The Hastings Raiders Nordic ski team turned in a strong showing on Jan. 20, 2026, competing in the MEC Classic at Hyland Park Reserve, with the boys team earning a first place finish and the girls placing third in a competitive field.
The Raiders boys captured the team title with 477 points, edging Two Rivers, which finished second with 452 points. Mahtomedi placed third with 429, followed closely by St. Thomas Academy at 428, while Tartan rounded out the scoring teams with 78 points. Hastings’ depth across the lineup played a key role, as multiple skiers placed well inside the top 10 and kept steady pressure on the rest of the field.
Micah Trost led the way for Hastings with a runner up finish, skiing to a time of 15:42.7. Trost’s performance set the tone early and gave the Raiders a strong anchor near the front of the pack. Gabe Peterson and David Tireman followed closely, finishing fourth and fifth respectively, each posting identical times of 16:23.5. Aiden Reuter added another solid result in eighth place with a time of 16:46.3, while Parker Stoltz finished ninth just a fraction behind at 16:46.9.
Further down the lineup, Will Carry placed 13th in 17:28.7, Ben Schwanke finished 16th in 18:45.3, and Landon Zajac crossed the line in 20th with a time of 19:35.6. Finn Cullen and Ian Carry rounded out the Hastings scoring group, finishing 23rd and 25th. The race was won by George Dahlager of Two Rivers, who posted a winning time of 14:55.8.
On the girls side, Hastings earned third place overall with 368 points, finishing behind Mahtomedi and Two Rivers. Mahtomedi claimed the team title with 475 points, followed by Two Rivers at 453, while Tartan placed fourth with 171.
Linnea Ronning paced the Raiders girls with a fourth place finish, skiing to a time of 19:21.0. Annika Hauck followed closely in sixth place, finishing in 19:54.9, giving Hastings two skiers near the front of the field. Denae Trost added an 11th place result with a time of 21:24.8, and Miriam Garofolo rounded out the scoring for Hastings in 15th place at 22:00.2.
The girls race was won by Josie Miller, who posted a winning time of 17:56.2.
With a first place boys finish and a solid third place effort from the girls, the MEC Classic marked a successful day for the Hastings Nordic ski program, highlighting both strong individual performances and balanced team depth on the trails at Hyland Park.