Our athletes are building momentum as we hit the heart of the race season, and I couldn’t be prouder of their dedication and performance.”

Head Coach Jason Gergen

The Hastings Alpine Ski Team has fully embraced the return of cold weather after last season’s record warmth. With two conference races already under their belts and a trip to Giants Ridge for an invitational, the Raiders are carving their way through a promising season.
The team kicked off their conference season at Welch Village, hosting a home race against formidable competitors, including the defending boys’ state champions from Minneapolis Washburn and the top-ranked girls’ team from Hill-Murray. Despite the stiff competition, the Raider boys clinched third place out of seven teams after standout performances came from James McNamara, Finn Caturia, Gavin Molitor, Axton Bauer, Will Bauer, Weston Chandler, and middle schoolers Leighton Stoffel and Henry Naber. The girls secured fourth place, with strong contributions from Kate Nowak, Alexa Loritz, Claire Caturia, Amelia Montgomery, Maddie Herdt, Lia Ferguson, Maddie Paulson, and seventh-grader Marley Schield.
At Wild Mountain, the Raiders faced another challenging showdown, racing on the same hill that will host their section meet. The girls’ team finished fifth, led by Alexa Loritz, Claire Caturia, Maddie Herdt, Claire Montgomery, Marley Schield, Lia Ferguson, Maddie Paulson, and Addison Maniak. The boys’ team placed fourth, with standout skiing from Finn Caturia, Will Bauer, James Samii, Weston Chandler, Gavin Molitor, and middle schoolers Leighton Stoffel, Henry Naber, and Max Bauer.
“With over half the boys’ team still in seventh or eighth grade, the depth of our program is incredible,” said head coach Jason Gergen. “These young athletes are the future of the team, and they’re already making an impact.”
Last weekend, a group of Raiders traveled to Giants Ridge on the Iron Range to test their skills on the same slopes that will host the state meet. The team competed in two races on Saturday, January 18. Kate Nowak led the girls with two eighth place finishes out of more than 125 competitors. Strong skiing from Alexa Loritz, Addison Maniak, Claire Caturia, Maddie Herdt, Maddie Paulson, Amelia Montgomery, and Lia Ferguson earned the Raiders sixth and eighth place finishes out of 20 teams.
On the boys’ side, Gavin Molitor shined with a fourth-place finish in the morning race. He was supported by Finn Caturia, James McNamara, Will Bauer, Weston Chandler, Jadon Mike, and Fischer Kaufman, helping the team secure ninth place overall. In the afternoon race, Gavin repeated his fourth-place finish, with Finn Caturia and James McNamara joining him in the top ten, placing fifth and eighth, respectively. These performances propelled the boys to a second-place finish, just one point behind the winning team from Cook County.
“It was a fantastic effort by everyone,” Gergen said. “Our athletes are building momentum as we hit the heart of the race season, and I couldn’t be prouder of their dedication and performance.”
With promising young talent and strong showings against tough competition, the Raiders are poised for continued success this season.