Superior's Reese focuses on track and field

Strike the words determined, dedicated and focused from the English language and it may be impossible to describe Superior High School junior Sorren Reese.

A student athlete who has competed for the co-op Mountain Cats (Superior/Alberton) since she was a freshman, Reese has excelled in the classroom and on the fields of play.

Now she is embarking on an ambitious training routine she hopes will build upon the surprising success she had two years ago as a ninth grade track and field prodigy.

“After the setbacks involved with the pandemic I found I needed to work harder to get back to the times I had in track and field,” Reese said. “I felt let down when playoffs (basketball) were cancelled last year.”

Now, she is forgoing her junior year of basketball after a dominating run during the recently concluded volleyball season. The decision was not easy, but she said she felt the need to focus on track this year.

She had an outstanding year in volleyball, leading the team in kills, aces and blocks. While she says track and volleyball are her favorite sports, she also enjoyed playing basketball.

“I really like basketball, the contact and speed of the sport,” she said. “It was a decision I made because I love running and want to be ready for the upcoming track season. I want to see how far I can go in track.”

To accomplish that goal, she has embarked on a training program that has her working with coaches in Missoula and Lolo. Her routine week these days involves heavy sessions of running and weight training, five-plus days a week.

“I took a weight lifting class at Superior and found it was a great help in my efforts to compete,” she said. “Now I lift weights five times a week. I’m excited about the combination of strength and cardio workouts.”

As a freshman, Reese qualified for the state finals in several events, including the 400, 800, mile and 4X400 relay races. She stood on the medals podium twice during the state B/C event, capturing fourth place in the 800 meter event and the 4X400 relay.

“I really like the 800 meter race,” she said. “I think it is one of the hardest events to win because it’s basically an all-out sprint over a long distance.”

Her father, Joshua Reese, understands his daughter’s interest in such an event.

“She is very driven,” Joshua said. “The 800 sets people apart, you gotta be tough as nails to excel in the 800.”

She is also stepping up her efforts this year in the mile run, an event she hadn’t tried until the eighth grade. This year, she is working hard on the mile run with the help of coaches from Missoula-based Mountain West Track Club.

“I’m really eyeing the mile this year as part of my training,” Sorren said. “I hadn’t really trained for it in the past.”

Joshua said his daughter had only run the mile four times before she broke a record that had stood since 1977. She plans to compete for this year’s Mountain Cats girls track team, which Reese said has a lot of promising athletes coming back.

“The team we have coming back this year should be really strong,” she said. “We have some really competitive girls in all the main events.”

In addition to running events, Reese said she has also been working on throwing the javelin.

Dean Reese, Sorren’s grandfather who played football at Fresno State, said Reese’s positive attitude and burning desire to compete and win are what have helped her become a standout in the classroom and in sports.

“She is not being pushed by anyone,” Dean said. “She is just a really focused, hard-working person who has a dedicated mindset. She pushes herself even when no one is around. She has a work ethic that is beyond most people.”

That hard-working approach extends to the classroom, where she is a solid 4.0 student and a regular fixture on the honor roll.

“I try to take advantage of every minute to put in the work it takes to have good grades,” she said. “I don’t really like having homework so I try to get things done during free time at school.”

Two years ago, when Sorren was playing junior varsity basketball as an eighth grader, Dean Reese said he went to a game and did not see Sorren around.

“She was sitting in the back of the school café doing homework,” he said, beaming as a proud grandfather would.

Reese said her future plans include becoming a pediatrician. She would like to stay in Montana if possible.

“I know things can be taken away really fast,” Sorren said. “I try to study and play every game like it was the last one of my senior year.”

That, said Cary Chamberlain, one of Sorren’s former volleyball coaches, is what makes her chances of achieving her goals so realistic.

“There are not a lot of students and athletes like this who come around every day,” Chamberlain said. “When you get to coach one, it’s fun and special.”