Abigail Sorrell moves from the mat to the mortarboard

It’s pretty clear that relationships mean a lot to Abigail Sorrell who walked into the Leader offices chatting with her grandfather, Frank Brown.  

As for her relationship to Polson High School, it’s pretty unique, considering she’s a fifth-generation graduate of the school, a list that includes her grandfather Frank who graduated in 1973.

Sorrell took a wide variety of classes during her time at PHS, everything from culinary class to welding, but she might be most well known for her skills on the mat.

As a part of the early stages of a women's wrestling team in Polson, Sorrell takes pride in the example she set and the trail she has helped blaze even if there were some bumps along the way.

“I remember at the weigh-ins one time, there was this guy on my team, and he told me I shouldn’t be there because girls aren’t supposed to wrestle,” said Sorrell.

Despite facing an uphill battle at times, she boasted an impressive wrestling career as a three-time divisional champ and two-time state placer.

Sorrell also volunteered her time for the next generation of wrestling while at PHS, coaching and officiating for the local Little Guy Wrestling program. 

Outside of wrestling, Sorrell says the moments that stick out are the ones spent with people. Whether that's Sunday family dinners at the grandparents, going to lunch with her friends, being in the crowd for football games and the many team practices. 

Sorrell will be sticking around the area post-graduation, staying close to her family that has meant so much to her over the years. Post-graduation, she plans to work at a daycare, a job that stems from her senior project when she job shadowed and had a lead teaching role in a local daycare.

Her family, which has been a part of this community for five generations, is quite proud of their most recent graduate.

“She’s developed in all ways. Physical, mental, with her friends, the teachers, it’s been great,” said Frank Brown on how his granddaughter has grown throughout her time in high school.

As far as her advice for the next generations of students that roll through PHS Sorrell had this to offer, “Enjoy all of it. Everyone says you’re going to miss it when you leave. You are. Even if it’s hard, even if you want to quit, it's definitely worth it in the end.”

Abigail Sorrell will be graduating at 10 a.m. May 31 at Linderman Gym.