inches).

In the 1,600, it was Neuqua’s Ryan Adamski coming from off the pace to win in a personal-best 4:28.25. He outkicked Champaign Central’s Caleb Mathias and Michael Gamboa in the final 200 meters.

“I’m an 800 runner, so that last 400 helped me a lot with the kick,” said Adamski. “Normally, I just try to stay with the front pack, cruise behind them and let them take the wind first, and then kick as much as I can.”

Champaign Central’s William Hardy won both hurdle races, with Downers North’s Terrance Burton finishing second in each event.

The top two overall teams dueled in the 4x800 relay, with Hinsdale Central and anchorman Johnny Kruger prevailing.

The host Saints picked up some points in the pole vault, where Jonathan Nitsch took second behind DeKalb’s Jackson Pfaff, and in the 200 meters where Peter VanLue was a close third behind Tresslar and Neuqua’s Daniel Robinson.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250412/boys-track-and-field/boys-track-and-field-cupials-blazing-800-key-in-downers-grove-norths-mccornack-title/