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Wellsboro Honors Its Speed Queen At Meet The Hornets

Wellsboro Honors Its Speed Queen At Meet The Hornets

By: Ed Weaver | Circle W Sports | August 26, 2026 | Photo courtesy Sarah Wagaman

Wellsboro senior Piper Hoprich was presented with a state championship ring and portrait during the annual Fall Meet the Hornets this past Sunday.

Bethany's Jewelry & Design created Hoprich's championship ring, while Sarah Wagaman created the portrait that will hang outside the gym.

Hoprich became Wellsboro's first two-time state champion and the school's first individual female state champion at the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University at the end of May.

Prior to Hoprich going "double gold" this past spring, the Hornet Track teams had one male individual champion, Tom Mann, who won the high jump in 1964.

Wellsboro's 4x800m girls relay team of Flori Simonis, Kim Sayre, Daria Guelig and Tara Guelig also captured PIAA gold in 1998.

"It's really nice to get this recognition and support from all of Wellsboro," Hoprich said. "Everyone has been super supportive. This just showcases my hard work and showcases everyone who's helped me along the way."

Hoprich broke her previous school record in the 100m at the PIAA Championships, running 11.90 seconds to claim her first gold medal of the day. She backed that performance up later in the afternoon by winning the 200m, again breaking her previous school record with a time of 24.39 seconds.

Sandwiched in between her two individual state championship runs, Hoprich anchored Wellsboro's 4x100m relay team from a ninth-place seed to a fourth-place overall finish.

The Hornets also finished third in the team standings with 37 points, two points behind second-place Hughesville and three behind state champion Shenango.

Hoprich's busy summer didn't end with track and field.

Earlier Sunday, before returning to Wellsboro for Meet the Hornets, she participated in the USPA Tested and Open 315 Legacy Bloodline powerlifting meet in Syracuse.

Hoprich deadlifted 300 lbs., benched 115 lbs. and squatted 210 lbs. to qualify for the IPL World Powerlifting Championships in Las Vegas this November.

"It was a super exciting meet. Everything went right, which never happens, and my dad helped me along the way. And to get back to Meet the Hornets was great."

With summer training over and a new school year underway, Hoprich now has her sights set on upping the ante during her senior season.

"I'm hoping to have the same goals. I want to get faster, bring the 4x100m team a gold medal, and hopefully the whole team a gold medal."

Head girls track coach Elizabeth Hoover was very proud of Hoprich's accomplishments earlier this year.

"I'm super proud. She works hard everyday at practice and stays longer than everybody else. She works with Coach Dee in the off-season. She lifts. I don't know how she has time for a social life, but she does and she's a great student and great young lady and I'm super proud of her."

Sprint coach John DeLeonardis echoed those sentiments.

"She's a wonderful young lady, hard work like Coach Hoover said. We start working on blocks and starts in September all the way through track season starts, but besides her athletic ability and her willingness to work hard, her character is just fantastic. As Coach said she puts her all into it. She's just a fantastic young lady."

Watch the video below, produced by The Home Page Network, for the complete interview with Piper, Coach Hoover and Coach Dee.