Hinsdale Central’s Brian Thompson has an all-around great performance

With three weeks left in the regular season, Brian Thompson seems to have gotten the hang of high school gymnastics.

The club competitor joined Hinsdale Central’s team for his senior season this year and earned his second major title in the all-around with a winning 54.825 Friday night at Central’s Canino Invitational.

Thompson won three individual events and earned his high all-around score of the season. He opened his career with an all-around win March 1 at the Red Devil Invitational with a 53.70 total.

Downers Grove North, which finished third at state last season, won the Canino Invite for the fifth consecutive year, beating West Suburban Silver rival Lyons 149.30-144.70 in the 10-team meet. The 25th annual meet consists of all the West Suburban Conference schools that compete in boys gymnastics.

The title was the last for DGN coach Alan Bekkedal, who will retire at the end of the year after 32 seasons. The Trojans have competed in every meet, but their only previous win was in 2005.

“Everybody takes their turn (winning),” Bekkdal said. “The last four to five years, we have been lucky with our talented athletes in the gym. They work hard.”

DGN was led by 3-4 finishes in the all-around by Strah Sopcic (51.95) and John Schubert (50.45). Sopcic won parallel bars (9.3) and Schubert won high bar (9.5).

Thompson’s titles came on floor exercise (9.5), pommel horse (8.8) and still rings (9.6). Lyons sophomore Chris Rediehs won vault (9.2) while taking second in all-around (52.65).

“I have been doing a lot better in practice and hit my routines,” Thompson said. “If I hit my horse, that could win a meet for me. With my horse today, I fell once, but it was nothing that I thought would make a difference.”

His rings score was his second best of the season after scoring 9.65 in a dual meet earlier this season.

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