The Hastings Raiders track and field teams put together another strong week of competition, finishing near the top of the standings at the Matt Kero Memorial Invitational on Friday, May 8 at Denfeld High School in Duluth after earlier competing in the 2AAA Section True Team meet on Tuesday, May 5 at White Bear Lake North Campus. Hastings faced large fields at both meets, including several of the top programs in eastern Minnesota.
At the 2AAA Section True Team meet, the Hastings girls finished fourth with 660.5 points while the boys placed sixth with 536.5 points. Stillwater Area won both team titles in the eight-team competition.
The Raiders showed depth throughout the meet, collecting points across sprint, distance, field and relay events.
In the boys 100-meter dash, senior Matthew Jelks placed sixth in 11.35 seconds, and junior Richard Boyer followed in eighth with a personal best time of 11.39 seconds. Hastings also received a personal best performance from Jelks earlier in the season, and the sprint group continued to show improvement against one of the strongest section fields in the state.
The girls squad helped keep Hastings near the top of the standings throughout the day with strong performances across multiple events. The Raiders consistently scored points in both individual races and relays while competing against programs including Stillwater, White Bear Lake, Eagan and Woodbury.
Hastings returned to competition three days later at the Matt Kero Memorial Invitational and turned in one of its best overall meets of the spring.
The Raiders boys finished second in the 14 team standings with 116 points, trailing only Duluth East. The Hastings girls also took second with 163 points, just behind Duluth East’s winning total of 165.
Hastings opened the meet with a strong showing in the boys 100-meter dash. Sophomore Elliott Hagen placed second in 11.65 seconds while Boyer added a third-place finish in 11.69. The pair helped the Raiders score valuable early sprint points.
The Raiders continued to produce strong results throughout the running events, combining speed and depth to remain near the top of the standings all afternoon. Hastings athletes also added key points in the field events and relays.
The girls team matched the boys with a balanced effort that kept pressure on Duluth East until the final events. Hastings scored consistently across the lineup while collecting top finishes in several races and field events.
The close finish in the girls standings highlighted how competitive the meet remained from start to finish. Hastings finished only two points behind Duluth East after a full day of competition.
The week also showed continued progress for several younger Raiders athletes. Multiple Hastings competitors recorded personal best performances during the two meets, especially in the sprint events where athletes continued lowering times as the season moved deeper into May.
The Section True Team meet provided an important postseason style atmosphere against many of the same schools Hastings will see again later this spring. Competing against Stillwater, White Bear Lake, Eagan, East Ridge and Woodbury gave the Raiders another opportunity to measure themselves against section competition.
The strong finish at the Matt Kero Memorial Invitational also provided momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season. Both Hastings teams proved they could compete near the top of larger invitationals while continuing to improve in several events.
Hastings will next prepare for the Metro East Championships on Thursday, May 21 at Two Rivers High School as the Raiders continue building toward the section and state meets later this season.