Still, at the state track and field championships, you never know what’s going to happen with the great competition in lanes next to you. And well, Hoprich wasn’t expecting to walk away with not just one, but two state gold medals.

“I worked so hard for this. It’s not even processing yet right now,” a smiling Hoprich said. “I don’t even know what to do with myself, but I’m so excited.”

Hoprich outran the state’s best in the 100 and 200 to leave Shippensburg on a rainy Saturday afternoon with two gold medals. 

In the 100, Hoprich ran a time of 11.90, beating out Catasauqua’s Hailey Jenkins by 0.03 seconds. Her and Jenkins were the lone two competitors to break 12 seconds as Neighborhood Academy’s Daeyja Cain took third in 12.06.

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Wellsboro's Piper Hoprich runs in the 100, in which she won state gold.

“I love the competition and Hailey was right behind me pushing me and so was Daeyja,” Hoprich said. “They both pushed me really good. I always love competition and that always makes me go faster.”

Hoprich had Jenkins ahead of her down the stretch and knew she had to push and she dug deep to be able to pass her late.

“I knew I had to push,” Hoprich said. “She was ahead of me and I had to push and I just used my top gun speed to get past her.”

After a few hours of rest, Hoprich was back on the track for the 200 late in the afternoon and, once again with Jenkins in the event with her, surpassed her to take state gold again. Hoprich ran a time of 24.39, beating out Cain, who ran a 24.53, and Jenkins, who ran a 24.76.

And to make those gold medals even a tad sweeter, Hoprich’s times broke her PR and school record by 0.01 in each event.

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Wellsboro's Piper Hoprich competes in the 200 on Saturday. She won state gold in the event.

“I had two PRs today too, so that’s great. It’s super exciting,” Hoprich said. “I was definitely not expecting this, but it’s amazing that it happened.”

Hoprich said that much like the 100, the 200 was similar in the fact she felt the presence of Jenkins and Cain in the race trying to gain on her.

“I honestly was just telling myself push, push, push,” Hoprich said. “I was not concerned with who was behind me. I was concerned with going forward and just pushing myself.”

Hoprich became Wellsboro’s first-ever state champion in girls track and field history. The only girls Wellsboro athlete or team to win state gold was Wellsboro’s 3,200 relay team in 1998. 

“I would say that it should put me up there (in the record books),” Hoprich said. 

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Lewisburg's Baylee Espinosa and Wellsboro's Lauren Kosek lead the field in the girls 3,200 race.

And it set in for Hoprich the magnitude of her accomplishments before she had even left the infield at Shippensburg.

“I mean it was very up-and-down this season, I was definitely disappointed at some points,” Hoprich said. “But this makes it all worth it and I’m glad I kept going.”

While Hoprich won her first-ever gold medals on Saturday afternoon, Lewisburg senior Baylee Espinosa claimed her fourth career gold on Saturday morning in the girls Class AA 3,200, defending her title a day after she defended her gold in the mile.

“It’s still pretty amazing I was able to get to do all this,” Espinosa said. “I think especially with everything as far as physical challenges, mental challenges through the season, to be able to push through that and be able to have these opportunities to be at the state meet, that means more than anything.”

Espinosa ran a time of 10:33.05 to win state gold, edging out fellow District 4 distance runner Lauren Kosek of Wellsboro, who finished with a silver medal in 10:35.87. Kosek was in first place after the first 400 meters, leading Espinosa by just 0.04 seconds in 1:17.42 to Espinosa’s 1:17.46. However, from there, Espinosa gained ground and surpassed Kosek and held the lead the remainder of the race. By the 800 mark Espinosa was in front in 2:36.45, holding a narrow lead by less than 0.12 seconds over Kosek.

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Lewisburg's Baylee Espinosa competes in the Class AA 3,200. She won state gold for a second consecutive year.

“She did an amazing job. I think when she was running,, I was thinking ‘wow she’s having a great race.’ She pushed me along and when I felt I wasn’t feeling my best,” Espinosa said. “It definitely helped me to be able to still stay with it and try to get the most out of myself. That’s obviously a big goal, but getting those points for the team means a lot.”

The area had plenty of other medalists in Class AA competition.

Canton’s Alexis McRoberts took silver in the shot put thanks to throwing a distance of 40 feet, 10 3/4 inches, behind only Laurel’s Alexis Geiweitz who won with a mark of 41-6 1/4.

Hughesville’s Katelyn Temple took sixth in the 400 in 58.41 and Warrior Run’s Natalie Hall ran 58.88 for seventh. 

While Katelyn Temple hoped for a higher finish, she was still happy with a podium spot.

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Lewisburg's Baylee Espinosa, front, leads Lauren Kosek of Wellsboro in the Class AA girls 3,200. The two took first and second.

“I mean, I’m always grateful I got the chance. I was seeded higher, but honestly, I had trials yesterday so I knew coming in my legs would not do very well,” Katelyn Temple noted. “So, I just did the best I could.”

Montoursville’s Allie Eberhart tied for eighth place in the pole vault with a height of 10-0. In the triple jump, Lewisburg’s Lydia Delsite finished with a sixth-place medal with a leap of 37-1 1/2. Delsite was glad to cap her career with a state medal, the first of her career.

“It’s great,” Delsite said. “I’ve never gotten a medal at states, so I’m very happy about it. Taking sixth is very good, even with this crappy weather.”

Warrior Run’s 3,200 relay team of Katie Zaktansky, Brenna Pick, Reagan Brouse and Natalie Hall took seventh in 9:47.41. Wellsboro’s 400 relay team of Hoprich, Sophia Yoder, Luna Moyer and Paige Rush ran a time of 50.25 for a fourth-place finish.

In the girls 1,600 relay, Lewisburg’s Katherine Batkowski, Annika Shields, Espinosa and Madison Moyers finished sixth in 4:06.32. 

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Lewisburg's Lydia Delsite competes in the triple jump in Class AA competition on Saturday. She took sixth to reach the podium, her first career state medal in outdoor competition.

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Canton's Alexis McRoberts competes in the Class AA shot put. She would take silver in the event.

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Natalie Hall competes at Shippensburg on Saturday.