The Hastings Raiders girls golf team stayed busy with three varsity meets during the first full week of May, competing at Inver Wood Golf Course in Inver Grove Heights, Loggers Trail Golf Course in Stillwater, and Emerald Greens Golf Club in Hastings. Hastings faced a mix of conference opponents and larger invitational fields throughout the week, highlighted by a second-place finish against Simley on May 4. The Raiders also competed in the Metro East Conference Match No. 2 on May 5 and wrapped up the week at the Rosemount Irish Girls Golf Invitational on May 8.
Hastings opened the week on Monday, May 4, in a regular season varsity team stroke play meet against Simley at Inver Wood Golf Course. The afternoon competition featured Section 3AAA rivals, with the Spartans finishing first at 210 and the Raiders close behind in second at 219. Hastings had several strong individual rounds during the nine-hole event, led by junior Harmon Brown, who carded a 48 to finish first overall among Raiders golfers and tied for the top spot individually. Senior Haylee Newton added a solid 55 for fifth place, while sophomore Anika Johnson and junior Jaylyn Rath each shot 58 to tie for seventh. Sophomore Maddy Ritter turned in a 63, and senior Lauren Judge finished with a 67.
The Raiders stayed competitive throughout the meet and finished only nine strokes behind Simley in the final team standings. Brown’s round helped set the pace for Hastings, while Newton, Johnson, and Rath provided key scoring depth. The close finish showed improvement for the Raiders early in the week against a familiar conference opponent. Hastings finished second overall in the meet with a 219 team score. Individual scores for the Raiders included Brown with a 48, Newton with a 55, Johnson and Rath at 58, Ritter at 63, and Judge at 67.
Hastings returned to action the next day on Tuesday, May 5, at the Metro East Girls Conference Match No. 2 at Loggers Trail Golf Course in Stillwater. The larger conference field included Hill-Murray, Mahtomedi, Two Rivers, Simley, Tartan, and South St. Paul. Hill-Murray claimed the team title with a 311, while Hastings finished fifth with a 416 team score.
Brown again led the Raiders, posting a 94 to place 14th individually in the 18-hole event. Freshman MacKenzie Krauth added a 103 for Hastings, while Newton shot 108 and Johnson followed with a 111. Ritter finished at 113, and Judge recorded a 124. The conference meet featured several strong teams, and Hastings continued to gain experience against deep competition across the Metro East Conference.
The Raiders showed consistency from the top of the lineup with Brown leading the way for a second straight meet. Krauth also provided a strong contribution in one of her better varsity rounds of the season. Hastings finished fifth overall in the conference standings at 416. Brown led Hastings with a 94, followed by Krauth at 103, Newton at 108, Johnson at 111, Ritter at 113, and Judge at 124. Hill-Murray earned the team win, while Mahtomedi and Two Rivers rounded out the top three.
Hastings closed the week on Friday, May 8, by hosting the Rosemount Irish Girls Golf Invitational at Emerald Greens Golf Club in Hastings. The invitational brought together several strong Class AAA programs from around the metro area, including Rosemount, Lakeville North, Stillwater, Chanhassen, Eastview, Chaska, and New Prague. Rosemount captured the team championship with a 319, edging Lakeville North by six strokes.
The Raiders placed 10th in the team standings with a score of 434. Brown once again paced Hastings, shooting a 98 to finish 42nd overall. Johnson carded a 108, while Judge added a 109. Sophomore Ady Ruiz shot a 119, and freshman Cloe McGree finished with a 127. The invitational field featured many of the top teams in the area, giving Hastings another opportunity to compete against strong competition late in the week.
Despite the challenging field, the Raiders continued to gain valuable experience heading deeper into the spring schedule. Brown remained the team’s top finisher throughout the week and consistently led the Hastings lineup in all three events. Hastings finished 10th overall at Emerald Greens with a 434 team score. Brown led the Raiders with a 98, followed by Johnson at 108, Judge at 109, Ruiz at 119, and McGree at 127. Rosemount won the invitational with a 319 team total.
Hastings will continue its busy May schedule with another stretch of conference and invitational play in the coming weeks. The Raiders are scheduled to compete Friday, May 15, in a multi-team event beginning at 10 a.m. and will return to conference action Monday, May 18, in another Metro East meet scheduled for 9 a.m.