Men's Cross Country 11/12/2024 2:26:00 PM

MXC National Runners-Up

Mechanicsville, VA: At the 2024 NJCAA DIII Cross Country National Championship, the Harper Hawks put up an impressive performance, finishing as the runner-up team behind the College of DuPage Chaparrals. This year, the Chaparrals presented the stiffest competition the Hawks have faced under head coach Jim Macnider, ultimately edging out Harper for the national title. However, the Hawks achieved a significant accomplishment of their own, with five runners earning All-American honors—marking the second-highest total in team history, just behind their six All-American awards in 2014.

Owen Whelan led the charge for Harper, delivering a standout performance with a personal record 26:17 to finish 3rd overall. His time secured him a spot on the First-Team All-American list and earned him the team's MVP honors after a season of remarkable growth and improvement. He is now 9th on the Hawks' All-Time 8k list.

The Hawks' strength was further displayed by their pack of finishers in 10th, 11th, 12th, and 14th place. Connor Ariunbat ran 26:59, placing 10th to earn Second-Team All-American recognition, while teammates Jose Morales (27:18), Jason Schmidt (27:24), and Jerome Graessle (27:32) finished close behind, each receiving Honorable Mention All-American honors.

Rounding out the Harper squad, Michael Johnson crossed the line in 28th with a time of 28:45, and Konrad Jakubowski finished in 29:14 despite sustaining an injury around the 5k mark. The team's tightly packed finish and high number of All-American honorees underscore their depth and resilience.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Konrad Jakubowski: Sophomore

Jose Morales: Sophomore

Jason Schmidt: Sophomore

Owen Whelan: Sophomore

Jerome Graessle: Freshman

Connor Ariunbat: Freshman

Michael Johnson: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Konrad Jakubowski
: Sophomore

Jose Morales
: Sophomore

Jason Schmidt
: Sophomore

Owen Whelan
: Sophomore

Jerome Graessle
: Freshman

Connor Ariunbat
: Freshman

Michael Johnson
: Freshman