Downers Grove North takes home another boys cross country Twilight Invite title

The moon rises from Settler’s Hill in Kane County, and that is a good sign for the Boys Cross Country Twilight Invitational. Naperville North is the host for this meet, with this year’s race being held in Geneva due to track construction at North. Naperville area high schools like Neuqua Valley, Naperville Central, and Metea Valley are among the field as well. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

The runners are off with the night setting in the background, and the lights are on. A group of Hersey High School runners gets off to a good start as everyone else disappears in the night, with lights shining on the grass.

Jesse Gudauskas and Grayson Meek give Neuqua an early push

The lights are on as the runners approach mile one. Mateus Salomao of Hersey and Philip Cupial of Downers Grove North lead the pack with Neuqua Valley’s Jesse Gudauskas and Grayson Meek keeping pace. This pack is followed up by Naperville North’s Simon Reckcamp, Jackson Truty, Shreyas Meter, and Brian Hatlestad. Naperville Central’s Derek Williamson, Manny Najera, and Vaughn Scherer stay together in the early going. Just a little ways back are Dylan Bennett Garza and Henry Faber from Metea Valley and more Wildcats, Anish and Reyaansh Bhagat.

Approaching the final mile, Philip Cupial runs a good stride as he builds a lead. Wildcat Jesse Gudauskas is next in line. Leading a small pack of runners is Yorkville’s Owen Horeni, with Wildcat Grayson Meek trailing behind the pack with Lane Tech’s Samuel Assefa on his side.

Philip Cupial leads Downers Grove North to victory

It all comes down at the finish line with Philip Cupial crossing the line for the top spot with a time of 14:34. Horeni takes 2^nd just a nose ahead of Gudauskas in 3rd with a time of 14:40.09 and 14:40.34. In 4th place is William Surratt of Downers North. Conrad Saner of Downers South takes 5th place. Grayson Meek of Neuqua Valley comes in 6th place. Lane Tech’s Samuel Assefa comes in 7^th, followed by teammate Quinn Anderson in 11th. Naperville North’s Jackson Truty would eventually place 14th, while Redhawks Derek Williamson and Manny Najera would place 24th and 25th, respectively. Meteus Salomao from Hersey takes 8^th, while Dixon runners Averick Wiseman and Dean Geiger take 9^th and 13^th.

The team standings see the Trojans of Downers Grove North taking home another Twilight Invite title, ahead of Lane Tech and Hersey. Isaak Stein, Tyler Linch-Goff, and Josh Farrero all finish in the top 23 to help the Trojans. Neuqua Valley ends the night in fourth place.