The Hastings Raiders Nordic ski team delivered an impressive showing at the Section championships, with several athletes earning trips to state and both teams turning in strong overall performances on a big day of racing.
The boys team finished third overall with 364 total points, just one place shy of qualifying for state as a team. Despite narrowly missing the team berth, the Raiders put themselves in contention throughout the meet with consistent results and strong efforts across the lineup.
Leading the way for Hastings was Micah Trost, who placed fifth overall in the boys pursuit race with a combined time of 28:46.6. Trost’s performance secured an individual state berth for the second consecutive year, highlighting his consistency and leadership on the course.
Parker Stoltz also punched his ticket to state, finishing eighth overall with a time of 29:39.3. Stoltz claimed the final individual qualifying spot in dramatic fashion, finishing in a dead heat with another skier down to the tenth of a second. After a photo review at the finish line, Stoltz was awarded the spot when officials determined his boot crossed the line first. The thrilling finish marked Stoltz’s first trip to the state meet.
Aiden Reuter narrowly missed joining his teammates at state but turned in one of the day’s most impressive efforts. Reuter passed five skiers during the skate portion of the race and finished 10th overall with a time of 29:41.0, just one second behind Stoltz and the final qualifying position.
Additional strong finishes for the Raiders included Gabriel Peterson in 19th place with a time of 31:39.1 and Benjamin Schwanke in 35th at 35:00.1, helping Hastings build the depth needed for its third place team finish.
On the girls side, Hastings placed eighth overall with 306 team points. Senior Linnea Ronning led the Raiders with a ninth-place finish and a state qualifying performance. Ronning completed the pursuit in 33:34 after a strong skate race that helped her move into the final individual qualifying position. After sitting one place out following the classic portion, Ronning surged forward in the skate to secure her first trip to state.
Miriam Garofolo added a solid effort for Hastings, finishing 32nd overall with a time of 39:25. Elliana Lucking placed 40th in 42:14 and Emilia Krause finished 46th in 46:51, rounding out the Raiders lineup.
With three individual qualifiers, Trost, Stoltz and Ronning, Hastings will be represented at the state meet Feb. 11 at Giant’s Ridge in Biwabik, MN. The trio will look to carry their strong section performance forward as they compete against the top skiers in Minnesota.