Will Merrick runs first sub-four-minute mile within Chicago at Magis Miles

Phillip Cupial comes back to win Boys High School race; Molly McGreal Girls High School winner; Alessia Sarussi wins Women’s Elite Mile

By Michael Newman

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Chicago, Ill – Meet Director Ed Ernst decided to start his own post season meet Magis Miles to provide an opportunity for basically everyone to compete one more time before the summer months. The root word Magis means great or greater according to Webster’s Dictionary. It has the meaning “encourages individuals to strive for excellence…”

Ernst also created the opportunity to have a runner try to break four minutes for the 1 Mile Run within the City limits of Chicago. This was the tenth year that this meet has been held at St. Ignatius College Prep’s track facility. Nine years and there was no runners to go under that magical barrier. That was until Saturday evening.

Will Merrick came in and went under that mark running 3:59.55 to win the Men’s Elite Mile to end the meet. This was a last-minute opportunity for the recent graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana. It might have been the final time that Merrick might be able to run competitively. While attending at Champaign, he was part of the Navy-ROTC. He will be in San Diego within a month to start his tour of duty with the United States Navy as a commissioned officer. If this was his final race, what a way to go out.

“I was not thinking about the past superstitions of this race. I knew I was ready to run this,” Merrick said. “I struggled a lot this season. A sport psychologist from the University of Illinois help me out. He told me if I panicked during a race, just let it go.”

Merrick ran 3:41.12 this season qualifying him to the NCAA West Regionals where he did not advance to the NCAA Championships. It was clear that Merrick, the top seed in this race, would win this race. He had the lead going through in 60 seconds and stayed with the pacer in the race as he opened a three second lead passing the halfway point in 1:58.69.

The pace setter stepped off the track past 1000 meters leaving Merrick on his own. He passed one lap to go in 2:58.17 now with a four second lead ahead of Arthur Graham formerly from the University of Alabama. Merrick found a second gear to get him around the track and finished in his 3:59.55 time with the crowd going crazy witnessing Chicago history.

“With a lap to go, I told myself I got it, I just have to push the final lap,” Merrick added. “But I ran 3:59 and got under. My legs buckled in the last 100 but I fought through that and let it go.”

Christopher Collet, formally from Wartburg College and Seneca High School, ran 4:06.18 to finish second ahead of veteran miler Cam Knudsen formally from St. Francis IL and Minooka High School who ran 4:07.21.

This was a meet of redemption for Phillip Cupial of Downers Grove North. Cupial was the 2024 IHSA State Champion in the 1600 Meter Run. He failed to advance to the finals at state but was a part of a state record team in the 4x800 Meter Relay and all-state in the 4x400 Meter Relay. There was focus in his eyes as he approached which meant trouble ahead for the rest of the 16-runner field.

Cupial stayed in the middle of the pack as Albert Turner of East Chapel Hill NC stayed with the pacesetter passing the first two laps in 62 seconds and 2:04 seconds with the rest of the field within two seconds of Turner and withing three seconds of each other.

It is the norm for Cupial to take control of the mile in the final lap of the race. On this night 600 meters before the finish left, he took over passing Turner and taking the lead. He passed the line before the final lap in 3:07.92 up two seconds on Turner and the rest of the pack. He closed in 61 seconds to win in 4:08.91, his best time of his career.

“I was not happy at my race last week at state. I just wanted to go out and prove that all the work I did this year was worth it. I am happy how this went. I ran with guts tonight,” a relieved Cupial said after his win. “It was whether you go or not. It’s that split decision in the race. I was so sick of being disappointed, so I went after it that soon. Today I wanted to run fast and ger a personal best of which I am proud.”

Nicolai Martino of Winnebago ran 4:11.26 to finish second ahead of Jesse Kramer of Belvidere North (4:11.74). Downers Grove North’s Grant Schroder (4:12.53) and Will Surratt (4:12.87) finished fourth and fifth ahead of Turner (4:13.28).

Mateo Ramiro-Garcia of Sandburg set the standard in this division leading from the gun running 4:14.07 to win the first section of the Ray Meyer Elite HS Mile and finishing seventh overall. Declan Slavin of Payton finished second (4:16.39) ahead of Mateus Salomao of Hersey (4:16.43), Tra’Monti Williams of Payton (4:17.08), and Joey Papanicholas of New Trier (4:17.49) in that race.

Alessa Sarussi formally from Illinois-Chicago ran 4:46.89 to win the Women’s Elite 1 Mile Run. Ellie Maddox of Sioux Falls Christian SD, who was the South Dakota Christian State Champion in the 1600 Meter Run a week ago, ran a huge personal best of 4:47.12 to just finish second. Ali Londrigan of Chatham-Glenwood was the first Illinois High School finisher in the race placing third (4:55.38) ahead of Kyla Babb of Westmont (4:57.58) and Ava Gilley of Downers Grove North (4:59.88).

Molly McGreal of Trinity held on to run 5:06.97 to win the Ray Meyer Girls High School Elite Mile just ahead of Gwen Hobson of St. Charles North (5:07.41). Ellie Sheaffer of St. Ignatius College Prep finished third (5:09.37) just ahead of Abigail Jordan from Palatine (5:09.53), Ella Satre of Hinsdale Central (5:09.72), and Sophia Galliano-Sanchez of York (5:10.13).

Bryce Counihan of Lincoln-Way Central was in full control of Section 6 of the Boys High School Open 1 Mile Run running 4:21.03 to win the section by three seconds and the overall winner of the seven-section event. Alex Batsala of Plainfield South won Section 7 and finished second overall (4:21.67) ahead of Luca Bryja of Harvest Christian Academy (4:22.87), Kyle Friedl of Lincoln-Way Central (4:23.03), and Ben Gibson of Latin School (4:23.92).

Antonina Leary of Lane ran 5:22.74 to win the Girls High School Open Mile ahead of Alyssa Novak of Glenbard West (4:23.95) and Idaly Cristobal of Lane (5:24.23).

Chloe Milton of Chicago St. Benedict pulled away in the second half of the race to run a personal best 5:22.00 to win the Girls Middle School 1 Mile Run. Nellie Patton of Evanston ran 5:29.74 to finish second.

The Boys Middle School 1 Mile Run became a two-runner race in the last of the three sections. Julian Minkov of Chicago Audubon Elementary ran 4:39.15 to win the event. Gavin Moffat of Chicago Latin ran 4:40.36 to finish second. All 13 runners in the third and final section ran under five minutes.