Downers Grove North junior Philip Cupial is the Suburban Life boys cross country Athlete of the Year

Junior Philip Cupial made a top-10 contribution to the Downers Grove North boys cross country team’s Class 3A state championship in 2023.

Winning the 1,600-meter run at the 3A state track and field meet May 25 showed Cupial the personal possibilities that remained.

“I knew I had great competition, seeing the times. It was still just all heart and grit and wanting to win so bad,” Cupial said. “That’s what I’ve built myself into at Downers Grove North these past few years – that championship mentality. That’s kind of what gave me the strength to win.”

Cupial, the 2024 Suburban Life Boys Cross Country Athlete of the Year, was part of another great championship moment Nov. 9 when the Trojans comfortably defended their 3A state championship.

Senior Grant Schroder (14:11.8) and Cupial (14:12.7) were second and fourth, respectively, with the program’s two fastest three-mile times ever behind New Trier senior champion Ben Crane (14:03.4). Junior Will Surratt, the Trojans’ other 2023 state returnee, was an All-State 12th (14:26.2).

“Probably the bus ride back (from 2023 state, we thought), ‘We return three.’ I was just like, ‘We could definitely get back-to-back (titles),’ ” Cupial said.

The Trojans (83 points) won by 61 points over second-place Plainfield North after beating the runner-up Tigers for the 2023 title 79-125.

Cupial hoped to challenge for the state title after numerous victories during the season. He joined Schroder in breaking the 14:23 school record held by Zack Smith after his third-place 3A state finish in 2013.

At the 2023 state meet, Cupial (7th, 14:30.56) and Schroder (10th, 14:36.05) also were the Trojans’ top two finishers.

“It was a lot of fun to see the growth out of them (this season),” Downers North boys cross country coach John Sipple said. “They’re both pretty chill, but they are cold-blooded assassins when it comes to race time. They are so competitive.”

Known for his vicious kick, Cupial enjoyed many breakthroughs. He won the West Suburban Conference Silver Division meet, Hinsdale Central Sectional and the Naperville North Twilight and Lyons Township invitationals.

On the national stage after the high school season, Cupial finished 10th (15:46.8 for 5,000 meters) at the Foot Locker Nationals on Dec. 14 in San Diego, California. He was the second highest finishing non-senior.

Cupial became Downers North’s first runner ever to qualify for the 40-runner national meet with a top-10 regional finish (4th, 15:03.4) Nov. 30 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was 0.1 behind Crane.

“I’m happy I put myself out there (at nationals), finished hard. I got 20 guys in the last mile,” Cupial said. “I beat some big names so I’m pretty proud of that.”

Although competing by himself, Cupial continued crediting Schroder for the increased success.

In Cupial’s four major high school victories, Schroder was second in three and third in the other. At the Twilight Invite, Cupial (14:24.09 for 3.0 miles) and Schroder (14:25.54) finished 1-2 as both broke the course record.

“It’s a friendly rivalry that made every practice so special,” Cupial said. “I’m so happy to have someone willing to give so much effort and have dreams of what I (also) want to do. Having those dreams together makes the moments so much better.”

Schroder also was outstanding. At the Nike Cross Nationals on Dec. 7 in Portland, Oregon, Schroder finished 24th (15:56.0 for 5,000 meters) and the team of Downers North runners placed sixth, one place better than 2023.

Schroder achieved the highest Downers North individual NXN finish. Smith was 30th in 2013.

“I feel like my junior year at state, Philip started to work up with me. Summer training, we really started to train as a 1-2 connection and built expectations to be around each other,” Schroder said. “That’s always been my dream, kind of leave my mark (like state and NXN). Just having these guys to help be the best that I could be, I couldn’t have done it without them. They carried me through everything. I think I helped them out, too.”

With Cupial perfecting his kick, more success should be coming. At the muddy NXN, Cupial “left a lot on the table,” losing contact with Schroder and front-runners but working up to 59th (16:20.3).

At state, Cupial chased down multiple runners in the final straightaway and was closing on Schroder.

“I feel like that was my hardest close ever. The last 200 yards, I gritted my teeth and finished in under 30 seconds,” Cupial said.

“He’s starting to realize his kick is very lethal and not many kids have what he has with that, too,” Sipple said. “He’s still kind of refining the process of using that for the elite level.”

All-Area boys cross country team

John Courtney, senior, Downers Grove North; Philip Cupial, junior, Downers Grove North*; Miguel Flores, sophomore, Morton; Tom Jochum, sophomore, Glenbard South*; Owen Kelly, senior, Downers Grove North; Patrick McGrail, senior, York; Aidan Murphy, senior, Wheaton North*; Josiah Narayanan, senior, Wheaton Warrenville South*; Aiden Noel, senior, Wheaton Warrenville South*; Brady Norman, senior, Riverside-Brookfield; John O’Halloran, senior, Lyons Township; Carter Olson, junior, York; Finn Richards, senior, Benet Academy**; Alex Rodriguez, junior, Morton; Orlando Sandoval, junior, Morton; Zach Santiel, senior, York; Grant Schroder, senior, Downers Grove North*; Will Surratt, junior, Downers Grove North*; Brady Travers, senior, Downers Grove North; Ben Wuggazer, senior, Lyons Township.

* – Previous All-Area selections