Correspondent photo / Lowell Spencer West Branch’s Sophia Gregory (middle) runs during the Division II district track meet at Salem on Saturday.

SALEM — Sometimes athletes do things that are sometimes considered unorthodox. Most sprinters use starting blocks to provide them with a fast start in a sprint event. But that is not the case for West Branch Warriors junior sprinter Sophia Gregory.

Gregory chooses to start from a crouched position at the starting gun rather than use the blocks like her competitors in the event. However, it made no difference Saturday morning in the girl’s 400-meter event at the Salem Division II district track and field meet.

Gregory ran a mark of 59.02 in the event, just edging out Sandra King from Akron Buchtel with a 59.23 time. Gracie Ashton from Fairless was third at 59.76, followed by Salem’s Rylee Hutton at 1:00.27 and Ella Double at 1:03.08.

“I’ve never used the block in the 400,” Gregory said. “I don’t like the blocks as much. I should probably get better at them. That’s what everyone tells me. But I just haven’t.”

Gregory started in lane five, with a familiar competitor next to her in lane four. Salem’s Rylee Hutton, who is also a junior, has been a friendly rival in both basketball and now in track. So she presented a good source of athletic competition to push Gregory a little harder.

“Since Rylee was in fourth (lane), I couldn’t pace myself with her. So, I was just trying to stay in front of her for as long as I could,” Gregory said of the beginning of the race. “I started to kick in around the 150. I couldn’t kick in much sooner than that.”

Although the two have had fierce games in basketball against one another, and are now competing in track, Gregory said that she and Hutton are good friends.

“She’s so nice,” Gregory said. “We’re just in the same boat for everything. We are from different schools, but we are the same age and everything. It’s tough, but it’s alright. It’s tough competition, but she is so nice, it just makes it all the better.”

Gregory also ran the second leg on the Warriors 4×200-meter relay before running the 400. The Warriors team finished second with a time of 1:45.93, just behind Akron Buchtel with a winning mark of 1:44.52. She ended the day running the fourth leg of the Warriors 4×400-meter relay where they finished fourth in the event. Their time of 4:14.19 followed Salem’s winning mark of 4:03.78.

Gregory admitted that she prefers the competition of basketball, “Definitely basketball. Track, it’s fun with the people, it’s just the racing isn’t as fun.”

Her natural long stride helps her to be one of the top athletes in the area, but she also contributes several other key factors that help to propel her to be her best.

“It’s just a little of everything. The fans and teammates get better at each practice along with the coaches. It’s just everything,” she said.

Gregory, again just like Hutton at Salem, is also a standout player on the Warriors girls’ soccer team. She helped the Warriors to a league championship and a regional semifinal appearance.

Although she has enjoyed much success, she still is keeping herself humble, “there are a lot of girls that have gone faster. I’m just trying to make it to the next day. Anything is possible.”

Judging by the success she has enjoyed in all the sports she has participated in, anything is definitely possible. Next up for Gregory will be regionals next week to see just what it might be.