Northern Tier West Sports ReportTIOGA COUNTY — The Northern Tier West Sports Report ‘Top 10’ Female Athletes of the Spring list includes NTL title winners, future college athletes, District and State medalists and a PIAA champion.
Wellsboro junior Piper Hoprich leads the list and is joined on the ’Top 10’ by teammate and classmate Lauren Kosek, North Penn-Liberty senior softball players Haley Litzelman and Elyna Booth, Williamson Track & Field seniors Maddie Bailey and Raegan VanGorden, senior CV softball player Zeraya Wilson and sophomore teammate Lilah LaBarron, Williamson junior softball player Lexi Smalley and Wellsboro junior softball player Ady Frantz.
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Hoprich, the All-Tioga County T&F ‘Athlete of the Year’, and Kosek, the ‘Distance Runner of the Year’, led the Lady Hornets to their first NTL title since 2014 with three event wins each at the league championship meet.
Kosek won the 800, 1600 and 3200 meter runs while Hoprich took the 100 and 200 meter dashes and was on the winning 4x100m relay squad, along with Luna Moyer, Sophia Yoder and Paige Rush.
At the District IV Championships, the Lady Hornets earned 11 medals .. led by Hoprich’s golds in the 100 and 200, Kosek’s silvers in the 1600 and 3200 and 4th place finish in the 800 and the 4x100m relay’s bronze.
Hoprich completed her run through the league and the District with a pair of gold medals at the State Championships, winning both the 100 and the 200 meter dashes. Her 11.90 in the 100 was a new personal best and while the 4x100m relay was winning a 3rd place medal, they set a new school record (49.48).
Kosek added two medals for the Lady Hornets, taking 2nd in the 3200 and 5th in the 1600.
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Litzelman, the All-Tioga County Softball ‘Player of the Year’, led the Lady Mounties (14-5) with a .518 batting average and collected 29 base hits, including 11 for extra bases (3 HR, 3-3b, 5-2b). The Bucknell-commit added 23 RBI, 17 runs scored, nine stolen bases and a .562 on-base-percentage. Litzelman also went 1-0 from the circle for NPL, throwing 11 innings without allowing an earned run and striking out 17.
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Booth, the All-Tioga County ‘Pitcher of the Year’, went 12-4 for the Mounties, throwing 106 2/3 innings with a 1.38 ERA and 169 strikeouts. The East Stroudsburg-commit also hit .298 for NPL with 14 base hits and a .450 OBP while adding eight RBI and four runs scored.
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Bailey, the combined Track/Field ‘Athlete of the Year’, paced Williamson’s girls all season and lead the Lady Warriors to a 4th place finish at the NTL coaches’ invite, taking 1st place in the long jump, 2nd in the 800m run and joining with teammates Natalie Yonker, Madison Fay and Lainey Hackett to win the 4x800m relay title.
Bailey followed up NTL’s with an impressive performance at the District IV Championships, placing 2nd in the long jump, 3rd in the 800 and 4th with Hackett, Fay and Yonker in the two-mile relay while qualifying for the State Championships in all three events. The foursome finished 22nd at States while Bailey was 16th in the 800m and 28th in the long jump.
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VanGorden won an NTL high jump title and placed third at the District IV Championships.
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The All-Tioga County Softball ‘Defensive Player of the Year’, Smalley led the Lady Warriors to a small school title and committed zero errors on the season and threw out 12 of 19 attempted base stealers. At the plate, Smalley hit .404 and had a .547 OBP with 21 base hits (1 HR, 9-2b), 20 runs scored and 14 RBI.
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Frantz led Wellsboro from the circle and at the plate. The sophomore went 9-11 on the season, throwing 113 innings with a 2.69 ERA, 94 walks and 217 strikeouts .. setting a new season strikeout record for the Lady Hornets by 39 K’s.
Frantz collected 29 base hits for Wellsboro .. including a home run, six triples and seven doubles .. while batting .453 with 26 RBI, 19 runs scored and a .500 on-base-percentage.
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‘Co-Offensive Player of the Year’ LaBarron batted .500 for the year, with 34 base hits .. including two home runs, three triples and four doubles .. 29 RBI, 19 runs scored and 14 stolen bases. Also the Indians’ ace, LaBarron threw 86 and a third innings and went 5-6 with a 3.00 ERA and 93 strikeouts.
LaBarron shared honors with Wilson, who hit .492 with 32 base hits .. including a home run, a triple and seven doubles .. with 34 runs scored, 19 RBI, 13 stolen bases while drawing 13 walks for a .577 on-base-percentage.
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Athlete Photos Available HERE
