Fall sports are underway at Hastings High School, and September 2nd marked the first full week of competitions for many.
Seven seniors graduated from the softball program last year, but the team is reloading this year, not rebuilding.
“I think last year’s class was tough to replace, but this year, this class has stepped up,” said head softball coach Ashley Speak. “With a few transfers, we’ve been able to make a pretty solid roster.”
The softball team’s biggest goal this year is to come together as a team and to make sure they’re competitive in every game. Three transfers are joining softball this year, and the team is getting more experience playing together as the season goes on.
“We’re working out some kinks and I think you’re gonna experience a little high and low due to, you know, just some new kids on the field. They haven’t really played together, but overall, they’ve done a nice job of coming together,” Speak said.
The softball team plays around 12 games per week between the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams.
“We played a tough schedule early, so to be four-in-one at this point is kind of a big deal for us, but, you know, it can turn quickly either way, so we just need to keep grinding at practice and make sure we get those kinds of things done,” Speak said.
Additionally, Mark Gueswell is starting his first season as the head boys tennis coach after replacing Roger Sunderman, who retired last year. One of the tennis team’s main focuses is rebuilding the culture.
“I’m extremely excited because we’ve rebuilt the culture, and it’s going to take a couple of years to get foundational in a program, but I’ve been excited because the kids have already bought into it, and they’re continuing to buy into it, so as a coach that’s really exciting to see,” Gueswell said.
Many members of the tennis team are new to the sport, and learning from every match is a big focus point for the team.
“We have a lot of kids that have never picked up a racquet for more than five years, so there is a ton to teach and a ton to learn,” Gueswell said. “That’s going to be a lot of this year, they’re going to have a lot of experiences and we might get beat down quite a bit, but the good news is we’re going to have the mentality of learning from each match to move forward, and I guarantee these guys will get better by the end of the year.”
Another new coach, Kristy Kreutzer, has been the assistant cross country coach and is taking over the head coaching position, after Scott Rosno retired last season.
“I’m excited about the cross country season and I’m nervous about it. I helped out but now I’m in charge so it’s a little bit more stressful, but a lot of kids put in a good summer,” Kreutzer said.
The cross country team has a boys and girls team. The girls team is made up of nine runners that are new to the team and seven previous members of the team.
“I’m especially excited to watch the boys team. I think there’s a lot of potential there. The girls team I’m not as sure about because we have some new people that have joined us, but they’re doing awesome as well,” Kreutzer said.
The girls cross country team includes two German foreign exchange students, and one foreign exchange student from the Czech Republic.
“We have some foreign exchange students, three ladies, and they have been exciting to work with. They have brought a different dynamic to the girls side of our team,” Kreutzer said.
Another fall sport, volleyball, is head coached by Allison Soucie. The volleyball team is a young team, including four seniors.
“Our season theme is Pursuit: Tiger Strong. We’re really focusing on executing without excuses,” Soucie said.
There are two main goals volleyball is concentrating on: The postseason for Nebraska volleyball starts on October 25th.
“We are focusing on serving and a strong defense at the net. If we accomplish our goals and win the tight games, we have a chance for a postseason,” Soucie said.
