Eastern Washington University Athletics

Sorrell competed in three national championship meets in the late 70's for Eastern, and the time of 54.80 in the 400 meters she recorded outdoors in 1979 in Eugene, Ore., still stands as a school record (entering 2019). She had a time of 55.9 indoors that also still ranks No. 1 all-time at Eastern, and her best 800 time indoors of 2:14.0 was a school record for 26 seasons until broken in 2005. In the 300 meters, her indoor time of 39.6 is a school record but is an event rarely held. She qualified in the 400 for the AIAW National Championships in 1977 (at UCLA), 1978 (at the University of Tennessee) and 1979 (at Michigan State University). The AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) was the only women's national competition at the time, and Eastern was still a NAIA school for men's sports. She advanced to the semifinals in 1978 and finished 12th. Sorrell won the AIAW Region Nine 400 meter title in 1977 and 1978. She was actually third in that meet in 1979 when she set her school record in Eugene. The winner was Kathy Weston, who had transferred to Oregon State that year and had competed for the United States at the 1976 Olympics in the 800. Sorrell was edged at the finish line for second by Oregon's Dawna Rose. Sorrell was originally from Tenino, Wash., and redshirted at the University of Nevada Las Vegas before joining the program at Eastern. She also competed for Eastern in 1976, and eventually earned her business administration degree with an emphasis in professional accounting. She went on to coach track and field and cross country from 2004-2013 at Orting (Wash.) High School -- a regular entrant at the WIAA State Track and Field Championships which have taken place in Cheney since 1996. The girls team won the 2012 State 1A title and the boys finished fifth. She coached athletes who still hold seven school records entering 2019), including three involving her specialty, the quarter-mile. She coached the record holder in the boys 400 (Jacob Patton, 49.53) and both the boys and girls 4x400 relay teams. She was the Nisqually League Coach of the Year for both track and field and cross country in 2011. Her girls team won the league title four-straight seasons from 2009-2012.