ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Lee Sortore had three requirements when it came time to select a college.

First, the school Sortore attended needed to be within reasonable driving distance of his Allentown, N.J., home. Second, he wanted a Christian school where he could pursue his faith. Finally, the school needed to offer a true engineering degree.

He found them all at the only place he applied: Roberts Wesleyan College.

Having the opportunity to become a part of the Redhawks' storied distance running programs was an added bonus for Sortore, a fourth-year student in Roberts' cooperative engineering program with Rochester Institute of Technology.

"It really is the best of both worlds in that I get the small Christian-school campus life and atmosphere and I also have access to the incredible facilities at RIT," Sortore says. "This program really ticked every box that I had." 

And Sortore has made the most of his opportunities. He carries a 3.87 academic average and is on pace to graduate with a Bachelor's degree in physics as well as a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in mechanical engineering from RIT in the Spring of 2023.

Sortore also has become an accomplished distance runner for the Roberts men's cross country and track and field teams. He recently placed third at the East Coast Conference Cross Country Championships as the Redhawks won their seventh consecutive ECC crown.

Steady improvement 

Finding a college running program was not a high priority for Sortore coming out of New Jersey United Christian Academy because, quite frankly, he was not sure that he wanted or would be able to compete at that level after graduating high school in a class of six.

Sortore started running for NJUCA as a freshman and developed a love for the sport. He went undefeated as a senior in both cross country and track and field and was a three-time Penn-Jersey Athletic League champion in cross country.

Despite his individual success, Sortore's school did not field a complete team and he longed for that dynamic. He also looked at his time compared to other runners and realized that there was room to grow.

Sortore visited Roberts before his senior year of high school but did not connect with Andrew Dorr, the Redhawks' Director of Cross Country and Track and Field, during his time on campus.

Dorr, who attended Roberts at the same time as Sortore's older brother, Kyle, recognized the name Sortore and asked former assistant coach Kevin Brown to reach out. Brown and Sortore continued their dialogue and Roberts eventually offered Sortore a small scholarship.

"In order for Roberts track and cross country to be successful, we rely on diamonds in the rough," Dorr says. "We always do a lot of hoping. We didn't offer Lee an athletic scholarship because he was an amazing runner, we offered him one because we hoped that he would become an amazing runner."

Sortore had a conversation with former Roberts runner Josiah Ottolini, who was a member of the engineering program, and made up his mind.

"I was pretty much set on Roberts at that point, but to have the opportunity to go there AND run – that sealed the deal," Sortore says.

It was only the beginning.

Sortore did not come in with the same training experience as some of his teammates had which meant he had room to improve and most of it was up to him.

"I remember early on in my career Coach Dorr described commitment as 'obedience to a decision,'" Sortore says. "It can't be based on motivation because motivation comes and goes, so I am not motivated, I am committed. Basically, I have made the decision that I am going to do everything that I can to improve … and just being able to do those things is based on a decision." 

Sortore put in the time – and the miles – and improved. As a freshman, he placed 24th at the ECC Championships, covering the 8K course on Roberts' Matt St. James trails in 27:58.9 (a 5:38 mile pace). As a senior, he ran the same course in 26:01.8 (5:15 mile pace).

Dorr credits Sortore's success to three things: hard work, talent and his ability to recover.

"Lots of people have talent and lots of people work hard, but the thing about Lee is his ability to maintain balance and recover," Dorr says. "Now he's running the best that he has ever run."

Which is impressive considering Sortore is coming off a knee injury suffered in February that sidelined him for several months and a bout with COVID at the beginning of the semester.

"I am definitely proud of the work that I have put in, but to some degree I feel that I was expecting this," Sortore says. "When I commit myself to improving in something, I don't really have any doubt if I can do it, it's just a matter of am I willing to do it?"

Driven by Dad

Lee is the youngest, by 11 ½ years, of Eric and Fay Sortore's four children.

Eric Sortore, a research chemist by trade, was a runner in college who played several musical instruments, was a Scoutmaster and built everything from sailboats to canoes to snowshoes.
"He just loved the outdoors and the idea of acquiring skills," Lee says.

Lee is very similar. He started playing piano but his true passion came out when he began playing guitar on his church worship team as a teenager. He now plays the banjo, mandolin, ukulele, bass guitar and drums.

Older brothers Ross and Kyle, a  2007 Roberts grad, are Eagle Scouts and Eric served as a Scoutmaster. Lee is also an Eagle Scout who enjoys woodworking. His camping and musical expertise have been on display at team retreats the last several years.

"Lee is a man of many talents and he is always open to trying new things," close friend and teammate Joshua Johnson says. "He is always doing something productive and the man never stops." 

Which, in many ways, is a tribute to Eric, who was diagnosed with cancer in January 2012 and passed away about six months later.

"I definitely consider myself blessed to have had him for the 12 years that I did," Lee says. "He was such a special person that I feel like it would have been unfair if I had him any longer."
Truth be told, Eric Sortore remains with his youngest son every day. 

"By remembering him I am inspired to improve myself," Lee says. "I see running as a way to connect with his legacy. He was an incredible man and left an incredible legacy."
Including perspective.

"One of the things that I learned is that life is fragile and life is temporary," Lee says. "What we do here on earth is here for a time, but ultimately my home is in heaven and God can call us home at any point." 

Lasting impression

Dorr already shares Sortore's success story as a positive example for young runners entering the Roberts' program. If he can do it, so can they.

"He is well-grounded and well-rounded," Dorr says. "He is a big part of our distance-running program for those reasons. He is a rock of our team in terms of leadership, character and emotional stability and here we are four years later and he is one of our top runners. We are blessed to have him and he is kind of blessed as well." 

In many ways Lee's athletic career will conclude with track and field in the spring and he will turn his attention to his future. His direct path is undecided, but he knows that he wants "to be a mechanical engineer and solve problems working with my hands." Aerospace engineering and defense technology are both options.

As he looks back on his college decision, he is confident that his only choice was the right choice.

"I think that it has exceeded my expectations in a positive way," Sortore says. "Just the overall experience has been incredibly positive. … It's like I was rewarded for that time in high school without a team in that I was given the opportunity to be a part of an exemplary team made up of such a great group of guys and led by Coach Dorr."