By Bruce Karnick

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After each season wraps up, Athletic Director Trent Hanson sends out the Raider Report for the previous season. For Hanson, the spring sports season normally starts chaotic simply due to Minnesota weather and hundreds of schedule and location changes. Add all the COVID protocols and changes to the protocols, it is understandable there were delays getting the winter report out.

The report talked about Raiders Express, the 25 year plus summer program for athletes to develop strength, speed, agility, balance, coordination, flexibility, confidence and team camaraderie. The program is for all students entering grades 6-12 in fall of 2021 regardless of gender or ability. For students that want to learn more, visit hastingsathletics.org.

Hanson also thanked the live streaming media partners for their support this year in helping provide live video and audio streams of various Raider sports and activities. The live streams were instrumental in keeping the community connected to the activities with the COVID restrictions in place.

Throughout this school year over 60 coaches representing all sports read Inside Out Coaching by Joe Ehrmann and participated in a four-session book study. Three different book studies took place in order to be flexible for attendees, with a different book study in the summer, fall, and winter. The author Joe Ehrmann himself joined the coaches for the final Zoom meeting of each seasonal session to answer questions and provide support.

It was a rewarding season for the 257 student-athletes that participated in a winter sport at HHS! In a year full of COVID mitigation protocols and limited spectators, highlights include: – Average team GPA of 3.41 and multisport athlete rate of 68%.

– Winter average team GPA, multi-sport rate, and athlete survey rate were all at highest rates in four years.

– Combined all-sport varsity W/L record of 66-48 (58% WP) – Boys Swim/Dive was MEC Conference Co-Champion, the first boys’ swim conference team title since 1987 – Boys Swim/Dive defeated St Thomas Academy for first time since 1992, and snapped STA’s 20+ year undefeated dual streak against all schools – Wrestling was MEC Runner-Up and Section 3AAA Champion & State Meet Participant (back to back state tourney participant & five of last six years) – Boys Alpine Ski was Section 3 runner up and would have been a state meet team qualifier in a non-COVID year – Six sports finished in the top 3 in the MEC: boys alpine, boys hockey, boys & girls nordic ski, boys swim/dive, wrestling – Aaron Herber was individual boys section champion in alpine ski – Phil Jensen was individual boys section champ in swim (100-back) – Linnea Urban was individual girls section runner-up in nordic ski – Eight athletes were named all-state and 19 individual athletes competed in MSHSL state tournaments – Wrestling coach Paul Vaith was named MHSWCA Assistant Coach of the Year