The Hastings Raiders turned in a strong all-around performance at their most recent Nordic ski meet, with the boys team earning a convincing first place finish and the girls placing third in a competitive field.
On the boys side, Hastings finished on top of the team standings with 478 points, edging out Two Rivers and staying ahead of Mahtomedi and St. Thomas Academy. The depth of the Raiders lineup showed throughout the race, with multiple skiers finishing near the front and contributing to the team score.
Leading the way was Micah Trost, who claimed first place overall with a winning time of 13:18.3. Trost set the tone early and never looked back, giving Hastings an important individual victory to anchor the team result. Parker Stoltz followed with a fourth-place finish in 13:51.6, continuing a stretch of consistent skiing that helped keep the Raiders comfortably in front.
Aiden Reuter added a sixth-place result with a time of 14:17.0, while David Tireman crossed the line just behind him in seventh at 14:28.2. Will Carry rounded out the top group for Hastings with a ninth-place finish in 15:06.2. Further back, Ben Schwanke and Finn Cullen provided valuable points with finishes of 20th and 22nd, helping secure the overall win.
The girls team also put together a solid showing, finishing third with 378 points behind Mahtomedi and Two Rivers. Hastings stayed in the mix throughout the race, highlighted by a strong performance from Linnea Ronning, who placed second overall with a time of 15:56.5. Ronning was less than ten seconds off the winning pace and led the Raiders with a smooth and controlled race.
Denae Trost and Annika Hauk finished close together in sixth and seventh, posting times of 17:27.8 and 17:29.9. Their back-to-back finishes helped Hastings stay competitive in the team standings. Mirriam Garofolo added an 11th place result in 18:28.5, rounding out the varsity scoring for the Raiders.
With a first-place boys finish and a steady girls performance against strong competition, Hastings left the meet with momentum and confidence, showing balance across the lineup and plenty of reason for optimism as the season continues.