The Hastings Raiders gymnastics team spent the 2025–26 season focused on growth, gaining experience, and building confidence across a young lineup that showed steady improvement as the winter progressed.
Hastings opened the season on a positive note with a dual meet win over Two Rivers, posting a 110.425 team score to take the early victory. The Raiders showed balance across all four events, led by strong performances from Makenna McGraw, Aubrey Strohfus, and Elsie Bauer. McGraw finished with the top all-around score at 28.225, helping set the tone for the team’s early season efforts.
As the season continued, the Raiders faced a series of challenging meets against deeper and more experienced programs. Competing in triangular and dual formats allowed Hastings to test routines, build depth in the lineup, and give younger gymnasts valuable varsity experience.
One of the highlights of the season came during a home triangular meet against Minneapolis Washburn and St. Paul Highland Park. Hastings finished with a team score of 106.6 while continuing to develop consistency across events. Vault proved to be one of the Raiders’ stronger rotations, with gymnasts like McGraw, Strohfus, and Katelynn Qualy contributing solid scores.
Later in the season, the Raiders hosted Mahtomedi for senior night, a meet that celebrated the program’s graduating athletes while showcasing several strong routines in front of the home crowd. Qualy led Hastings on floor exercise with an 8.075, while McGraw posted the top all-around score for the Raiders at 28.35.
The season concluded at the Section 3AA championship meet at Park High School in Cottage Grove. Hastings finished eighth as a team with a score of 111.925, the Raiders’ second-highest total of the season and slightly above their season average.
Freshman Makenna McGraw led the team at sections, finishing 13th in the all-around with a 28.95. Fellow freshman Aubrey Strohfus delivered one of her strongest meets of the season with a 26.275 all-around score, while senior Katelynn Qualy and freshman Morgan Kennedy also contributed across multiple events.
With several underclassmen gaining valuable varsity experience throughout the winter, the Raiders closed the season with a foundation that points toward continued growth in the years ahead.