Edward S. Kopec, Jr.

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A proud native of Forty Fort, Ed grew up playing Forty Fort Pioneers Youth Soccer, Forty Fort Little League Baseball, and intramural basketball through Wyoming Valley West. However, it was not until his younger sister, Sara, joined the cross-country team at Wyoming Valley West that Ed found his true calling in athletics. Sara was an immediate star of the junior high cross-country team, winning several large invitationals, and Ed, not to be outdone by his younger sister, knew that he needed to join the team the following year. Ed joined the Wyoming Valley West varsity cross-country team, led by Coach Stewart Harry, as a freshman in 2000. Under Coach Harry’s tutelage, Ed became one of the top runners in District II, medaling in his sophomore through senior years, qualifying for states, and earning the Wyoming Valley Conference’s Most Outstanding Runner Award his senior year. In track and field, he had an undefeated regular season in his senior year, racing in the 800-meter run. These accomplishments led to nominations for the Wendy’s High School Heisman award for cross-country in 2003 and Track and Field in 2004. Coach Michael Kolinovsky recruited Ed to run at King’s College, where his career really blossomed. During his career at King’s, Ed would become a team captain by his sophomore year and go on to win All-Middle Atlantic Conference accolades during his sophomore through senior seasons. During this tenure, he set course records on multiple cross-country courses. During this time, King’s College did not have a varsity track and field program, so Ed began coaching track and field at Wyoming Valley West while still a student at King’s. A student-athlete in every sense of the word, Ed was awarded the PIAA scholar athlete of the year award during his senior year of high school in 2004. In college, he graduated Summa Cum Laude, while becoming a three-time MAC Academic honor roll selection and both the King’s College Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Middle Atlantic Conference Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2007-2008. Ed has coached cross-country and track and field for Wyoming Valley West High School and King’s College since 2005, coaching multiple district medalists, state qualifiers, and leading the Wyoming Valley West junior high cross-country team to the WVC championship and only undefeated season in program history in 2016. His proudest achievements in life are being a loyal husband to his wife, Tiffany, and father to his sons, Edward and Nolan, whose unending support allow him to continue his involvement with the sport he loves.