Sophia Sorrell always had a curious and adventurous mind and body when it came to sports during her upbringing. Now, those personality traits have served her well in her quest to become one of the better all-around track and field athletes in the Shoreline Conference.

The North Branford sophomore tried her hand at all sports growing up, including a decade of dance, along with softball, basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Yet after joining her middle school’s track team, she was immediately hooked and inevitably became a year-round runner for the Thunderbirds with cross country, indoor, and outdoor track.

Sophia expanded her expertise to the field this past winter by taking on the high jump and finished fourth at the Shoreline Conference championship with a clearance of 4 feet-8 inches, a personal best. She is now currently training for June’s CIAC State Heptathlon for the outdoor circuit.

“I didn't expect to love track as much as I did, plus I had close friends that did it. Coach Mike Rabuffo has helped me a lot with him being a big supporter that always encourages and pushes me,” says Sophia. “My brother did outdoor track last year, and his support was important, along with my teammates; we have a positive, family environment here. I figured this indoor year I would try to high jump to do a field event. I did not expect to be that good at it. It was a surprise to finish fourth at Shorelines, and it felt good for the amount of work I put into it and going up against good competition.”

Sophia’s staunchest critic is within herself. Still, over time, she has mastered the mental mastery to not be so negative when the desired result is not attained and rather boast optimism and practicality to hit it the next go-around.

“I have always been so critical of my performances, and I have been working on that,” Sophia says. “Now, I am learning to be kinder to myself and to just work harder the next time. Instead of getting so upset with myself, I stay positive and look at things logically.”

One of Sophia’s running events on the track is something that she certainly sees as a major test but one she gravitates towards. She keeps striving to her peak performances and times, as she sets her sights on the state’s biggest summit in June.

“My favorite race is the 400; it is a mentally challenging race, but I like taking on that challenge,” says Sophia. “I am really focused on my training for the heptathlon for June. I am set in on the 200 and high jump. For the high jump, I want to try and clear five feet by the end of the outdoor season.”

The duality that is invoked by an atmosphere of a track program is the best of both worlds in Sophia’s scope. She feels inspired by the participation of her teammates as spectators while tracking her own tangible progress.

“Track is special to me because it is a good community,” Sophia says. “But you have the capacity to focus on individual things while your peers cheer you on. I also like how you can see your progress so clearly by looking at your times and results.”

Sophia has still not even completed the opening half of her high school tenure as a T-Bird, but she can see the marked growth of the group in spades. They are bolstering not only their sheer volume on the roster but also the veracity of its competitors.

“My freshman year, we had a small team with maybe 22 people,” says Sophia. “But this year, we have grown so much in numbers of people in the program. We have amazing freshmen with talent, and the upperclassmen veterans have been focusing hard. It makes things so much better to have a bigger team and community and make our mark in the Shoreline and state.”

As someone who has been with Sophia since she stormed out of the starting gate, Rabuffo praises her for not only her ambition with track, but also doing it while overcoming an added health hurdle.

“Sophia Sorrell is a great natural athlete. She has been integral to the team for relays and individual event points. She is always up for a new challenge,” Rabuffo says. “Not only is she a natural athlete, but she has a great attitude too. She has asthma which used to be an anxiety-producing challenge for her. This year, she has managed it well while still competing at the highest level. A workout that would make her have an attack last year is easier for her to manage and push through. She always pushes herself to the limit during workouts and is motivated to learn and get better at every new throwing and jumping event we train for.”

Rabuffo adds that the sky is truly the limit for Sophia, as she has already sewn up a spot in Shorelines and state championships for the outdoor 200 and 4x100 relay. He echoes her sentiment in being someone who strives for perfection and has balanced that mentality much better.

“She also has gotten better at understanding that some days we will not be at our best. She is a perfectionist, so at times last season she struggled if her marks were not up to her par,” says Rabuffo.” This year, she has learned to take her training day by day. I am excited to see what she can achieve this year. She is an exciting prospect as only a sophomore, and I'm excited to see what the season has in store for her.”

The miles logged in the running lanes have given Sophia great knowledge on how to balance a push and pull mentality upon one’s self. As she pushes towards the future, she has also acquired essential life skills such as collaborating with colleagues.

“Track has taught me the virtue of patience and being kind to yourself while pushing yourself,” says Sophia. “It also has helped me become the best well-rounded athlete and person I can be. I have also discovered how to work with others on a team and form strong relationships.”