The Nike Outdoor Nationals (NON) is a high school and middle school track and field championship held in Eugene, Oregon for the nation’s top track and field athletes. Athletes across the U.S. can register for NON once they have met the required results at an official school meet. Hastings qualified 10 athletes, four girls and six boys: Lane Hoffman, Sebastian Strauss, Gunner Hanstad, Cole Zeien, Jack Cloutier, Johnny Vickney, Carlee Kordosky, Olyvia Erickson, Jersey Appert and Ellie Magnus.
The biggest highlight of the weekend came from the boys 4x200 meter relay team, who raced to a national championship. The team of Zeien, Hanstad, Strauss and Hoffman ran a scorching 1:26.22 in the finals, earning Hastings the top spot on the podium and the title of Nike Outdoor Nationals champions in the event. Their time was among the fastest in the country this season, a remarkable accomplishment considering the national stage.
Individually, Lane Hoffman represented Hastings in the 200-meter Championship Prelims, placing 25th overall with a time of 21.83 seconds. Sebastian Strauss earned national recognition with an eighth-place finish in the 400-meter Championship Finals. His time of 47.56 was a new personal record and underscored his standing among the top quarter-milers in the country. Gunner Hanstad also competed in the 400, placing 31st in the Emerging Elite division with a time of 49.84.
In the boys 4x100 meter relay, the team of Zeien, Vickney, Cloutier and Hoffman ran a time of 42.92 seconds in the prelims to place 13th overall. Later, the 4x400 relay team of Cloutier, Hanstad, Vickney and Strauss advanced to the championship finals and placed eighth with a total time of 3:19.70. Individual splits showed Cloutier opening with 52.02, followed by Hanstad at 49.32, Vickney at 50.42 and Strauss anchoring in 47.93.
On the girls side, Ellie Magnus raced in the 200-meter Championship Prelims, finishing 44th overall in 25.34 seconds. She returned later in the meet to help anchor the girls 4x200 meter relay team, where she joined Carlee Kordosky, Olyvia Erickson and Jersey Appert. The quartet earned sixth place in the championship finals with a season-best 1:42.09.
Hastings also entered the mixed 4x400 relay, a unique event combining male and female runners. The team of Hanstad, Magnus, Strauss and Erickson ran a time of 3:32.95 to place third overall, adding another podium finish to the Raiders' impressive weekend.
The Nike Outdoor Nationals represent one of the most competitive high school meets in the country, and for Hastings to come away with a national title, multiple top eight finishes, personal bests and finals appearances speaks volumes about the talent and preparation of these athletes. The coaching staff and community back home had plenty to cheer about as the blue and gold made its mark in Oregon.