Hawks Soar to Historic Marks at Gene Davis Invitational

Appleton, WI: The Harper men's cross country team turned in a standout performance at the 14th Annual Gene Davis Invitational, hosted by Lawrence University at Reid Municipal Golf Course on Saturday afternoon. Racing through the open and flat course at noon, all eight Hawks had exceptional days with seven personal bests recorded across the lineup.

Leading the charge once again was Ryan Golden, who continued his remarkable freshman season with a time of 25:46, earning himself USTFCCCA M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week honors. Sebastian Welc wasn't far behind, clocking 25:53 to solidify his place as the Hawks' consistent No. 2 runner. Both freshmen now rank inside the top 10 all-time 8K performances in program history.

Post-race, Welc shared insight into his approach: "My plan was to stick with Ryan and work on being more comfortable being uncomfortable," he said. "That worked for about 7K before he pulled away. The team showed up and handled business today. Running alongside a teammate helps, you don't want them to beat you, but sticking with them uplifts both of you."

Jerome Graessle followed with a stellar personal record of 26:38, smashing his previous best after lacing up spikes for the first time this month (he forgot them last week, if anyone forgot). Known for running steady and controlled races, Graessle went out faster than usual, hitting his first mile in 5:30. "I got pissed and needed to lock in going forward," he joked. "Usually around 4K I start thinking 'I feel like crap,' but this time I was like, 'Dang, I still feel good, I'm PRing today.'"

Ethan Waddell also broke the 27-minute barrier for the first time, running 26:50 in a breakthrough performance that showed his growing consistency. Michael Johnson continued the theme of improvement, finishing in 27:26, nearly a full minute faster than his time on the same course last season. "This race was a big confidence boost," Johnson said. "It reminded me what I'm capable of if I stay positive and motivated."

Rounding out the lineup, Eric Escobedo (28:34) and Nate Larsen (28:58) both broke 29:00 for the first time, while RJ Moniri (29:24) came within two seconds of his lifetime best after battling through a tough stretch in the fourth mile.

The team's collective effort may have produced one of the lowest 1–5 composite times in program history, a testament to the squad's depth and development. All four of the Hawks' top finishers now sit among the top 50 all-time 8K performances in school history, with their fifth runner close behind.

The Hawks will return to action on Friday, October 17, at the Bradley Pink Classic hosted at Newman Golf Course, where they'll face Region IV rival College of DuPage for the first time this season. Harper enters ranked No. 1 nationally, with DuPage sitting at No. 2 in the latest USTFCCCA poll — setting the stage for an exciting showdown.

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Players Mentioned

Jerome Graessle: Sophomore

Michael Johnson: Sophomore

RJ Moniri: Sophomore

Ryan Golden: Freshman

Nate Larsen: Freshman

Ethan Waddell: Freshman

Eric Escobedo: Freshman

Sebastian Welc: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Jerome Graessle
: Sophomore

Michael Johnson
: Sophomore

RJ Moniri
: Sophomore

Ryan Golden
: Freshman

Nate Larsen
: Freshman

Ethan Waddell
: Freshman

Eric Escobedo
: Freshman

Sebastian Welc
: Freshman