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  • Barr-Reeve’s Damon Pruett (left) and Connor Sorrells have shared a successful running career for the Vikings. The pair are preparing for their final races together with the cross country tournament starting Oct. 9 at South Knox.

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September 26, 2012

Plans for Viking pair work out in the end

By Gregg A. Sims Washington Times-Herald

MONTGOMERY — When Connor Sorrells and Damon Pruett arrived at Barr-Reeve, there was little doubt they had athletic careers in mind.

Pruett arrived as a fourth-grader who was certain basketball was in his future.

Sorrels came later, and had similar basketball and baseball thoughts on his mind.

Neither plan worked — fortunately.

The Barr-Reeve seniors have become known in Indiana as a pretty good pair of cross country and track runners.

Both have made state finals appearances. Neither was sure cross country was their sport.

“I almost quit when I was in the seventh grade,” Sorrells said. “I wasn’t really sure cross country was what I wanted to do,” Pruett said.

Beside each other, both had one guiding force when it came to staying with the program — Viking coach JayR Perkins.

“We were running timed miles for physical education in the sixth grade, I think, and JayR saw the times and kept bugging me to run cross country,” Pruett said. “I really wanted to play basketball. I really wasn’t sure just what cross country was. Coach Perk just kept bugging me to do it. I really didn’t like it much at first.”

Both played in the JBL, a junior basketball league at Shoals, before transferring to Barr-Reeve.

“I think we both wanted to play basketball, and we ran cross country just to keep in shape,” Sorrells said. “It became like, ‘wow’, we’re pretty good at this.”

The wow started around the eighth grade for both. Both had gone through periods when they went to practices basically because the other was going to attend.

They missed some, but stayed with the program long enough for their careers to change.

“I was really playing baseball when I first got here,” Sorrells said. “My seventh grade year I was commutating. That summer I wouldn’t show up for a practice and Perk would leave a message on the answering machine. I told my mom I really didn’t want to do it. I asked her not to make me go. I just kept playing baseball, but he (Perkins) kept on my case. So I decided I would come and get it over with. I think we both got serious in our eighth grade years.”

The pair have not always trained with each other. Both note they are different and have different paces that suit their styles. They have worked together more this season, but still have their own programs.

Both admit having the other in the program has made each better runners.

 “We played basketball with each since we were really little on playgrounds,” Sorrells said. “We both moved from Shoals. Damon was in the fourth grade and I moved halfway through my sixth grade year. I’m sure knowing each other didn’t hurt.”

“If Connor had quit and focused on basketball, I would have done the same thing,” Pruett said.

“I think what had a lot to do with it is that we’re both very competitive,” Sorrells said. “We’re best friends. We both like to compete. We don’t like to lose no matter what we are playing.”

Sorrells have won their high school runs. Pruett is usually second. Not just to Sorrells, but the race itself. It is not unusual to have a margin between them and the next runner.

“Damon has helped keep me grounded,” Sorrells said. “All I have to do is look and see that black Barr-Reeve jersey coming, and I know if I slack off, I’m going to lose my spot, my position. He keeps me in line. It’s a two-way street.”

“People ask me that a lot (running second to Sorrells),” Pruett said. “Really, I don’t think I would be where I am without Conner. He’s has really motivated me, and helped me take the next steps in life.”  

Both now enter their final weeks of high school running with their last tournament runs together. Both are expecting to run in college.

Sorrells said he believes he has narrowed his choice of schools down to three contenders: Wisconsin, Fuhrman and Syracuse. Pruett noted Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and Grand Valley State in Michigan are two of the leading candidates at this time.

“It will be different not having each other around,” Sorrells said of the pending conclusion of the season. “It’s almost like losing a twin brother.”

“We’ve spent six years being teammates,” Pruett said. “It will be different not having Conner around.”

Fortunately for Barr-Reeve, those feelings are more than a few weeks, and races, away.

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