ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Smethport Area High School graduate Darion Gregory is a runner used to competing at the highest level. In cross country, he was a four-time state qualifier and a two-time state medalist. He also competed at the state meet in high school track and field.
So with that type of high school career, it was no surprise that he continued his running career at nearby Saint Bonaventure University.
The former Hubber began his running career late in elementary school alongside one of his closest friends, Christian Tanner. Tanner and Gregory were a tandem who pushed each other for many years in Smethport, and each of them have reached the college ranks successfully.
When Gregory was in sixth grade, he was a manager for the cross country program until he could join the junior high program as a seventh grader.
“Growing up, I was a wrestler and started to like running because I did it to stay in shape for wrestling,” he said. “Being a manager is what really got me hooked on running and inspired me to do it.”
His continued progress allowed the Bonnies to notice his talents, and once he got an offer from them, he knew he could not go anywhere else. Going to Bonaventure provided a great education close to home while also presenting the chance to run at the highest level in the collegiate ranks, Division I.
Gregory intended to major in biology, but has since decided an environmental studies and management double major is a better fit for him. He intends to enroll in graduate school following his undergraduate career.
In his year and a half at the collegiate level, Gregory has improved and impressed. He set the 5K cross country school record this past October with a time of 15:40. He was also one of three St. Bonaventure athletes in the running for rookie of the year for the 2019-20 school year.
The unfortunate side of it is he has only been able to compete in cross country once during his college career. COVID-19 caused track and field to be canceled in his first college season, and cross country in the Atlantic 10 Conference was postponed until the spring.
Tentatively, championships for cross country will likely be held in the spring, and indoor track and outdoor track may still be able to happen in the near future. However, this is still yet to be determined.
Though there has not been direct NCAA sanctioned competition for Gregory since the fall of 2019, it has not set him back like it has for some in other sports.
“Right when the pandemic started, I had so much extra time on my hands to train and get my body right,” Gregory said.
The college sophomore also took advantage of some local races, including a half marathon in Wellsboro over the summer. In the future, he is hopeful to continue his running career by competing not just in half marathons, but also marathons and ultra marathons.
The former Hubber still has a lot of his college career in front of him, though, and shared what it will mean when competition is deemed safe to return.
“I will be happy if it resumes with indoor, outdoor, or cross country. When everything can come together, it is going to mean so much,” he said.
Coming to St. Bonaventure also meant teaming up with one of his biggest competitors over the years in District 9 in Logan Caruso. It’s a rivalry that blossomed into a great friendship.
“Racing against Logan and Christian (Tanner) over the years pushed us all,” Gregory said. “I am glad to call each of them my good friends today.”
