The Hastings Raiders boys golf team competed in two varsity events during the week of April 13, opening with the Hastings Invite at Hastings Golf Club in Hastings, Minnesota, on April 13, followed by the Dakota County Invite at Loggers Trail Golf Course in Stillwater, Minnesota, on April 14. Both events were regular season varsity team stroke play competitions and featured strong fields that included several Class AAA Section 3 opponents.
At the Hastings Invite on April 13, the Raiders finished 10th with a team score of 322 against a deep field that included conference and section rivals as well as several top programs from around the region. St. Thomas Academy won the event with a 294, while Cretin-Derham Hall finished second at 299 and Farmington and Hill-Murray tied for third at 305. Hastings was led by junior David Bauer, who shot a 4 over par 76 to place 13th overall. Senior Drew Mamer followed with a 79 to finish 28th, and senior Brecken Fullerton added an 82 to place 50th. Freshman Chase Pine carded an 85 and placed 62nd, while senior Mason Leary shot an 87 and junior Rylan Krauth finished with an 88. Bauer’s round stood out as the top Hastings performance of the day and kept the Raiders competitive in a tightly packed middle portion of the standings. The team faced a challenging lineup of opponents and used the meet as an opportunity to measure progress early in the season against several strong programs that finished near the top of the leaderboard.
Hastings returned to action the next day at the Dakota County Invite at Loggers Trail Golf Course, where the Raiders improved their team standing and placed sixth with a score of 316. St. Thomas Academy again claimed the team title with a 3 under par 289, followed by Rosemount at 301 and Two Rivers at 302. Hastings once again relied on steady play from Bauer, who led the team with a 3 over par 76 and placed 11th overall. Mamer followed with a 79 to finish 20th, while Fullerton shot an 80 and placed 23rd. Pine added an 81 to take 25th, and Leary recorded an 83 to finish 27th. Junior Jack Woodwick rounded out the Hastings lineup with an 89. The Raiders showed improved scoring depth in the second event of the week, with five players finishing at 83 or better. That balanced effort helped the team move up the standings against another competitive Section 3 field that included Rosemount, Two Rivers, Eagan, and Hermantown.
Hastings will look to build on the steady play shown across both meets as the season continues, with upcoming competition expected to provide additional opportunities for the Raiders to sharpen their lineup and continue lowering team scores as conference and section play develops.