Despite only housing three total sports, the Winter Season at Hastings High School brings perhaps more success than any other season. The wrestling team has a bright future ahead with their largest team ever last year, the basketball teams both on the boys and girls side have shown constant success, and the indoor track team, the highlight of this article, consistently breaks records (one this year by Sorin Kacmarczyk in the weight throw) and has outstanding performances at the The Armory (where most of their meets take place).
I was able to chat with head coach Molly Guilfoyle and captain Gus Renzin, who told me more about what makes this track team so great.

“It was a really successful season,” Renzin told me. Guilfoyle added that, “Everyone is ripping up and rounding into form and all their hard work is showing.” Hastings had a fantastic showing at their recent league meets with the girls team winning for the second year in a row and the boys placing third. Despite not winning as a full team, Guilfoyle commended the athletes for their great results. “They not only performed well individually, but also did a lot for the whole team,” Guilfoyle told me. Guilfoyle and Renzin attributed these tremendous performances to the team’s work ethic. When asked about the environment of the track team they described it as both positive and hard-working. “We are out there everyday sweating, working hard but we are doing it with a smile,” Renzin told me. Guilfoyle mentioned that she “loves the vibe” of the current track team. “There is a great camaraderie and everyone supports each other,” she said.

One highlight of the track team that shows promise for the future is, as Renzin described, the “tremendous pipeline” of underclassmen. On both the girls and boys team Hastings had several underclassmen and even one 8th grader, Maxwell Silva Steeves, qualify for Class C Championships taking place next week. “We are very lucky to have a light-hearted group of underclassmen that keep the upperclassmen laughing,” Renzin told me with Guilfoyle adding that, “everyone has stepped up and performed really well which is a great sign for the future.” Reflecting on the season as it comes to a close, Renzin emphasized how proud he was of all the hard work the team put in. He credited this determination to Coach Guilfoyle who he called a “genius.” “Her unique style gets us into that area where we are working really hard, but also where it cultivates the most growth,” Renzin said. Triumph in the Hastings track program does not seem to be stopping any time soon. With such strong underclassmen, the track looks to continue to add to Hastings’ winter sports success in years to come.