PIAA wrestling championships: Seneca Valley’s Hannah Hornick eliminated, but more motivated than ever
HERSHEY — Hannah Hornick does not love the misery.
It’s not company she likes to keep. But she respects it and lets it motivate her.
She’ll have more motivation after her final appearance in the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships ended Friday at Hershey’s Giant Center with a consolation third round loss to Central Dauphin’s Ashley Hoffman.
The Seneca Valley senior 190-pounder was pinned in the second period at 2:50, a win shy of her stated goal of making the podium.
“I am (happy with my career),” the Washington & Jefferson commit said after 78 career wins and two victories in three state tournament appearances for the Raiders. “I wish I could’ve done more and gotten better, but I think I could’ve gotten 100 wins and still said that.
“I’m happy with it. I loved it. I would’ve never expected to like it; when I joined (wrestling) I did not like it. … I literally hated this.”
Hornick wrestled and played softball for a time, but she gave up the latter after her sophomore year — the last time she won a match at states.
The reason was ... unique.
“I realized I hated losing in this a lot more than I hated losing in softball,” said Hornick, who “hated” wrestling when she started but grew to appreciate it. “Every single time I leave here, I’m so much more motivated because you see everyone else that’s just better than you. I’d much rather deal with this misery than not liking it.”
She’ll deal with it for the next few months as she prepares for college wrestling by lifting more and working on technique. She said she wrestled about 15 pounds lighter than most of her opponents after bumping up from 170 a year ago.
She does not like losing. And she’s motivated to grow as a wrestler.
Hoffman, ranked seventh in the state by Inside Pa. Wrestling, presented a challenge No. 9 Hornick hopes to learn from.
Hailing from the difficult District 3 wrestling scene in central Pennsylvania, Hoffman was “super heavy on her hands.” Hornick tried to counter with quickness and getting to her shots, something she said not many 190-pounders are used to, but Hoffman never gave her an opportunity to capitalize on and led 5-0 before the pinfall.
“Every year I get close. Last year, I went 0-2, which is just, obviously, not how anyone wants to end it,” Hornick said. “Obviously, Pennsylvania’s a hard state … I’m trying not to beat myself up too much.”
Hoffman will wrestle Parkland’s Liz Karla Grullon-Vazsquez in the fourth round of consolations.
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Seneca Valley’s Hannah Hornick fell to Central Dauphin’s Ashley Hoffman by pin in a 190 -pound round three consolation bout on Day 2 of the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Hershey's Giant Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Hannah Hornick fell to Central Dauphin’s Ashley Hoffman by pin in a 190 -pound round three consolation bout on Day 2 of the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Hershey's Giant Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Hannah Hornick fell to Central Dauphin’s Ashley Hoffman by pin in a 190 -pound round three consolation bout on Day 2 of the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Hershey's Giant Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Hannah Hornick fell to Central Dauphin’s Ashley Hoffman by pin in a 190 -pound round three consolation bout on Day 2 of the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Hershey's Giant Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Hannah Hornick fell to Central Dauphin’s Ashley Hoffman by pin in a 190 -pound round three consolation bout on Day 2 of the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Hershey's Giant Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Hannah Hornick fell to Central Dauphin’s Ashley Hoffman by pin in a 190 -pound round three consolation bout on Day 2 of the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Hershey's Giant Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
