The Hastings Raiders Nordic ski program turned in another strong winter on the trails during the 2025–26 season, highlighted by a Metro East Conference championship for the boys, an individual conference title for senior Linnea Ronning, and three athletes competing at the state meet.
From the first race in December through the final pursuit at Giant’s Ridge, Hastings consistently showed depth, resilience, and steady improvement despite a season that featured cold temperatures, wind, and at times limited snow.
The Raiders opened the winter with a solid performance at Mahtomedi, where the boys varsity team captured the Metro East Conference skate race title despite blustery conditions and a last-minute venue change. Parker Stoltz led the boys with a third-place finish in 18:22.1, followed closely by Micah Trost in fourth place at 18:49.0. Aiden Reuter added a seventh-place finish as Hastings used strong depth throughout the lineup to secure the team victory.
On the girls side, Ronning paced the Raiders with a fifth-place finish, while Denae Trost placed sixth to give Hastings two skiers near the front of the field as the team finished third overall.
As the season moved into January, the Raiders continued to show consistency across the lineup. At the Metro East Conference Classic race at Hyland Park Reserve, the Hastings boys again claimed the team title with 477 points, edging Two Rivers and keeping ahead of a tightly packed conference field.
Trost led Hastings with a runner-up finish, while Gabe Peterson and David Tireman placed fourth and fifth with identical times. Reuter and Stoltz also finished inside the top ten, demonstrating the kind of balanced scoring that became a hallmark of the Raiders’ season.
The girls remained competitive as well, finishing third as Ronning and Annika Hauck both placed in the top six.
That steady progress set the stage for one of the highlights of the season at the Metro East Conference Championships on Jan. 29. Competing in the pursuit format, which combines a classic race in the morning and freestyle in the afternoon, the Hastings boys captured the conference championship through depth and consistency.
Six Raiders finished inside the top 11, led by Trost in fourth place and Stoltz in fifth. Reuter, Tireman, Peterson, and Will Carry followed close behind as Hastings built a decisive team score.
“The boys team has just been so consistent, pushing each other to get better and really earned the team championship,” head coach Joe Rabaey said after the race.
The girls team added another highlight the same day as Ronning successfully defended her Metro East Conference individual title, winning the pursuit with a time of 34:13. Hastings placed second in the team standings, with strong support from Denae Trost, Annika Hauck, and Miriam Garofolo.
Two first-year skiers, Elliana Lucking and Emilia Krause, also stepped into varsity competition at the conference meet, helping the Raiders field a full scoring lineup in the 5K race.
The season’s final push came at the Section championships, where the Raiders once again showed their competitiveness against some of the top programs in the region.
The boys finished third overall, narrowly missing a team state berth but still qualifying two individuals for the state meet. Trost placed fifth in the pursuit to earn his second straight trip to state, while Stoltz finished eighth to claim the final qualifying position after a dramatic photo finish at the line.
Reuter just missed qualifying himself, finishing tenth after passing five skiers during the skate portion of the race and ending only one second behind the final state position.
Ronning also secured a state berth on the girls side, finishing ninth overall after moving up during the freestyle portion of the pursuit.
The trio represented Hastings at the MSHSL Nordic Ski State Meet at Giant’s Ridge in Biwabik, competing against the top skiers from across Minnesota. Trost and Stoltz raced in the boys pursuit, while Ronning represented the Raiders in the girls field.
While Hastings did not place near the top of the state standings, simply reaching the meet capped a successful season and reflected months of work on the trails.
By the end of the winter, the Raiders had put together a season defined by depth, leadership, and steady improvement. A conference championship for the boys, another individual title for Ronning, and three state qualifiers highlighted a year that showed both the strength of the program’s veterans and the promise of its younger skiers.