By North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
A new roadside marker outside Wellington Middle/High School now celebrates decades of Eagle athletic champions, linking past, present, and future state title teams in the heart of town.
WELLINGTON — State champion athletes from Wellington’s past, present, and future now have a permanent public tribute following the unveiling of a new welcome sign near Wellington Middle/High School.
The sign was officially unveiled during a ceremony held June 9 on the west side of N County Road 9, just north of its intersection with County Road 62E. The new marker features a maroon background with white lettering reading “WELCOME TO WELLINGTON” and “Home of the Eagles,” followed by a “STATE CHAMPIONS” section recognizing select championship teams.
Listed on the sign are Wellington High School state championship football teams from 1952, 1953, and 2025, as well as boys’ basketball state titles from 1953 and 1957.
The project was completed through a partnership between Wellington Middle/High School and the Town of Wellington, bringing together school leaders, town officials, and community partners to highlight the school’s athletic legacy.
Those attending the ceremony included Wellington Mayor Rebekka Dailey, WMHS Principal Troy Krotz, Athletic Director Hilarie Bartling, Head Football Coach Travis Peeples, Assistant Coach Steve Sarno, Poudre School District Board member Dr. Andrew Spain, town staff, and members of the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.
“We have a lot of reasons to be really proud to live here — we want to make this a place that people are proud to call home,” Mayor Dailey said. “And people really underestimate sports because it really brings a community together.”
The sign also underscores the broader history of Wellington education and athletics. The original Wellington High School opened in 1926 and served the community until its closure in 1964, after which students were bused to Fort Collins. The school reopened in 2022 as Wellington Middle/High School and now serves grades 6–12 amid continued population growth in the area.
Coach Peeples said the current program reflects that renewed energy and community support.
“I’m in the school every day; I see every sport, every club, everything that goes on academically, and we are on the right track,” Peeples said. “This is an exceptional school, an exceptional community.”
The sign’s design allows for additional champions to be added in the future, reinforcing its role as a living tribute to Eagle athletics across generations.
“I’m glad to be the first team ever to be on there in the new era,” Peeples added. “There will be more.”
The sign can be viewed near Wellington Middle/High School at the northwest corner of N County Road 9 and County Road 62E.
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Attribution: Town of Wellington press information and ceremony remarks, June 9, 2026.