The Hastings Raiders boys wrestling team packed a lot of action into the past two weeks, turning in a strong stretch of dual meets and tournament performances while piling up bonus points and pins across the lineup.
The week opened with a busy Thursday as Hastings hosted Menomonie, Wisconsin, and Forest Lake. The Raiders set the tone early against Menomonie, rolling to a 57-9 win. Sully McNamara, Presley McCrae, Adrian Fuchs, and Elijah Christopher all delivered pins, helping Hastings build a comfortable margin. The night finished with a tight battle against Forest Lake, where the Raiders edged out a 28-26 victory. Beckett Edstrom provided the key moment of the dual, earning the team’s lone pin and swinging valuable points in Hastings’ favor.
On Friday, both the varsity and JV squads traveled to Park High School for a demanding slate of matches against Coon Rapids, White Bear Lake, and Park. Hastings opened with a convincing 55-11 win over Coon Rapids, highlighted by pins from Beckett Edstrom, William Bainbridge, Mark Svoboda, and Elijah Christopher. The momentum carried into the next dual, a 49-21 victory over White Bear Lake. Bainbridge, McCrae, Svoboda, and Christopher again found the fall, continuing a trend of quick finishes. The night closed with a 46-24 win over Park, where Sully McNamara, Edstrom, Bainbridge, David Bauer, Svoboda, and Fuchs all earned pins to seal the team result.
The previous weekend also featured a full day of tournament wrestling at Waconia High School. Hastings crowned several champions, with Beckett Edstrom finishing first place, William Bainbridge taking first place, Trey Beissel earning first place, Mark Svoboda finishing first place, Adrian Fuchs claiming first place, and Elijah Christopher also taking first place. Presley McCrae placed fourth, while Sully McNamara, Kasen Esterby, and Xavier Timm each finished sixth, adding depth scoring throughout the field.
Earlier that week, the Raiders traveled to Prior Lake for a dual triangular. Hastings defeated Prior Lake 41-19, with pins coming from McNamara, Bainbridge, Beissel, Svoboda, Esterby, Fuchs, and Christopher. The night ended with a 19-41 loss to Wayzata, though Hastings continued to show its ability to score bonus points throughout the lineup.
The stretch wrapped up with individual success at the MNGWL State Tournament, where five Hastings wrestlers qualified to compete. Grant Cook led the group with a first-place finish, while Riley Klebe and Levi Hoffman each placed sixth.
With a high pin total and consistent performances across multiple events, the Raiders closed out the week showing depth, resilience, and momentum as the season heads toward its final duals and postseason competition.
The boys host Rochester Century on Feb. 5 at 5:00 p.m. with the Kennedy Choir singing the anthem before senior night. The team section meet is Feb 13. At Woodbury High School starting at 4:00 p.m. with Team state at Grand Casino Arena starting Feb 25.