The 2025 Hastings Raiders boys track and field team will be remembered as the group that finally broke through. With a gutsy, electric performance at the MSHSL Class AAA State Championships, the Raiders captured their first state title in school history, scoring 52 points and edging out perennial powerhouses Mounds View and Elk River. It took speed, grit, and near-perfect execution from a tight group of seven athletes, but in the end, Hastings stood alone at the top.
At the center of it all was junior Lane Hoffman, who has turned heads all season long and sealed his breakout year with a dominant win in the 200 meters. His time of 21.22 seconds wasn’t just a personal best; it was the fastest in the state for 2025. Hoffman’s acceleration off the curve and relentless drive down the homestretch left the rest of the field chasing shadows. It was worth 12 crucial points for the team, and it set the tone early.
Not far behind him in terms of impact was another junior, Sebastian Strauss. If Hoffman brought the flash, Strauss brought the control and power. He took gold in the 400 meters with a smooth, technically sound race that ended in 49.02 seconds. Strauss never panicked, stayed relaxed through the opening 200, then shifted gears coming off the final turn and cruised to the finish. His win added another 12 points to the team total and further solidified Hastings as a legitimate contender.
The Raiders didn’t just rely on individual talent, though. They won both sprint relays, and those victories were as much about chemistry and discipline as they were about raw speed. In the 4x200 meter relay, the quartet of Cole Zeien, Gunner Hanstad, Strauss, and Hoffman clocked an incredible 1:25.80, the fastest time in Minnesota this year. Clean handoffs and aggressive running put them in the lead by the halfway point, and Hoffman brought it home with a punishing anchor leg that lit up the crowd.
The 4x400 relay wasn’t far behind in the drama department. Hastings rolled out Jack Cloutier, Hanstad, Johnny Vickney, and Strauss. Their winning time of 3:19.41 was a product of balance and toughness. Hanstad, already with a full day behind him, ran a gutsy second leg. Vickney held his ground in a tight third leg, and Strauss closed the deal with a hammer of a final 400, holding off a charging Stillwater team down the stretch.
Speaking of Hanstad, his performance might have been the most underrated of the day. He placed sixth in the open 400 meters with a time of 50.09, grabbing four important points that made the difference in a razor-thin team race. He also ran legs on both winning relays, making him one of the key three-event athletes who held the whole thing together. Without his consistency and toughness, Hastings doesn’t win this title.
The supporting cast mattered, too. Vickney and Cloutier may not have run individual events at state, but their performances in the 4x400 were clutch. They kept Hastings in striking range and gave Strauss the window he needed. Senior Lukas Foss also earned his spot at state in the discus, placing 23rd, and while he didn’t score points, his presence helped deepen the team culture and rounded out the full-state roster.
In a meet where the top five teams were separated by just five points, there was no room for error. Every leg, every split, every second counted. Hastings ended with 52 points, just three ahead of Mounds View and four ahead of Elk River. That slim margin made Hanstad’s sixth-place finish and the flawless relay exchanges all the more meaningful.
For a program that has built steadily over the past several years, this championship represents the culmination of hard work, belief, and timing. It wasn’t just the wins that made it special, it was how the team won, with athletes stepping up in every event they entered, with teammates pushing each other to be better, and with a focus that never wavered.
Head coach Jason Koch and his staff have cultivated a team-first mentality, and it paid off when it mattered most. This wasn’t a team full of recruited stars or hyped-up prospects. It was a group of talented, determined athletes who put the team ahead of themselves and backed it up when the spotlight hit.
The 2025 state title will be remembered not just as a win, but as a turning point. It proved that Hastings belongs in the conversation with the best track programs in Minnesota. And with underclassmen like Hoffman and Strauss returning next year, the Raiders aren’t just celebrating, they’re setting the bar even higher.
For now, though, this group of seven can take a deep breath and enjoy their place in history. The banner will hang in the gym, the trophy will gleam in the case, and every future Hastings track athlete will know what’s possible. The 2025 Raiders didn’t just win. They changed what the program believes it can be.