It’s the first time outside in 2026 tonight for the Hillcrest Academy Raven boys and girls track and field teams when they travel to the Tipton Tiger Invitational.

Hillcrest is coming off of a successful indoor season that includes events at the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Indoor State Championships at Iowa State and Wartburg College High School Indoor. In Ames for the girls, Rya Scott was the 1A State Champ in the 60m and state-runner up in the 200. Other highlights included the Raven 4×100 team of Rya and Adia Scott, Brynna Boshart and Karina Bourha fifth in 1A and Siena Stanerson and Marie Yoder 10^th and 11^th in the 1A 3000. The Ravens finished ninth in the 1A team standings.

At Wartburg for the girls, Rya Scott again sprinted to a win, this time in the 55m. She was also third in the 200. The 4×200 team of Rya and Adia Scott, Brynna Boshart and Niva Helmuth were third. Siena Stanerson was fourth in the 3000 and seventh in the 1500 with Niva Helmuth seventh in shot put, Adia Scott was eighth in the 55m.

The boys also competed at Wartburg where Gibson Scott was the leader at 11^th in the 55m hurdles, Braden Hartsock was 14^th in the two-mile and it was 19^th place for the 4×800 team of Jackson Brokaw, Calvin Meller, Isaac Beachy and Hartsock. This week, Hillcrest head coach Marty Gingerich talked with KCII Sports about what has him most excited for this season.

Gingerich said, “I think it’s great to see the overall confidence for track and field at Hillcrest. We have 28 athletes out. That’s roughly 25% of our student body participating. That enthusiasm is great. We’re especially strong in girls sprints, both short and long. Hopefully we can have a great season and keep the excitement around the program going.”

In last year’s outdoor season, Rya Scott was a double conference champ and State qualifier in the 100 and 200, Marie Yoder competed at State in the 3000 and Stavia Miller and Karina Bourha return as three pieces of the state qualifying 4×200 team. For the Raven boys, Kale Bailey is back after scoring points at the State meet a season ago in high jump.

The Ravens will run in Tipton tonight against Dyersville Beckman, Camanche, Cascade, Central DeWitt, Clear Creek Amana, Maquoketa, Marquette Catholic, Monticello, Muscatine, North Cedar, Northeast Goose Lake, Iowa City Regina, West Branch and the home Tigers. Action starts this afternoon at 3:30p.m. And continues into the evening at Tipton City Park.