Hastings Following a Legacy of Excellence

MENOMONIE – Coaching is a family tradition for the Hastings and this fall that tradition continues with a father-daughter duo leading two of Menomonie High School’s athletic programs.

Jeff Hastings is entering his second season as head coach of the Mustangs girls golf team and will begin his third season as boys golf coach next spring. His daughter, Lexi Hastings, is starting her third year as head coach of the girls tennis team — a position held for 38 years by her late mother, Wendy Hastings.

Wendy, who passed away in May 2022, was a fixture in the Menomonie tennis community and in the school district, where she also taught health. Her coaching style — positive, patient and inclusive — left a mark on generations of players.

“I watched how Wendy interacted with the players,” Jeff said. “She was always low-key, always positive. She had a no-cut team. If you came out, she’d find a place for you to play.”

Coaching the next generation

Both Jeff and Lexi are Menomonie graduates — Jeff in 1978 and Lexi in 2019.

Jeff retired in July 2022 after a career as a service representative with BakeMark, covering much of Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Over the years, he coached youth baseball, Legion baseball, girls youth basketball and served as an assistant on Pat Helixon’s girls basketball staff in the 1980s.

When the MHS boys golf job opened, friends encouraged him to apply. “Some friends said, ‘You should do that,’ and I loved it,” Jeff said. “When the girls job opened, I thought, ‘Let’s see how the boys season goes.’ It went well, so I took the girls program.”

Lexi played four years of varsity tennis at Menomonie for her mother, then four years at Luther College, graduating in 2023. That fall, she stepped into her mother’s old role as head coach.

“The wins and losses are great,” Jeff said, “but helping make them better people and getting them better on the course — that’s the real reward.”

For Lexi, coaching at her alma mater is deeply personal. “I absolutely loved the program I went through,” she said. “I learned so much from both of my parents coaching me. Now, being on the same coaching staff with my dad, we can learn from each other.”

Lessons from Mom and Dad

When Lexi encounters challenges, she often turns to her dad. “Any bump in the road, I ask his opinion,” she said. “How would he handle it? He helps me lead through it.”

Jeff, in turn, leans on Lexi’s experience coaching girls. “About being able to relate to the girls, I ask her,” he said. “Some of it even comes down to fashion — I can pick out the guys’ uniforms, but I let the girls choose theirs.”

From Wendy, Lexi learned “everything” about coaching. “In the school district, she talked about resiliency,” Lexi said. “Don’t get too fired up. Be the better person.”

Growing up with coaches as parents came with expectations. “They were tough on me,” Lexi said. “If I was frustrated, they wouldn’t step in. They’d say, ‘Go talk to the coach.’ I respected that, and I respected how they treated all my coaches.”

Carrying on the tradition

Lexi’s coaching extends beyond Menomonie. She works at the Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center in St. Paul, Minn., coaching players of all ages, and spends summers working at the Gustavus Adolphus College Tennis and Life Camp — a camp she attended as a child.

For the past four summers, the Hastings family has provided scholarships for Menomonie players to attend the Gustavus camp. This summer, eight local girls took part.

Jeff, meanwhile, organized Menomonie’s first-ever summer golf camp in June, hosting 32 boys and girls ages 5-14 at Tanglewood Golf Course, the Mustangs’ home venue. “We taught the basics, and the older kids got to play in a tournament,” he said. “A top goal is to get a middle school program going.”

This year’s teams

Lexi’s tennis team is coming off two straight top-three finishes in the Big Rivers Conference. The Mustangs graduated two-time state qualifier Amy Lui but return senior captain Isabel Sorenson, last year’s No. 2 singles player. The No. 1 doubles team of junior Eme Gamez and senior Dylan Watkins is back, as is senior captain Teyha Johnson, last year’s No. 3 singles player.

Lexi expects about 35 players this fall with 10 returning letterwinners, aided by a strong middle school program and a youth camp the team runs as both a fundraiser and a recruiting tool.

Jeff’s girls golf team returns two senior captains, Maggie Winsend and Cierra House, from a five-player squad last season. His boys program has flourished, with 31 players in his first year and 27 in his second.

“In golf, it’s plain and simple to determine a lineup — just look at the scores,” Jeff said.

Looking ahead

The Hastings coaching year starts quickly. Girls golf opens Aug. 14 with a home meet, and girls tennis kicks off Aug. 16 at a tournament in La Crosse.

Lexi commutes daily from the Twin Cities to coach, despite opportunities closer to home. “There are people in the Cities who tell me there are so many open positions,” she said. “But I love coaching at Menomonie.”

Jeff shares that pride. “It’s a privilege and a joy to coach at Menomonie,” he said. “Menomonie produces good student-athletes, and I’m glad someone talked me into this.”

For both, it’s about more than just continuing a family legacy. It’s about shaping the next generation — the same way Wendy did for nearly four decades.

Chat GPT provided assistance in the production of this story.

2025 MHS Girls Tennis Schedule | 2025 MHS Girls Golf Schedule