The Hastings Raiders track and field team brought home pride and hardware at the MSHSL Section 3AAA Championships held on May 28. Both the boys and girls teams delivered standout performances, with record-breaking relays, multiple individual titles, and dozens of personal bests. The girls squad finished second overall in a hotly contested team race, while the boys also secured second place in a deep field of talent. Several Raiders not only secured spots at the upcoming state meet but etched their names into section history.
Girls 4x200 Relay smashes section record
The girls 4x200 meter relay team of Carlee Kordosky, Olyvia Erickson, Jersey Appert, and Ellie Magnus turned heads with a blistering time of 1:40.62. The quartet not only won the event but also broke the Section 3AAA record, a major highlight in a meet full of Raider momentum.
Magnus was a star across events, winning the 100 meters in 12.25 seconds and the 200 meters in 24.94 seconds. She also placed second in the long jump with a leap of 17-01.50. In each event, she showed the explosive speed and consistency that has made her a leader for the Hastings sprint crew.
Erickson added another gold for the Raiders in the 400 meters with a personal best of 56.58. Kordosky added her own individual title in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.26 and placed second in the 300-meter hurdles in 47.36. These performances showed the Raiders’ depth in speed and technical events.
Mya Bauer, just a ninth grader, stepped up in the field events, placing second in both the high jump and triple jump. Her triple jump mark of 36-02.00 was a personal record.
Lauren Whitfield claimed the title in the discus with a monster throw of 140-01, a personal best that secured her a state berth. She also placed fourth in the shot put. Teammate Rylee Kimmes joined her in the discus top three with a third place throw of 117-11.
Distance runner Linnea Ronning ran tough to finish third in the 1600 meters and fourth in the 3200 meters, leading a young but determined distance squad.
The Hastings girls finished second in the team standings with 182 points, just behind Rosemount’s 198.5. The team result reflected strength across every discipline, from sprints to throws to jumps.
Boys relay teams break records and lead the charge
The boys 4x400 relay team of Aven Johnson, Gunner Hanstad, Johnathan Vickney, and Sebastian Strauss put on a show with a 3:17.38 finish that shattered the Section 3AAA record. The performance marks one of the fastest 4x400 times in the state and sets the Raiders up as a serious contender at the state level.
Not to be outdone, the 4x200 squad of Cole Zeien, Hanstad, Strauss, and Lane Hoffman flew to a winning time of 1:26.52, another elite mark and a clear highlight of the meet.
Individually, Hoffman sprinted to gold in the 200 meters with a personal-best 21.60 in difficult headwind conditions. He also placed fourth in the 100 meters. Zeien joined him in the 200 final, taking fifth.
Strauss was dominant in the 400 meters, winning the event in 48.26. Hanstad followed closely in second with a personal-best 48.74, giving the Raiders a powerful 1–2 punch.
In the 300-meter hurdles, senior Isaac Clark ran a personal-best 40.25 to place third in the final. Clark also qualified for the 110 hurdles final and was part of the 4x100 team.
In the throws, Lukas Foss and Jacob Reuter delivered a 2–3 finish in the discus, with Foss tossing a personal-best 149-00 and Reuter hitting 148-01. Landon Miska added depth in both the shot put and discus with personal bests of his own.
Tristan Herbst and Parker Stoltz led the distance crew, both setting personal bests in the 3200 meters while placing seventh and tenth respectively.
Overall, the Hastings boys finished second in the team standings with 115 points. Rosemount took the top spot with 225 points, but the Raiders held off Eagan and Eastview in a tight race for runner-up.
Young talent and depth across events
Perhaps most encouraging for the Raiders is the contribution from underclassmen. Eighth grader Paisley Grunzke ran on multiple relays for the girls. Ninth grader Mya Bauer reached the podium in two jumping events. On the boys side, sophomore Aven Johnson ran a key leg in the record-setting 4x400 relay and showed promise in the 300-meter hurdles.
Athletes across the board hit personal records in key events, including several in the 800 and 1600 meter prelims. For many, it marked the end of the season, but they left it all on the track.
Looking ahead to state
With multiple individual qualifiers and two powerhouse relay teams heading to the MSHSL State Championships, Hastings has its eyes set on more podium finishes. The girls 4x200 and boys 4x400 relays arrive as section champions with some of the top times in Minnesota. Several individual athletes, including Magnus, Strauss, Erickson, Hoffman, and Whitfield, are also expected to contend.
This year’s Section 3AAA meet was more than a warm-up. It was a showcase of Raider pride, resilience, and rising talent. Hastings isn’t just showing up at state. They’re arriving with serious momentum.
The Raiders will now send a strong contingent to the Class AAA State Meet, which will take place June 10 through 12 at St. Michael-Albertville High School. State qualifiers for the boys include Lane Hoffman in the 200 meters, Sebastian Strauss and Gunner Hanstad in the 400 meters, Isaac Clark in the 300-meter hurdles, Lukas Foss and Jacob Reuter in the discus, and both the 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams. For the girls, qualifiers include Ellie Magnus in the 100, 200, and long jump, Olyvia Erickson in the 400, Carlee Kordosky in the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles, Lauren Whitfield in the discus, and the record-setting 4x200 relay team of Kordosky, Erickson, Jersey Appert, and Magnus. These Raiders will compete against the best in the state, ready to represent Hastings on the biggest stage of the season.